Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Need Royals More Than the Royals Need Them, Says Expert
Reputation and crisis management expert, Edward Coram-James, believes that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry need to remain royals more than the Royal Family needs them. According to Mr. Coram-James, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex face a problem of relevance that doesn’t currently plague the Royal Family, given Prince Harry’s background, the titles he and Meghan bear, and the interest people around the world have in the Royal Family. He believes it would be beneficial for the California-based pair to continue to latch onto the Firm.
This advice is particularly important for the Sussexes as they are launching a new chapter in their working lives after they aired their grievances with the Firm on different outlets. From a PR perspective, Mr. Coram-James believes that the royals will remain relevant regardless of the scandal that has ensued as a result of the Oprah interview, the docuseries, and the book. The Royal Family has always been known for creating new narratives and giving new hooks to remain relevant. In contrast, the Sussexes will have to be nimble and quickly pivot away from the frenzy of the past few years to remain relevant in the public eye.
The Coronation is set to take place on May 6, and Mr. Coram-James believes that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel back to the UK for the historic event. Their presence, he argued, would be beneficial for the Firm, as the Coronation is set to count fewer members of the aristocracy, and if streamlined as it is believed, it may lack the same pomp and pageantry seen in 1953 when Elizabeth II was crowned and anointed.
Furthermore, the expert thinks that the presence of the Sussexes at Westminster Abbey on May 6 would be less of a distraction than their absence. He believes that there is more to lose (for everyone) than to gain by them not attending. And, whereas their attendance will certainly draw a not insignificant amount of commentary and punditry and thus be a slight distraction on the day, the shadow of their omission would likely loom even larger.
After a string of interviews focused on the difficult relationship with the Royal Family, a biographical docu-series for Netflix, and a memoir, the Sussexes have been tipped to stop openly discussing the Firm and their past in it. The Duke himself said at the end of the Harry & Meghan documentary he and his wife are “moving on” and looking at the future.
As for their attendance at the Coronation, the Sussexes have not yet let it be known if they will accept the invitation set to be sent to them and some 2,000 other guests. Harry said in January that “there’s a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they can, that they are willing to sit down and talk about it because there’s a lot that’s happened in six years. And prior to that as well.”
Overall, Mr. Coram-James believes that to remain relevant, the Sussexes will have to be seen to remain royal, and to be seen as royal, the Duke and Duchess will have to attend the Coronation.
