The Duchess of Sussex has been living back in Britain for a while now and has a pretty effective strategy in place, writes Jasmine Carey.
Meghan's Private Life in the UK
Meghan Markle moved back to the UK with Prince Harry and their children in August. While many assumed she would be out and about making public appearances left, right and centre, this has been very far from what has really happened. Instead, Meghan has only been seen out in a private capacity, heading for pub lunches and driving around the Cotswolds.
Meanwhile, Harry has been attending public engagements, dressing up in his best suits to step out in front of dozens of flashing cameras. For every solo appearance he makes, comes the question: where is Meghan? At home with the children, of course. But this is not what people mean; they mean why she has not stepped out in public settings like this herself. She did in America, and she did before, when she lived in Britain.
The Strategy Behind the Silence
Sources say her strategy is to keep a low profile until she builds up enough interest to override the hostility Brits feel towards her. Apparently, the Duchess has been advised that by being less accessible, interest in her will reach a level where people will be “excited to see her” in public. Whether or not it works is a question no one can answer yet. However, I think this strategy for her new life in the UK could actually work.
Over the past few months, PR experts have been telling me that Meghan needs to be successful in Britain and, to do so, she needs to regain respect and popularity there. This cannot be done by being everywhere and in everyone’s faces, experts have said. So, it seems that Meghan has actually taken the advice on board.
A Breathing Space for the Public
If she came back to Britain in August and was straight away walking down red carpets and smiling to the cameras at public events, people would complain mainly because they don’t like how she acted when she left Britain and royal duty in 2020 and criticised everything about it. They would think she was feeling entitled in Britain, that she didn’t respect how the country felt about her. Essentially, an immediate public appearance would have set her new life in the UK on a negative path.
Instead, what she has done is actually a good thing. It’s given the British public breathing room. Room to get used to seeing Harry out and about in the UK again by himself before she enters the mix. And I think, sometimes, breathing space is all people need. In my opinion, it is getting to the point where people in the UK want to see more of Meghan, mainly out of curiosity.
Her snippets of UK life shared on Instagram are an immediate attention-grabber, so imagine when she actually steps out in front of the British public? I think people will be excited, whether they want to be or not. So, Meghan, I think your strategy is probably the best thing you could have done to let Britain get used to you again. People say slow and steady wins the race, and the Duchess may be about to prove just how true that is.
