The Sussexes enjoyed a warm welcome when they first moved over to the States. But their popularity is plummeting for one major reason, according to a royal expert

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were initially welcomed with open arms following their decision to move to the States but their star is on the wane, according to a royal expert.

The couple have proven particularly divisive following their exit from the royal family. They have repeatedly taken aim at the monarchy – to Oprah, in interviews, their Netflix show and Spare – attracting a great deal of criticism in the process and it seems it’s all proven too much for the American public.

Royal commentator Lee Cohen has now said that while the Sussexes once “epitomised a modern fairy-tale”, their “whining” has changed all that – and the US’s love affair with the pair has “significantly cooled”. He wrote in The US Sun : “Harry and Meghan just love to complain. And in America’s largely optimistic society, that is a bad look. While some view the couple’s openness as a brave stance against institutional rigidity, many others perceive it as ungrateful and divisive. A segment of Americans, particularly those of us who respect and admire the monarchy, find these repeated criticisms disrespectful and unbecoming. So the Sussexes’ endless narrative of grievance has alienated many who once admired their candour.”

It’s been a difficult time for Harry and Meghan. They recently faced a huge backlash following Harry’s acceptance of the Pat Tillman Award. More than more than 70,000 people signed a petition calling for ESPN to rethink their decision – but Harry went ahead and accepted the award, supported by Megahn in the audience.

The award, named after NFL player and US Army Ranger Pat Tillman who tragically lost his life in Afghanistan in 2004, is bestowed by sports network ESPN to individuals within the sports industry who have made substantial contributions towards improving the lives of others.

Harry received the honour for his work with the Invictus Games to the shock of many, including Pat’s own mother Mary, who questioned why ESPN had chosen “such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award”. The criticism is said to have come as a surprise to the Prince. Reflecting on his decision to accept the award, royal expert Jennie Bond remarked: “It might have been wiser either to decline, or to nominate one of his Invictus heroes as a worthy winner.

“I suppose Americans have now got used to the novelty of having a British prince making his home in their country, and inevitably some of the gloss is wearing off. But Harry remains an immensely likeable man, and I’m sure his personality makes him as popular as ever with people he associates with.”

Jennie also spoke about how the criticism will be affecting Meghan. She told OK: “Fame is often a double edged sword: one minute you are sitting atop a pedestal of adoration, and the next you are unroyally knocked off it. I don’t imagine that Harry takes a great deal of interest in random polls about their popularity… but media savvy Meghan might find it rather harder to swallow.”