Meghan Markle ‘toxic’ for Prince Harry’s brand image? Experts weigh in

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot within the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2018 and have been an inseparable, tight-knit unit checking off one professional frontier after the other on their agenda book. However, their supposedly unbreakable connection has been the subject of public scrutiny as they’ve been flying solo on their international adventures. They embarked on their second quasi-royal trip to Colombia earlier this year.
And now the public is getting more accustomed to seeing the Duke of Sussex going it alone without his wife. The 40-year-old prince was recently spotted enjoying the spotlight as a guest on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon during his New York trip. Tackling numerous other events alone, he eventually took off for his home country to attend the WellChild Awards in London. As he continued to conclude a few more outings without Markle successfully, the Suits alum was found to be in attendance at a Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala 2024.
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Their separate outings have already got the Internet buzzing. While some have accepted it as a PR tactic to strategically build a positive image, others are mulling over negative connotations, suggesting friction between the spouses.
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In September, celebrity branding and marketing expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital that the British prince had deliberately planned his solo trip to NYC. This conspicuous twist reportedly had to do with how the couple is perceived as a unit. The media and the Internet generally associate them with drama, generating more gossip, at times even on unwarranted levels. “Right now, when you see Harry and Meghan together, it conjures an immediate association to the drama, none of which is positive,” Eldrige told the outlet.
“For the time being, Harry can be seen like the charming guy he was always thought of, while Megan is free to brand her forthcoming line of goods,” explained Eldridge, adding, “In the long run, I don’t know if this will be beneficial for their partnership, but in the short term, it could be productive for their public relations battles,” he added.
The eyebrow-raising transition recently again became the focus of a discussion fuelled by Sky News Australia. Kinsey Schofield, a royal expert and To Di For podcast host, dished during her appearance on The Rita Panahi Show that Harry had “finally” realised that Meghan was “toxic.”
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When asked what she thought about separate engagements in different countries, Schofield pointed out how the “story keeps getting juicier” with Harry also having spent some extra days in South Africa without Meghan. She then weighed in on their solo engagements, “Prince Harry realises that she is toxic for the brand he had established before he married her.”
Adding to that conversation, Mark Borkowski, a PR strategist, also insinuated that “something is going on” between the married couple, per Express’ report. He also pushed that the pair was “going back to basics” because their “star power” had failed them as a unit. Borkowski claimed that in order to “change the narrative,” Harry and Meghan had their eyes set on ventures that deflect from the failures.”
He went on, “The charity aspect impresses upon everybody that he [Harry] does have value beyond the controversial stuff. It has the effect of separating them from the bad press and the failed content ideas. The punters still have time for Harry.”