Meghan Markle may have survived royal life, but it seems she’s no match for America’s queen of Halloween.
Cassandra Peterson — better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark — has sunk her perfectly manicured claws into Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex dared to joke she looked like the goth icon following a boxed hair dye mishap during the pandemic.
Meghan, now 43, recalled the cosmetic catastrophe on her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder last month. According to the former royal, she was holed up in a borrowed California home in early lockdown days, experimenting with drugstore hair dye in an attempt to freshen up her look.
“I really thought I was going to come out of the bathroom looking like the gorgeous woman on the box,” Meghan said. “Instead, I came out with this inky black hair — honestly, I looked like Elvira.”
The comment didn’t go unnoticed.
Elvira, 73 and still every bit the sharp-tongued vamp she made famous in the ’80s, posted the headline to Instagram and cheekily replied, “Hey princess, if you ever need beauty advice from a queen, just let me know.” She punctuated it with a smirk emoji.
The burn lit up social media.
“Meghan, honey, you wish you looked like Elvira,” one follower commented.
“In her wildest dreams,” another added.
Some tried to defend Markle — a rare show of support from the internet these days. “I like both women. Meghan’s not trying to insult anyone,” one user wrote. “Elvira’s a legend. Meghan’s… Meghan.”
But many Americans weren’t so quick to let the duchess off the hook. “She fled a castle and still complains,” read one comment on X (formerly Twitter). “Now she’s dragging Halloween royalty into it?”
A Queen Without a Throne
Once seen as a breath of fresh air for the monarchy, Meghan Markle’s popularity has tanked on both sides of the Atlantic. Her dramatic departure from royal duties in 2020 with Prince Harry — paired with a media blitz of interviews, documentaries, and brand deals — has turned her into a polarizing figure.
“She’s not coming back from this,” said Ingrid Seward, longtime editor of Majesty Magazine. “The U.K. public is done with her. And frankly, so are a lot of Americans.”
Critics say Meghan’s endless string of “relatable” stories, like her hair dye horror, fall flat. “She wants to be seen as everywoman — but lives in a $14 million Montecito mansion,” one media analyst told us. “It’s not connecting.”
The Real Queen of Camp
Cassandra Peterson, on the other hand, has built her decades-long career on camp, charisma, and authenticity. First appearing as Elvira in 1981, the redheaded actress created an instantly iconic persona — part gothic seductress, part wisecracking B-movie host.
“Elvira’s look is extreme, sure, but it’s intentional,” said entertainment historian Joel Gerard. “What Meghan experienced was a mistake. Comparing herself to Elvira isn’t just tone-deaf — it’s laughable.”
Peterson herself has made it clear over the years: when she’s not in the beehive wig and plunging neckline, she’s a totally different person. “It’s drag,” she’s said. “Elvira is a costume. Meghan’s just confused.”
Meghan’s Latest PR Potion
Markle’s boxed dye debacle comes as she continues trying to revamp her public image — this time as a businesswoman and podcast host. But even that hasn’t gone smoothly.
Her deal with Spotify imploded last year after one season. Now, her new show under the “American Riviera Orchard” label has been met with lukewarm reactions and declining listenership.
“She needs reinvention,” said PR expert Liz Hammond. “But she can’t seem to stop talking about herself. That’s not reinvention — that’s recycling.”
As for her run-in with Elvira?
“Meghan tried to make a self-deprecating joke,” said one social media user. “But when you live in a palace and still paint yourself as the victim, don’t be surprised when real queens bite back.”
And Elvira?
“She’s still the queen,” another fan wrote. “And Meghan? She’s still playing dress-up.”
Welcome to Hollywood, Duchess. The throne isn’t always velvet. Sometimes it’s red leather — and comes with claws.
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Long live Elvira!!!
She should be so lucky to manage to look like Elvira. Meghan’s just another not bad looking, but certainly no centerfold, actor rapidly sliding past her prime. Most never even heard of her prior to her journey into the royal family scene and most are tired of hearing her mentioned now.