22 December 2023 , 12:23
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Meghan Markle's deliberate ploy to distance herself from Prince Harry may be about to pay off, according to an expert.
Over the course of 2023, the couple have been increasingly keeping their public lives and careers separate, making more solo appearances and pursuing more solo projects. It came after Meghan was notably absent from Harry's promotional tour following the release of his controversial memoir Spare. Last month, Meghan teased what might lie ahead for her career while at a Hollywood red carpet event saying there were exciting projects in the pipeline for the year ahead that would "make people feel".
Meghan is said to have distanced herself from Harry (Getty Images for Project Healthy)And speaking to True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat, royal expert Richard Kay said Meghan's strategy could be about to pay off - and she could herald "big change" if she really wanted to. He explained: "There was a view I think by her handlers that her own brand could be damaged if she was seen to be very close to Harry, so she didn’t go on any of the promotional tours for the book, join him for any of the interviews.
"She's allowed him to have a space on his own to deal with it and she’s equally stood back from all these court cases that he’s embarked on. I think that is a strategy and maybe it’ll bear fruit next year. She is looking actively, I think, for a role ... she wants to do something relevant. We heard lots of stories during the year that she was going to run for office. I don't think that's going to happen, not yet anyway.
"What they need to do going forward is build bridges in the United Kingdom [and] in particular with their family; perhaps get back onto social media in some way, don't be so hostile [to the media], be more open about what they’re doing. I think there's room for big change there if they want to."
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Meghan previously teased her future projects (Getty Images for Project Healthy)Last month, an explosive new book called Endgame by author Omid Scobie, who wrote a previous very sympathetic book about the couple, appeared to reopen old wounds and reignited a race row. It came after a Dutch edition of the book named two members of the monarchy who it alleged raised 'concerns' during family discussions about how dark the skin of Harry and Meghan's son might be before he was born.
The Sun's royal editor Matt Wilkinson also told the programme the book has derailed the Sussexes' attempts at changing public perception. He explained: "I thought they were doing really well keeping out of negative headlines...but Endgame blew that all out of the water and then all the negative headlines went back on to them. I think they are going in the right direction.
"They are trying to market Meghan as a California girl, and I think they just need to carry on down that kinder gentler route, not having rows with the Royal Family and just enjoying their life in California. They were on their way to doing that until the two names came out in Endgame and that blew things apart."
Meanwhile, fellow expert and Vanity Fair royal editor Katie Nicholl argued Harry and Meghan need to focus more on their philanthropic rather than commercial activities. She added: "Whatever you think about [Harry], he is a remarkable philanthropist, and he has an incredible and unique platform, and he uses that. And I think that is when he comes into his own and does his very best work.
"But when you weigh up what [the Sussexes] have done with Archewell against what they’ve done in terms of commercial projects there’s a real imbalance there. If they levelled it out a bit more so they were doing more of this philanthropic work, then I think you’ll see Archewell do better, and I think you’ll see [Harry and Meghan] do better in the popularity polls because that’s what people want to see."
The Royal Beat - available on True Royalty TV.