Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s post-royal life has probably not turned out quite as they expected. Besides completely ruining their relationship with the Royal Family — even if many believed they made the right choice in revealing details about their troubles in the UK — the couple has tackled several new business ventures, with mixed results.
Moving to the US and sunny California would give their children a fresh start in life, but in recent weeks, Harry and Meghan have been rumored to be struggling. Shocking reports about their tension in their marriage have been all over the news, while Harry has been said to be open to a royal return. At the same time, the couple have bought a new house in Portugal — but not for the reasons some might think.
Harry and Meghan have, as claimed by an expert, had a “professional split’ when it comes to their brand. Now, another royal commentator has made his verdict on the pair, and it relates to them going their separate ways.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to leave royal life behind in 2020. The couple first moved to Canada before settling in Montecito, California, where they’re raising their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Although the decision to leave the UK and the paparazzi press was taken to create a calmer, safer environment for themselves and their children, the fact that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are thousands of miles away from half of their family members has been a huge talking point.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle buys house in Portugal
King Charles is said to be heartbroken that he doesn’t get to see his grandchildren, and Harry and Meghan have basically said they won’t return to the UK with Archie and Lilibet unless they’re granted the security they feel they’re being denied in order to keep their children safe.
However, Harry and Meghan have recently made a decision that could positively affect their children’s relationships with the royal side of their family. Last week, it was reported that the Sussexes has bought a house in Portugal. The house is located in Alentejo, just an hour’s drive from the coastal town of Melides, and there is one main reason for that location.
Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, own a home in Melides. According to reports, Harry’s cousin is the only member of the Royal Family with whom he is still friends.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams claimed the decision to buy a home in that part of Portugal “emphasizes that they still have goodwill” with some members of the Royal Family.
“This proves they are close, and it also gives the Sussexes a base in the EU with the possibility of acquiring the Golden Visa, which would give them free access to the EU’s Schengen area. This also gives them a base near Britain,” Fitzwilliams explained.
“Their exile in California is far less distant”
“It makes clear that they are connected closely to part of the Royal Family and it will be interesting to see how they intend to develop this.”
The expert continued: “Will it, for example, lead to more solo or perhaps even joint visits to Britain, but without participating in royal life or royal rituals at Sandringham and Balmoral? It might lead to a ‘faux royal’ tour of an EU country following their trips to Nigeria and Colombia.”
Fitzwilliams concluded: “It will certainly involve their children and we may see photos of Archie and Lili, in the future, possibly the distant future, we may well see them with Eugenie and Jack and their family. This move obviously advertises that the couples are close. Now we know that Harry and Meghan have a base in Europe, their exile in California is far less distant.”
While the Sussexes can set up a “European base” with the new house in Portugal, reports suggest that Meghan harbors concerns as well. A source told Closer that Meghan Markle is “deeply concerned” that the royals “might manipulate” Harry into returning to the royal fold.
“Now, if it is deemed safe from a security standpoint, it’s likely she’ll give her blessing for Harry to take Archie and Lilibet to see their grandpa, King Charles, at some point,” the insider said, per The Sun. “And in terms of logistics, having a place in Portugal will make that easier, because Meghan can fly over with the kids without feeling trapped.”
Meghan Markle has “felt the strain” amid rumors
In recent weeks, rumors about Harry and Meghan’s marriage falling apart left many in shock. At the same time, rumors suggesting that Harry possibly wants to return to the UK have been all over the news, and with and Meghan having undertaken plenty of solo engagements in the last number of months, speculation about the stability of their marriage remains abound.
There has been no official comment from the Sussexes’ camp about whether the rumors are true or not. However, sadly, according to a GB News source, Meghan feels stressed that the rumors simply won’t go away.
“She has really felt the strain in recent weeks, and with all the speculation surrounding her and Harry and their marriage,” the source said.
“They haven’t done themselves any favours by doing so many separate events but this is what they have decided to do as it works best for them at the moment as a couple and they both feel they can shine at events that are close to their hearts.”
The insider added: “But it does upset her that, while Harry was getting praised for all of his appearances, she is getting criticised for what she says, what she wears, etc and it brings back hurtful memories of when she was a royal.”
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle to ‘split’ professionally?
Even though there have been rumors all over the newspapers about Harry and Meghan living somewhat separate lives, PR expert Ed Coram James believes that their decision not to work together could be a conscious decision.
Speaking to the Mirror, Coram James explained that the Sussexes have had a “distinct brand as a duo for many years. But since the infamous Oprah interview–which basically was the start of the feud with the royals–their brand has become “more toxic” and “commercially untenable.”
The PR expert stated that big brands most likely are careful to throw money at Harry and Meghan to work with them because of it.
“This is because the ongoing confrontation with the rest of the Royal Family, as well as much of Meghan’s family, have made them appear confrontational and combative, their string of commercial projects that haven’t worked out and have led to a sense that they aren’t the best producers. And their worldwide publicity tour made them look whiney, ungrateful, and unconscious to the enormous privilege that they have enjoyed,” Ed Coram James told the Mirror.
“To overcome the obstacles of appearing spoiled, arrogant, immature, attention-seeking, aggressive, fight-picking, hypocritical, and incompetent is very tricky. But, it is achievable. To do it, they need to lean into the exact opposites of these labels. The first step in this always had to be to dissociate themselves from the brand that had achieved such labels in the first place.”
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle “seem to be going their separate ways,” expert claims
The PR expert continued: “When combined, the Sussexes brand is, from a PR perspective, toxic. But, when separate, they have a genuine chance of creating an entirely separate brand, with completely different labels. If they manage to achieve this, then one day they could again reunite brands, and create a new combined brand that works.”
Meghan has focused much of her attention on her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchid, in the last year. Meanwhile, Harry is focusing on the project closest to his heart, The Invictus Games, and other charities, which means the married couple are beginning to drift away from each other when it comes to work.
That is one of the main reasons why rumors surrounding their possible split began circulating in the first place — and the Duke and Duchess will most likely continue to go it alone when it comes to work.
That’s at least according to royal watcher Phil Dampier, who says they will go separate ways. “I think Meghan is genuinely doing a lot of work in the background for this Netflix project and American Riviera Orchard,” he told The Sun.
“She probably wants a bit of a hiatus so that she can launch that. As for Harry, obviously he’s been back and forth with a few charities. They do seem to be going their separate ways. There’s no evidence that they’re splitting up at the moment personally.”
“It’s bound to spark a fair amount of public speculation”
PR expert Ed Coram James argued that Harry and Meghan could be better off if they decide to brand themselves rather than work together. Renae Smith, founder and director of PR firm Atticism, also agrees, but there could be some bumps in the near future.
He told the Daily Express that although Harry and Meghan’s decision to go solo could benefit them in the long term, it could also have negative aspects in the short term.
“I think their decision to pursue individual brands could indeed work in their favour over the long term, although it’s bound to spark a fair amount of public speculation in the short term,” he said.
“From a PR perspective, this shift might allow each of them to create distinct brands that better reflect their different priorities and resonate more coherently with their individual audiences.”
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