In the last few years, Meghan Markle has launched a number of different ventures, but according to a leading brand expert, there is one mistake she keeps making which is key to why so many of her projects have failed. Ever since she and Prince Harry stepped back from their senior royal roles five years ago, the Duchess of Sussex has tried her hand at everything from podcasting, philanthropy and fashion to working in TV production and using her platform to become a lifestyle influencer.
It is this quickly changing and unsettled approach which has led to little long-term success for Meghan, the expert says. This becomes even clearer when you contrast her tactic to the one favoured by The Princess of Wales.
Speaking to The Sun about Meghan’s “slap-dash” approach, brand and culture expert Nick Ede says: “Meghan hasn’t really earned her stripes yet. She’s not the fashionista yet, she’s not the cook yet, she’s not the make-up expert yet. Nothing feels particularly rounded in actual knowledge, so people begin to turn off.
“We’ve been on this journey with Harry and Meghan, but when we get to the crux of it, it never goes anywhere.
“Everything feels like a scattergun approach. Nothing seems thought out or strategised. She and Harry seem to think, ‘Yes, I’ll take the money, and work out what to do afterwards.’”
Compare this to the Princess of Wales, and her success is clearly down to one difference.
While the princess has been shy at times and certainly began her royal journey in Prince William’s shadow, she has placed a steely focus on only supporting a handful of charities and building up an expertise in early years development.
As a result, Princess Kate has become a well-respected expert who is looked up to for the real passion and graft that has gone into making a real change in this area.
She is also well-placed to navigate any difficulties her children come up against and previously described her passion for early childhood as her “life’s work” when she launched her programme, Shaping Us, two years ago.
It is a tactic which led former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond to tell OK!: “She has learned the craft of being royal over a number of years and earned her place as a senior member of the family. Gradually, she has also earned the respect of the public and, I believe, of the rest of the family. We look at her now not just as William’s wife, but as our future Queen.