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TL;DR:

  • Royal expert believes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should have followed the queen’s ‘lesson.’
  • Harry and Meghan ‘damaged their own PR,’ expert says.
  • Harry’s upcoming memoir may air more family ‘dirty laundry.’
Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry pose at a royal event with the queen dressed in vibrant blue, Meghan wearing black, and Harry in uniform.
Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

One royal expert believes that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should have taken a page from Queen Elizabeth and not aired “family dirty laundry” with the world. The expert explained how the couple “missed a crucial lesson” from the queen.

Royal expert believes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could learn from an important Queen Elizabeth ‘lesson’

Expert Daniela Elser wrote about Prince Harry and Meghan’s misstep in a March article for News.com.au, noting how the queen stayed relatively silent on the matter of the Sussexes’ revealing Oprah Winfrey interview. Elser pointed out how the queen “has never given an interview,” which is quite different from how Prince Harry and Meghan have conducted themselves.

Not only did Meghan and Harry “let loose” during the Oprah interview but Prince Harry also shared his “pain and suffering” when he spoke on the Armchair Expert podcast and provided more insight into the royal family for the Apple TV+ series The Me You Can’t See.

Elser noted the queen’s “lesson” regarding “the power of silence.” She pointed out that there was no reaction from the queen or family members following Harry’s claims, calling it, “a shrewd approach to a febrile situation.”

Harry and Meghan ‘damaged their own PR,’ according to expert

The expert revealed how Prince Harry and Meghan have damaged their own PR in the process. “No matter whether the Sussexes do have grievances that deserve to be properly addressed (and I think they have some) their repeated, self-righteous repeated airing of family dirty laundry has in fact only really dealt them a PR blow,” Elser wrote.

She added, “Rather than devastating the royal brand (or even elevating them to brave quasi-martyr status) the couple just came out the other side looking like angry children with a permanent axe to grind for not getting their way.”

The Sussexes’ actions gave them a reputation as complainers. The expert believes they could have instead learned from the way the queen conducts herself.

“Both Harry and Meghan told Oprah how much they respected Her Majesty but they both seem to have missed the crucial lesson she could have taught them about not only the power but the dignity of silence,” Elser shared.

Prince Harry’s upcoming memoir is likely to uncover even more dirt. Elser noted, “Whatever wounds might have healed with the passage of time post-Oprah could very well be about to be opened. Again.”

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Meghan Markle ‘Concealed Anger and Frustration’ and Was ‘Triggered’ When Prince Harry Dominated a Conversation, Body Language Expert Says

How revealing will Prince Harry’s memoir be?

It’s unclear how much more dirty laundry Harry will air in his upcoming book. A number of experts shared their thoughts on the memoir in the documentary 2021: The Queen’s Terrible Year.

Journalist Andrew Neil noted, “The book itself may cause the royal family more anguish because it has never really been done before.”

He added, “Harry’s gone down a road for which there is no good ending because every book will have to be more sensational than the last. It’s almost like he’s still settling scores.”

Journalist Camilla Tominey shared that it’s a “wait and see” situation in terms of what Harry covers in his memoir and how it will impact the royal family. “There’s a phrase about autobiographies being the perfect vehicle for telling the truth about other people,” she said. “Not necessarily the person writing it. It’s an account from his perspective.”

Tominey added, “The royals will be hoping that he doesn’t stick the knife in. We’ll have to just wait and see.”

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