Meghan Markle is attempting to emulate Catherine, Princess of Wales, but her efforts have reportedly failed, according to Express reporter Adam Toms. The Duchess of Sussex has tried to adopt a similar approach to sharing family photographs on social media, but the results have not resonated with the public.
Popularity Gap Between the Waleses and Sussexes
Catherine has masterfully established herself as a darling of the British people. She and her husband, Prince William, are the most popular living members of the Royal Family, polling at 76% and 75% respectively, according to YouGov. They are only surpassed by the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. A key element of Kate's success has been her strategic sharing of family pictures online, such as marking the birthdays of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as the couple's 15th wedding anniversary.
Royal expert Catherine Mayer, author of Divide and Rule, notes that courtiers credit Kate with a "wise strategy" of regularly providing the media with photographs of her family. "The resulting output mimics authenticity," Mayer wrote. "Subjects, artfully positioned to look spontaneous, appear not so much humanised as super-humanised, their eyes preternaturally bright." She added that the group formations ditch the formality of royal portraiture, while the colour-saturated, grainy, or soft-focused texture harks back to Polaroids and Super 8 home movies, brilliantly judged for the Instagram era.
In contrast, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are languishing with only 30% and 20% positive views respectively. Last week, the couple shared photos of their five-year-old daughter, Lilibet, named after the late Queen. This move drew criticism, with Piers Morgan accusing them of a double standard. He questioned why they would lecture the world about online safety for children while putting their own child out to millions of people.
Meghan's Advocacy and Criticism
Meghan recently opened the Lost Screen Memorial in Geneva, featuring 50 illuminated lightboxes displaying the lock screen images of children who lost their lives due to online violence and digital harm. She asked, "How many more millions of children will be harmed by products that, while innovative, are still designed without sufficient safeguards? When will children be able to enjoy the extraordinary potential of technology without it compromising their wellbeing?"
Critics argue that Meghan should consider whether using the platforms she criticises paints her in the best light. Unlike the Waleses, her social media activity has not boosted the Sussexes' popularity.
Different Paths for Royal Children
The children of Harry and Meghan are not required to appear in public and are not vital members of the Royal Family. They are merely the children of minor celebrities living in California. In contrast, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte will live their lives in the limelight and must get used to photos appearing everywhere. This explains why Catherine is not criticised for posting pictures of her children, while Meghan is.
The Sussexes can try to emulate the publicity strategy of the Waleses, but it will not make a difference. When they abandoned their duty and rained down artillery upon their family from across the Atlantic, Britons made up their minds about them.
