The Duchess of Sussex's low profile since moving back to Britain is part of a calculated effort to control the public narrative, it has been suggested.
Meghan Markle has made just a handful of appearances since returning to the UK with Prince Harry and their children in late August. Her most recent outing saw her lunching with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala at Claridge's in Mayfair on Wednesday, in what sources described as an effort to launch a new, "humble" image of herself.
Sources describe 'deliberate' strategy
"She is very conscious about how she wants pictures to land, which is why you have barely seen her," one source told the Daily Mail. "She has honestly been trying to keep a low profile," they said. "On one level, obviously, if you meet someone at Claridge's it will be noticed, but look at how quiet she has been on social media, how little she has been out."
Another suggested Harry and Meghan had been served "a dose of humble pie" since relocating from the US, and are "genuinely concerned about how they are being received" and "how they want what they are doing to land". "They have been thinking about it and being very deliberate," they added.
"It is part of a thought-out plan to keep their heads down between now and Christmas, when they will go back to California for the holidays. They don't want to shove themselves down people's throats."
Limited appearances and ongoing issues
Meghan has only shared a few Instagram posts since the relocation, including one showing the Sussexes settling back into UK life, splashing through puddles in wellies, sitting by a fireplace and fishing at a lake. The couple were also not pictured together until weeks after their return, when they were spotted walking hand-in-hand into a Cotswolds pub in early October.
Meghan has continued running her lifestyle company As Ever since the move, unveiling a £112 luxury advent calendar last week and sharing how she feels "very proud" of "how the brand has grown" while announcing a Holiday Collection. "So proud of what we are creating together," she wrote alongside a montage of footage and photos. "Thanks for helping bring this vision to life."
The duke and duchess have had to contend with a number of issues since crossing the Atlantic, including a spat with Buckingham Palace over whether they should be considered "private citizens" or "public figures". They also withdrew Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet from school just two days into the autumn term after heavy traffic made it difficult for their private security team to stay in a convoy during drop-off and pick-up.
A spokesperson for the family then hit out at "unacceptable intrusion" after international paparazzi were seen looking into the grounds of the children's new school in a move also criticised for its "extraordinary recklessness" and "lack of judgement". Harry and Meghan are still waiting to hear whether they will be given taxpayer-funded security in Britain, after it was removed when they stepped down as working royals for personal and financial reasons in 2020.
They have not confirmed the reasons behind their unexpected return to the UK, although speculation ranges from wanting their children to develop a closer relationship with King Charles to Meghan seeking a return to acting and the Sussexes wanting to boost their profile.
