Where Prince Harry and Meghan’s defenders see a multiracial, trans-Atlantic family seeking refuge from a vindictive press and the hidebound traditions of royal life, critics see a self-indulgent pair who want the perks of royalty without its responsibilities, forsaking queen and country for the stardust of Hollywood.

The critics are particularly hard on the Duchess of Sussex, as Meghan is formally known. A divorced former TV actress from a mixed-race background, Meghan Markle met Prince Harry through mutual friends in London in July 2016, a month after Britain voted to leave the European Union. Their romance unfolded against the backdrop of a charged debate over immigration and the country’s national identity.

“Meghan Markle represented change because of her racial heritage but also because of her feminism, her activism, and the fact that she is self-made, with strong ideas about her autonomy and identity,” said Afua Hirsch, who teaches journalism at the University of Southern California and is the author of “Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging.”

“She happened to arrive at a moment when Brexit emboldened people who advocated for a nationalist identity and a return to Britain’s imperial past,” Ms. Hirsch continued. “It’s no surprise that this triggered a really hostile reaction.”

For many Britons, however, the couple’s wedding — with its gospel choir singing “Stand by Me” and Bishop Michael Curry of Chicago quoting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in his freewheeling sermon — sent an electrifying message about the potential of an outsider to shake up a centuries-old institution.

But then came the reports that the duchess was miserable in her new life and barely speaking to her in-laws. The couple’s relations with the press, which had started out well, quickly turned sour. The papers criticized them for flying on private jets and restricting access to their newborn, Archie.