The British Royal Family may be quietly setting the stage for a future reconciliation with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to PR expert Ryan McCormick. Despite the ongoing rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family, recent moves by the Palace suggest that they are open to mending fences with the estranged couple.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, McCormick pointed to the recent deletion of a 2016 statement made by Prince Harry against the press's treatment of Meghan, who was his girlfriend at the time, as a potential sign of the Royal Family's intentions. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are other statements and information that have been quietly deleted or modified over the years," he said.
McCormick believes that the royals are "laying the groundwork" for a future reunion by removing these "negative digital footnotes" to "distance and diminish their impact on public perception." He suggests that this could be a strategic move to pave the way for a full reconciliation with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The PR expert acknowledged that while some of the Sussexes' "controversial actions" will never be forgotten, the couple can improve their likability by making headlines for positive things, such as goodwill trips and charitable initiatives. "I think both need to remain in the Royals and public's good graces for a prolonged period of time before hearts of forgiveness can be opened," McCormick added.
The deleted statement, issued by Prince Harry in November 2016, slammed certain news outlets for the "racial undertones of comment pieces" and the "outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments" directed at Meghan. The statement came in response to an article in The Mail on Sunday, which read, "Harry's girl is (almost) straight outta Compton: Gang-scarred home of her mother revealed-so will he be dropping by for tea?"
In the now-deleted statement, Prince Harry expressed his concern for Meghan's safety and his disappointment in not being able to protect her from the onslaught of media scrutiny and harassment. "It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm," the statement read. "He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game.' He strongly disagrees. This is not a game-it is her life and his."
The deletion of this statement, which had been on the Royal Family's website for seven years, comes amid ongoing tensions between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their roles as senior royals in 2020 and have since made a number of bombshell allegations about life behind Palace walls, further straining their relationship with the institution.
Despite the current state of affairs, the Palace's latest move to remove the controversial statement suggests that they may be open to a future reconciliation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. As McCormick notes, positive headlines and charitable initiatives could help improve the couple's likability and potentially lead to a thawing of relations with the Royal Family.
However, the road to reconciliation is likely to be a long and challenging one, given the depth of the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family. The couple's allegations, which include claims of racism and a lack of support for Meghan's mental health struggles, have caused significant damage to the relationship and will likely take time and effort to repair.
