Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent joint appearance in Nottingham has been praised as a PR masterstroke, with one industry expert branding it the "most strategically sound" move they have made since touching down in Britain.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped out together earlier this week, revisiting the exact city where they made their first-ever official royal engagement as a newly engaged couple in 2017. While the visit sparked a frenzy among royal watchers, the carefully curated schedule was no accident, according to PR expert Renae Smith, founder of PR and branding agency The Atticism.
Expert hails 'clever' choice of location
Smith told the Daily Express: "My overall take is that this was a quietly well-executed day, and I would go as far as saying it is the most strategically sound thing they have done since landing back in Britain."
She added: "The choice of Nottingham was clever without being too cynical. Yeah, the full-circle symbolism is almost too neat, back to the city of their very first joint engagement in 2017, but it works because the relationship is real and REAL is the best they can do on all fronts."
Genuine ties beyond photo opportunities
During the jam-packed day, the couple made a point to visit organisations with which they share deep ties. Smith pointed out that Harry's longstanding relationship with a local youth recording studio proved the Duke's dedication to his charitable endeavours goes far beyond surface-level PR.
"Harry has been visiting that recording studio since 2013, long before Meghan, long before the drama, and he put serious money behind it as recently as last year. That is the difference between a photo opportunity and a genuine association, and the public can smell the difference," she said.
Meghan's reunion with Hubb Community Kitchen
The Duchess of Sussex also took a trip down memory lane, reuniting with women from the Hubb Community Kitchen — a cause she famously championed following the devastating Grenfell Tower tragedy.
According to Smith, this authenticity is exactly what the couple needs to win over the British public as they navigate their high-profile return. "Meghan reconnecting with the Hubb Community Kitchen women follows the same logic," Smith concluded, adding: "This was not a manufactured backdrop pretending to be real, it was a return to things they actually have history with."
