Meghan Markle’s outing with Ellen DeGeneres exposes 'irony' in royal’s ‘quiet country life’: expert

Meghan Markle is raising questions after being photographed in England with two Hollywood stars.

The 45-year-old royal was recently photographed in the Cotswolds with Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, in her first photographed outing since arriving in the U.K., which Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered" said hints that "there is already going to be considerably less privacy for Meghan in Britain than perhaps she anticipated."

"But there is an irony here too. If Harry and Meghan genuinely wanted to disappear into quiet country life, the Cotswolds is one of the places where they could probably accomplish that," Schofield told Fox News Digital. "Instead, Meghan’s first photographed social outing is with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. That tells me she remains very interested in celebrity and in being associated with recognizable, high-profile people."

Schofield added that she finds it "interesting" that Markle "appears to have changed countries without necessarily changing the social ecosystem she prefers," noting that when living in Montecito, she and Prince Harry were spending time with "wealthy, famous and influential people."

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The idea that her first photographed outing since moving to the U.K. was with "two fellow American celebrity transplants" isn't "inherently wrong" in Schofield's eyes, but she argues that it challenges the "idea that Meghan has returned to Britain simply to embrace a quieter, more anonymous country life."

"If anything, this suggests she may be trying to recreate elements of Montecito in the Cotswolds: privacy when she wants it, but with a glamorous and recognizable social circle around her," she said.

Prince Harry and Markle announced plans to return to the U.K. on Aug. 19 and relocated with their children later that month.

British royals expert, Hilary Fordwich, agrees with Schofield, telling Fox News Digital that "Meghan Markle does nothing per chance" and was deliberately photographed with the celebrity couple to signal "for all to see that she’s extending her celebrity world from CA to the Cotswolds, aiming to be viewed as significant."

"She’s saying ‘I’m a Hollywood celebrity’ rather than a royal and am thus far 'sticking to celebrity lane insulated by privilege & not integrating into English life,'" Fordwich said.

Schofield, however, questioned Markle's decision to have DeGeneres be the first celebrity she was photographed with, as "it inevitably resurrects an uncomfortable conversation for her."

"Ellen’s reputation was badly damaged by allegations about the workplace culture surrounding her show, while Meghan herself has faced serious allegations about her treatment of Palace staff, which she has strongly denied," Schofield said. "Given that history, I am surprised Meghan would want photographs of the two of them together circulating so soon after her return to Britain. It invites comparisons I would imagine her advisers would rather avoid."

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During the couple's first stint living in the U.K., Markle faced allegations that she bullied Palace staff while she and Harry were based at Kensington Palace. She denied the allegations.

Schofield also noted that Markle's behavior in comparison to Prince Harry's also highlights her interest "in commercial and monetary opportunities," while showing he is "determined to maintain the appearance and rhythm of royal life."

"Harry likes the engagements, the causes, the speeches and the sense of public duty," she said. "Meghan seems happier pursuing celebrity and commercial opportunities. So I don’t necessarily think her absence from Harry’s events is accidental. They may simply have very different ideas about what they want their lives back in Britain to look like."

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Schofield says Markle knows "where her popularity currently stands in the United Kingdom," noting she "consistently polls near the bottom" when it comes to royal popularity.

Markle knows that public opinion is likely not "going to change overnight," and that going right back into attending "public-facing events could set her up for some very uncomfortable experiences."

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Prince Harry and Markle caused a frenzy when they announced they were leaving the U.K. and stepping down as senior working royals in January 2020, and officially made the move to California in March of that year.