As someone who’s spent the past few years chronicling Meghan Markle’s endless reinventions, I really thought we’d seen it all. From the tell-all documentaries, the podcasts, the overpriced lifestyle brand. But the latest chapter in the Duchess of Sussex’s royal comeback tour? A return to acting. And honestly, it’s enough to make anyone’s eyes roll clean out of their sockets.

Yes, that’s right. Meghan Markle is heading back to Hollywood, eight years after quitting showbiz to become a working royal.

She’s set to star alongside Lily Collins, Brie Larson, Jack Quaid (son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid), and Henry Golding in Close Personal Friends – and if that name doesn’t scream irony, I don’t know what does.

This isn’t the Kardashians. It’s the Crown. And yet, from the moment Meghan realised royal life didn’t come with red carpets, it appears she seemed to lose interest.

Reports of clashes with palace staff, frosty relations with Princess Kate, and frustrations over protocol paint a familiar picture: when the tiaras and trumpets weren’t daily fixtures, Meghan packed her bags for Montecito sunshine.

The monarchy, she once claimed, didn’t suit her. But California? That’s her natural habitat – a land where fame, not service, reigns supreme.

When Meghan and Harry stepped down as working royals, they promised a quieter life. “Financial independence” and “privacy” were the buzzwords. Yet somehow, the Sussexes have been in the headlines more than they ever were as royals.

A Netflix docuseries, a Spotify podcast, Harry’s memoir Spare, and now Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever that sells everything from honey to hot toddy kits. For a couple craving peace, they’ve managed to turn overexposure into an art form.

Now, Meghan’s return to acting feels like the next desperate move in her ongoing bid to stay relevant. Her last major role was Rachel Zane in Suits, a legal drama that wrapped back in 2019.

And let’s be honest. What exactly is Meghan Markle’s acting legacy? She’s no Angelina Jolie or Natalie Portman. These are women with serious film careers, respected for their craft, not their camera angles.

Meghan’s résumé reads more red carpet than red-letter role. Aside from a supporting part in Suits and a few fleeting TV appearances, there are no Oscar-worthy performances to speak of – not even close.

Eight years out of the game, and Meghan is stepping back into an industry that’s long since moved on, armed with little more than a royal title and a talent for self-promotion.

It doesn’t shout Hollywood comeback; it quietly whispers desperation. You can’t vanish from acting for nearly a decade, turn the monarchy on its head, and expect a standing ovation.

Meghan didn’t want to be a royal. She wanted to be recognised. This isn’t a renaissance, it’s a re-run.

The irony is she once held a far greater role – the Duchess of Sussex, a woman who could have redefined the monarchy from within. Instead, she traded duty for drama, choosing the lure of fame over the weight of history.