Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have a "Golden Opportunity" to Reconcile With the Royals Amid Wales Drama, Publicist Says
They're sadly used to dealing with negative press.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been estranged from most of the Royal Family pretty much since their departure from the U.K. in 2020.
But now, as Prince William and Princess Kate find themselves at the center of a huge PR debacle, might be as good a time as any for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to reconcile with them, according to one publicist.
"Meghan and Harry now have a golden opportunity to not only accelerate healing their riff with the Royal Family, but to restore some of their likability in the eyes of the public," PR expert Ryan McCormick told the Mirror.
"If I was advising Meghan, I would tell her to speak loud and passionate in defense of Kate."
For McCormick, it would be a question of Meghan sharing with Kate what she's had to learn the hard way over the years, as she's been on the receiving end of a ton of "negative press."
"Meghan may not like being on the brunt of negative press but, she's definitely more familiar with it than Kate," the expert continued. "The duchess could help the Princess of Wales tremendously by guiding her through this crisis publicly and behind the scenes."
As I'm sure you know by now, Kate and William have been the subject of speculation for a few weeks now, as Kate has been out of the public eye while she recovers from abdominal surgery.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales
A photo posted by princeandprincessofwales on
In an effort to communicate with the public, the Wales family put out a photo of Kate with her three children on Sunday, UK Mother's Day, which turned out to have been edited.
After several news and photo agencies pulled the photo from their platforms citing doctoring, Kate issued a rare and vague apology for the "confusion" caused, and admitted to using photo editing software on the picture. This, of course, has only added fuel to the rumor fire, with social media users throwing out conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory, and joke after joke about the situation—which PR experts have called a "disaster."
While I agree that Meghan could become a source of support for Kate if the latter was open to it, it's definitely arguable that the Princess of Wales isn't used to receiving bad press.
Although Kate has been largely respected and liked by the press and public since she joined the Royal Family, she was criticized a lot when she was first dating William, as exemplified by the cruel nickname "Waity Katie"—a reference to the years it took for her and the future King to get engaged.
There was also the time when a French magazine published topless photos of Kate on vacation and she had to deal with the fallout of that.
That said, it is absolutely true that the tabloids more generally have been extremely and disproportionately critical of Meghan in a way that they just haven't with Kate. We've all seen the side-by-side headlines that are so much meaner about Meghan than they are about Kate doing the exact same thing.
Anyway, perhaps McCormick is onto something here, and the unfortunate situation Kate finds herself in right now could be a way for her and Meghan to build a friendship after all these years. How likely that is to happen is a different matter entirely.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Kate Middleton Made a Secret, “Under the Radar” Hospital Visit to Thank Nurses and Doctors for Supporting Her During Her Cancer Battle
Kate made a "strictly private" visit in December o personally deliver gifts to the people involved in her treatment.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Zendaya Liked a Ring Similar to Her Engagement Ring Two Full Years Ago on Instagram
Well played, Tom Holland.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Taylor Swift Turns the Tunnel Walk Into a Runway in Chanel
Her latest game-day look is worth thousands.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Princess Lilibet Resembles Another One of Prince Harry's Relatives in Adorable Throwback Photo
The Royal Family genes are exceedingly strong.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Why Royal Courtiers Allegedly Gave Prince Harry and Prince Andrew Unexpected 'Dukes of Hazzard' Nicknames
A royal expert claimed the nicknames—inspired by the famous TV show—relate to King Charles.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Why King Charles's Cousin Immediately Name-Dropped Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on 'The Traitors'
Lord Ivar Mountbatten quickly established his connection to the Sussexes, and discussed his status as the first openly gay British royal.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
How Prince Harry Honored One Man's Unexpected Request While Helping California Wildfire Victims
The Duke of Sussex reportedly went incognito to find a special item for an elderly man affected by the disaster.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Is Pushing the Premiere of Her Netflix Series Due to the Los Angeles Wildfires
Meghan requested that Netflix delay the release "as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California."
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Hugged Victims of the LA Fires During Surprise Appearance in Pasadena
"No one knew they were serving food with masks."
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Issue Statement on California's Devastating Wildfires
The Sussexes addressed the disaster, which is "affecting tens of thousands from all walks of life."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Shares Her Most Personal Instagram Post Yet—Including Rare Glimpses of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet—After Their Beloved Dog Dies
"Thank you for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet Guy. You filled my life in ways you’ll never know."
By Kristin Contino Published