Meghan Markle returned to the spotlight with a striking red carpet appearance after a week of reclusiveness.
The Duchess of Sussex strutted down the red carpet at a fundraiser benefiting a children's hospital in Los Angeles in a stunning Carolina Herrera gown, Harper's Bazaar reported. Prince Harry has been traveling the world recently to promote causes near and dear to his heart, and this outing follows his time apart from Meghan.
Someone close to the couple recently remarked that they are experiencing a change in their professional lives. Prince Harry concentrates on his patronage work, while Meghan continues on her "entrepreneurial track," which includes launching her American Riviera Orchard brand.
The Sussexes seem to be adopting a more measured approach to their work now, unlike when they were more outspoken and controversial—in Prince Harry's memoir "Spare," their Netflix documentary series, and their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Ed Coram James, chief executive of public relations consultancy Go Up, has said that while Harry is making progress by devoting more time to his humanitarian work, Meghan faces a "trickier road to reputational rehabilitation."
"This is because she simply hasn’t done anything of the scale or popularity as Harry's work with Invictus or conservation. And, it truly takes something of that scale to rescue a reputation that’s taken a hit as big as theirs. But, she has gone quiet, and been very disciplined about this. That’s the first step,” he told The Mirror.
"She attacked the Royal Family. And, broadly speaking, Brits love the Royal Family. Unfortunately for Meghan, there is a heavy degree of own-goal to this. Her PR campaign against the royals misfired so badly, that she came out of it appearing vindictive, spoiled, arrogant and attention-seeking. And the people she tried to portray as the villains, came out of it looking, measured, mature and, frankly, Kingly,” the public relations expert went on.
As an additional point, Ed observed that when one person has a positive impression of another person, and another has a negative impression, it's human nature to believe the negative one. He said humans prefer to remain in familiar environments, where preconceived notions and biases are reinforced, rather than seeking fresh information that might lead us to question our long-held convictions.
The public relations expert added that Meghan’s way to recover from this is the same way to redeem her brand's reputation. “Be quiet. Be patient. Be disciplined. Produce excellent work. Promote excellent charities. And no more attack pieces or PR misfires. If she does this, and for long enough, people can start taking another look. And likely, in doing so, decide that they’ve got her wrong. Or, at the very least, that she deserves another chance,” he stated.
This follows body language expert Judi James's claim that Meghan's appearance on the red carpet altered her appearance due to the intense scrutiny she endured, Hindustan Times reported.
She suggested that Meghan's body language and hairstyle choices during her unexpected red-carpet arrival appear to have been intentional statement-making.
Meghan reportedly uses appearances of shyness, vulnerability, and coyness as her primary non-verbal cues. Despite looking poised and directed as always, her posing performances for the cameras are said to be noticeably lacking in her trademark self-assurance and aggression. She gives the impression that she is charming and adorable.
The wife of Prince Harry flings her two hands wide open as she runs up to her pal on the red carpet, clasping hands and showing her willingness to let her friend take the reins in a symbolic gesture of friendship. In a move reminiscent of a timid youngster, Meghan crosses her arms over her chest to shield her friend's hand from harm.
Business Times has reached out to Meghan Markle for comments.
