Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have “lost so much credibility” with their projects filled with attacks and criticism against the Royal Family, according to a commentator.
Royal author Victoria Murphy noted several commentators and American publications that had initially welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s life as entrepreneurs in the US have been criticising them in the past months.
Among them is the US business magazine Forbes, which in mid-December published an article by contributor Jeetendr Sehdev saying Meghan and Harry’s failure to turn the hype they generate into buyers “serves as a compelling case study for Harvard Business School on the ultimate in brand buzz failure”.
Appearing on the Mail+’s royal podcast Palace Confidential on Thursday, Ms Murphy said referring to this comment: “What I feel it points to is what we have seen happening over the past 12 months or so, the narrative around Harry and Meghan and the criticism of them, there has been much more of a globally sceptical attitude and critical attitude. People and publications who weren’t criticising them before have done so in the past 12 months or so.
“And so they start 2024 trying to claw them back, really, and the question is can they? And it feels like they need to do something differently to what they have been doing in the past 12 months if they want the discussion to shift.”
Over the past weeks, several reports have hinted at new, major upcoming projects by the Sussexes – although very few details have been released.
In November, Meghan herself was asked about what’s next when it comes to her and Prince Harry’s projects in the entertainment sphere as she made a surprise appearance at Variety’s Power of Women event.
She said: “Things that make people feel…I was gonna say good, but it’s more than that. Things that make people feel something, right?
“And feel a sense of community. But we have so many exciting things on the slate. I can’t wait until we can announce them. We’re just really proud of what we’re creating, and my husband is loving it too.”
At the end of the Harry & Meghan Netflix documentary, in which the Duke and Duchess made fresh claims about their struggles as senior royals, King Charles’ second son had mentioned he was now looking at the future – despite his tell-all memoir Spare was yet to be released.
Speaking about what the future may look like for the Sussexes, royal editor Rebecca English said during the Mail+ programme: “Even those who are [privy to Meghan and Harry’s thinking] don’t really know what those plans [for the future] are, they keep hearing big things, there is going to be a complete shift.
“I think I have referred before to what I think is a very arrogant statement, that they have done the last of their look-back projects now, i.e. which are attacking the Royal Family.
“And now it’s all about looking forward. But in doing what they have done they have lost so much credibility, there is a lot for them to claw back and I would be really interested to see how toxic they are, or not, as a commercially attractive brand now, which is what they want to be.”
Meghan and Harry, who alongside the critical comments they have received in the US press have also been skewered by South Park and Family Guy and became the butt of the joke during two different episodes of the popular Saturday Night Live programme, criticised members of the Royal Family and palace aides on a number of interviews, projects and statements since they stepped down as senior royals in the spring of 2020.
However, sources have claimed the two US-based royals now see next year as a “year of redemption”.
