SerpApi.Org
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle face a significant "challenge" which will require substantial effort to address, according to a PR expert.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex - who have been given a brutal nickname - have experienced a dramatic decline in public favor since stepping back from their positions as senior working royals in 2020. The couple's standing deteriorated following a wave of criticisms directed at the Royal Family through multiple interviews, their Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan, and the duke's autobiography, Spare. Although Harry and Meghan have moderated their public statements about the Firm in an attempt to repair their strained family ties, their efforts to restore their public image have proven unsuccessful.
A PR expert has now suggested the Sussexes can restore their standing, but must adhere to one fundamental principle - consistency. Renae Smith, founder of PR and branding agency The Atticism, told the Daily Express, "Reputations are rebuilt through repeated behavior over long periods of time, not one well-managed visit. The challenge for Harry and Meghan has always been consistency. Just when things begin to settle, something usually happens that pulls them back into controversy or creates another contradictory headline." She then went on to say, "So the real question isn't whether this trip was successful. In the PR world, yes, it was. The real question is whether they can repeat this approach another ten times... And for this, we must wait and see." It comes after Harry was left "absolutely furious and in tears" during a fateful conversation with the King.
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Last May, a YouGov survey revealed Harry and Meghan placed just above disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, with approval ratings of 33% and 22%, respectively.
In June, separate polling from YouGov America indicated that Meghan's favorability stood at 27%. By contrast, in the third quarter of 2025, she enjoyed approval from 37% while facing disapproval from 22%, yielding a net approval rating of +15.
This comes as another expert advised Harry and Meghan that they should reinvent themselves following recent publicity disasters.
Showbiz journalist Nelson Aspen appeared on conservative UK television network GB News to discuss the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, where she insisted they needed "reinvention."
During the broadcast, Aspen remarked, "I'm sure Meghan is very sad that she missed out on the public engagements, because with public engagements come cameras.
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"So I'm sure she is very sad she missed out on the opportunity to be photographed in her triumphant return to the United Kingdom.
"However, she said she would let Harry lead the way, and she was very supportive of him, and I think it's wonderful that your King somehow managed to wait them out and play them like a fiddle."
"Because Harry and Meghan desperately need reinvention. They are feeling outcast and rejected by America," he concluded.
It comes after King Charles was reduced to tears after overhearing Prince William's private conversation.
