Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have a chance at winning the British public back upon their return to the UK, but they have to follow one simple rule, a PR expert has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sparked a media storm earlier this week when their plans to relocate to Britain were announced. Harry and Meghan quit the Royal Family six years ago for a new life in America.
It is understood that the couple will return to the UK later this month – making their home in a non-royal residence outside of London – and have already enrolled Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in British schools. Decisions about whether taxpayers will foot the bill for their security remain unanswered, as does the exact reason for their relocation, with the Sussexes yet to comment publicly.
Public opinion remains divided
The move has sparked debate about how the British public will react to the U-turn, given the criticism the Sussexes have levelled at the Royal Family and the monarchy.
A YouGov poll last month found that only 22% of Britons see Meghan in a positive light, compared with 65% who hold an unfavourable opinion of the former actress, while 33% see Harry positively and 58% negatively.
Now, a PR expert has weighed in on how the Sussex couple could turn the tide and soften the public’s perception of them.
Expert advice: come home quietly
Renae Smith, founder of PR and branding agency The Atticism, told the Daily Express: “If they arrive, keep their heads down, do the school runs, show up consistently and resist the urge to narrate the experience through interviews and documentaries, then over time, opinion can shift. If this becomes content, it is over.”
Ms Smith added: “So my advice, if I were on their team, would be brutally simple: come home quietly, stay consistently, and say nothing for as long as humanly possible.
“Let Britain get bored of the story. Boredom, for Harry and Meghan, is the closest thing to redemption.”
Meghan's possible return to acting
It comes after it emerged that Meghan could be returning to the screen, years after quitting her acting career to marry into the Royal Family.
The duchess is understood to be in early-stage discussions over a possible role in a third series of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix hit The Gentlemen, Deadline reported.
The show, starring Theo James and Kaya Scodelario, has yet to be renewed for a third season, according to reports. The duchess, who played Rachel Zane in the US legal drama Suits before marrying Harry, returned to acting for the first time in nearly a decade with a cameo as herself in the upcoming comedy Close Personal Friends.
