Why Meghan Markle Called the Royal Family “The Firm” in Oprah Interview

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From Marie Claire

During her interview with Oprah alongside husband Prince Harry, Meghan Markle said: “There is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.” She’s referring to the institution of the royal family, but if you haven’t heard the term “The Firm” before, you’re not alone. Reportedly coined by Prince Philip to describe the family he married into, “The Firm” is a darker and somewhat more cynical term than “The Crown,” the term for the royal family that the titular Netflix series used.

“The Firm” is one of the more derisive names used to refer to the royal family—but it’s reportedly the one that the family itself sometimes uses. In The King’s Speech, Colin Firth notes in his role as King George VI: “We’re not a family, we’re a firm.” In truth, the royal family is both: a sprawling business with wide-ranging financial ties, and also a large family that, like any family, has suffered up and downs through generations.

What does “The Firm” mean?

Royal biographer Penny Junor used the term as the title of her book The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor. The blurb reads: “However you look at it, the royal family is a big business, though one with more ups and downs than the stock market. Prince Philip calls it “The Firm,” and all the royal executives and their powerful associates are supposed to make every effort to avoid even a hint of scandal that could diminish the reputation of the family business.”

It’s true that the royal family has plenty of fiscal power. Their assets are valued to the tune of £44 billion, or about $61 billion. It’s also true that their reputation impacts both their financial standing and, to an extent, the country’s: some years, the “Kate Middleton effect” has been valued at £1 billion ($1.6 billion) for the U.K. fashion industry. But first and foremost, the royal family regards itself as committing to a life of service—a term that became a lightning rod for tension in recent statements between Buckingham Palace and Meghan and Harry—rather than a brand or a business.

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In private, even the Queen is thought to use the term, per Newsweek. But the royal family never uses it in interviews, so it’s a big deal for Meghan to refer to the institution by that label instead of the myriad other phrases she could have used.

What is the “Firm of Eight”?

If you’ve heard the term “the firm,” it’s likely in regard to the “firm of eight,” the name for the group of royals reportedly denoted by the Queen to be the core of the royal family in 2021. In December, following a difficult year—the coronavirus outbreak; the allegations in regard to Prince Andrew; Meghan and Harry quitting as senior royals—the Queen reportedly picked a “firm of eight” to represent the royal family formally going forward.

As for who’s in the “firm of eight”:

Notably absent: Harry and Meghan; Philip, who has retired from royal duties; Prince Andrew; and the royal great-grandchildren, who are considered too young to officially represent the royal family.

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