‘Long-term PR plan’: TRUTH behind Meghan Markle’s absence from Prince Harry’s side
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA: The absence of Meghan Markle from Prince Harry’s side as he promotes his memoir, ‘Spare’, has given birth to several speculations, including rumors that the couple was heading for divorce. The last time the pair were seen together was on December 6, 2022, during the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Gala in New York, where they were honored for their contribution to racial justice and mental health initiatives.
However, since then, the Duke of Sussex has been seen on his own, appearing alone in all his television interviews, whether it was ITV's interview with Tom Bradby or with CNN's Anderson Cooper. The Daily Mail columnist Alison Boshoff has written that “some believe that Penguin Random House, Harry's publishers, would have expected Meghan to be more visible of late, to help push the book's sales.”
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She also cited a senior media executive and noted, “What most people have concluded is that Penguin would have told her from the get go that Harry needed to be front and centre during his book tour — that it's his journey — and that he needs to shine. However, most people also know that the two of them together generates far more headlines — all famous couples do — and I cannot imagine Penguin would have wanted her to be quite this absent.”
But Boshoff has disregarded that theory. She also seemed to disagree with The Daily Telegraph's Victoria Ward, who reportedly claimed that the former actress “was more circumspect about the concept of a memoir, and may have raised gentle concerns about whether it was the right move.” The writer has said that Meghan not being on her husband’s side “is something more strategic, not borne out of vague 'concerns' — least of all any sort of schism in their relationship.”
'PR approach to neutralise some critics'
Boshoff then went on to explain, “Meghan's retreat from the public eye is, say well-placed sources, part of a carefully considered three-pronged PR approach to neutralise some critics — as well as to lay the ground for future lucrative projects.” The step of absence has also been taken to stop the portrait that the mother-of-two badly influences Harry. “The couple understandably deplore this thinking, seeing it as nothing short of unfounded misogynistic and racist trolling,” wrote the columnist.
The media person also wrote while quoting a friend of the Sussexes, “They usually leave each other to promote their own solo projects, so I don't really see 'Spare' as any different to, say, the podcast which Meghan did magazine covers for etc, but we didn't really hear anything from Harry."
“Plus, they did the Netflix series four weeks before the book came out, so that was her telling her part of the story already. I know she's always been supportive of Spare so I don't believe there to be a bigger story there — certainly no 'divide'.”
Another insider told Boshoff, “Harry's book deal does not involve Meghan. If she had been involved in promoting the book, it would have invited the usual misogynist pile-on, particularly on social media. In those circumstances, you can understand why she's wanted to duck out.”
'Keep her powder dry for her own memoir'
But the writer has explored another theory about the apparent absence. As per her, Meghan’s silence is “another part of the long-term PR plan. This one indicates that her absence on the Spare tour was in part to keep her powder dry for her own memoir. What an extraordinary — and profitable — story that promises to be.”
“In short: it's worth her keeping quiet now, with an eye to her future plans. All of these will, inevitably, involve her having her say once again about how impossible she found life inside the Royal Family. It's the story she has to tell, and the currency she has to sell,” Boshoff concluded.