Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Careers Taking Different Paths?

October 26, 2024
By M Muzamil Shami

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be moving along distinct career trajectories, igniting curiosity among royal watchers and media outlets.

In recent months, the couple has frequently attended high-profile events separately. Prince Harry, for example, has been seen undertaking commitments across New York, London, and South Africa without Meghan, spending significant time apart from her and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Meanwhile, Meghan made headlines at a prominent charity gala for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, wearing a show-stopping red gown. She also celebrated the International Day of the Girl with a solo visit to a girls' leadership organization, notably without her engagement ring.

The local Montecito Journal highlighted the couple’s increasingly independent appearances. PR strategist Ed Coram James speculates that this shift may be an intentional strategy to rehabilitate their joint public image. In an interview with The Mirror, James remarked, “Since they married, Harry and Meghan have shared a unified brand. It’s ‘Harry and Meghan,’ or simply ‘the Sussexes.’ For years, they’ve been seen as inseparable.”

James further commented that the brand took a hit following their candid interview with Oprah, revealing tensions with the Royal Family. This has, he noted, contributed to a “steadily toxic” image that’s challenging to maintain commercially. Their disputes with both the Royal Family and Meghan’s relatives, coupled with lukewarm success in commercial ventures, risk portraying them as disconnected from their privileges.

Separating their public personas could be a smart move, says James, allowing them to refresh their reputations individually. “To shed the labels of spoiled, arrogant, and attention-seeking, they must embody the opposite qualities,” he advised.

The expert emphasized that the initial step toward rebranding requires them to distance from negative associations linked to their joint brand. “When together, the Sussexes brand has toxicity from a PR standpoint. But apart, they each have the potential to redefine their images independently. In time, if successful, they might even reunite to create a new combined brand.”