Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have an ‘Opportunity to Control Their Image’ With Coronation Attendance, Expert Says
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could use King Charles’ coronation as an opportunity to “reframe the narrative,” according to a PR expert. It’s still unknown if the Sussexes will attend the coronation, but the appearance could provide a way for them to “control their image,” the expert said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were invited to King Charles’ coronation but haven’t confirmed they will attend
A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan released a statement that said they received an invitation to the coronation.
“I can confirm the Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation,” a rep for the Sussexes said (via CNN). “An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”
During an interview with Royally Us, royal historian Gareth Russell said it wasn’t surprising that King Charles “extended the olive branch” to Harry and Meghan.
“This has been a sort of recurring theme in his life, actually. I didn’t know this until I worked last year on the biography of his grandmother, the queen mother,” the expert said. “And I found out that in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Charles was still pretty young, he was one of the only members of the royal family who was prepared to go over to Paris to visit his great-uncle, Edward VIII, and Wallis Simpson.”
Russell continued, “He said to the queen mother and to the queen, ‘I think that we should be trying to build bridges between this side of the family. [He thought] his uncle and his aunt should be brought back into the fold a bit.”
He added, “So there is a past track record of Charles doing things like this and, in that sense, it tracks as consistent with what we know of him as a person.”
PR expert says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can ‘control their image’ if they attend
Marketing analyst Olivia Arnold, of Public Status PR, told Express it would be a solid move for Harry and Meghan to attend the coronation.
“Since the South Park episodes of them being made fun of, they said they wanted privacy but are still engaging with the media,” Arnold said. “And the coronation is a great chance to reframe the narrative.”
Arnold continued, “Harry and Meghan can drip feed their own story and how they would like to be portrayed. If they hash out the revelations, there might be more controversy.”
After their recent claims about the royal family, the event would allow the Sussexes to show a “united family front,” Arnold said. She said their attendance could convey that “no matter their differences, they still support each other, especially for [a] milestone of Charles being crowned.”
The expert added, “At the moment, the public sees them as a feuding family and there’s a lot of backlash against Meghan. During an extremely public event, they have the opportunity to control their image.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could show ‘humility’ at the coronation, expert says
Another PR expert weighed in with thoughts on how Harry and Meghan could approach the historic event with “humility” — which might improve their popularity ratings. Jordan James, CEO of Unlocked PR, told Express how the Sussexes’ attendance could improve public perception about them.
“Harry and Meghan have been criticized for feigning the want for privacy whilst jumping on opportunities for exposure,” James said.
He continued, “There’s an argument that if they were to attend the coronation they should be mindful of this perception and keep a low profile.”
Keeping the focus on King Charles could serve the Sussexes well. “It’s a period of celebration for the country, for the Commonwealth and for the family,” he explained.
James added, “Approaching the day with humility will remind naysayers that Harry and Meghan are very much part of the family, Britain, and the Commonwealth as a whole and this could be the start of the new narrative for the couple as we bring in a new era.”
