Meghan Markle's attempts to soften her public image risk making her irrelevant, according to royal commentators. The scathing assessment came during a discussion on The Sun's podcast, Royal Exclusive, which aired on YouTube on Sunday, June 14.
Expert Views on Meghan's Strategy
Host Matt Wilkinson asked guests, PR expert Mark Borkowski and royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, whether Meghan was becoming 'a bit boring' as she adopts a more homely image. Borkowski responded: 'She's on the cusp of becoming irrelevant... She's teetering on irrelevancy I think.'
Harry's Divergent Path
Borkowski suggested that Prince Harry's recent interventions on UK politics and global issues, including his trip to Ukraine, show he is moving away from a focus Meghan wanted to 'drag him' towards. He said: 'You can see in Harry there's a human there with purpose that is not being applied. That's a thing he can't see within himself. But he is someone who was groomed for greater things and he can't do those very things and that must be eating him up.'
Borkowski claimed Harry's current lifestyle, no longer a senior working royal, 'must be prison for him'.
Meghan's Maternal Image
Schofield noted that Meghan has been relatively quiet, trying to establish herself as a maternal figure by posting photos of Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie. She suggested the Duchess is attempting to appear more likeable, but has always been boring.
The commentator speculated that the Sussexes' shift towards charitable work and a 'more family oriented' image is an attempt to soften their reputation after media claims about how 'terrible' they were to work for. The Hollywood Reporter in 2024 reported claims Meghan was dubbed 'Duchess Difficult' in the workplace, though former staffers defended her, saying she gets a 'bad rap'.
Recent Social Media Activity
Meghan's recent Instagram posts include photos of the Sussex children for their birthdays and a selfie of Lilibet kneeling at her feet. She also appeared in a video swinging a bottle of rosé from her As Ever brand and shared behind-the-scenes content revealing her children's nicknames and preferred product flavours.
In contrast, Harry in May warned of a 'deeply troubling' rise in anti-semitism in Britain and made a surprise visit to Ukraine in April to join a team clearing landmines.
Unified Causes
Despite differing paths, the Duke and Duchess continue to unite on issues like social media risks. They welcomed a ban for under-16s announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. In April, Meghan spoke in Geneva at the unveiling of the Lost Screen Memorial, dedicated to children who died from online abuse.
