Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may be trying to build a new brand for themselves in the US away from the royals, but according to one expert they still have yet to strike the right balance regarding their reputation.
The couple still refer to themselves as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, despite stepping down as working royals in 2020 and attempting to carve out a name for themselves in Hollywood.
Pauline Maclaran, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Research at Royal Holloway, University of London, believes holding onto their titles across the pond is a mistake, particularly if Meghan harbours political ambitions.
She told Express.co.uk that she did not believe the Duchess has yet “built up enough credibility” to be taken seriously as a Democrat candidate, although she did acknowledge Meghan’s support for parental leave and vaccine equity.
However Meghan’s decision to use her Duchess of Sussex title while lobbying for causes in the US was one that Professor Maclaran did not agree with.
Click here to join our Whatsapp community to be the first to receive news about the Royal family
She explained: “When she was lobbying for parental leave she used her Duchess of Sussex title and I don’t think that was an appropriate move.
“To me that indicates she doesn’t quite know where she is. She wants to use that title as a status symbol but, for a political route in the US, using a title is really rather ridiculous. It shows she wants to keep a foot in both camps.
“She could have said she was co-founder of Archewell or an actress. The royal title still seems to contribute to her sense of self and identity. I think it shows she hasn’t got a clear direction.”
There is still “speculation” as to whether Meghan may run for office, but in California where she lives it is not unheard of for actors to enter politics.
Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor of the state and Ronald Reagan even became President in the 1980s.
She continued: “It just depends how she develops a strategy, learns and adapts. She could probably go far, but she has a lot of tainting to overcome.
“I would have thought the Americans are not over Harry’s book Spare. [The Sussexes] got teased mercilessly for that, particularly with South Park. That was really a significant popular culture moment where they became a huge laughing stock, and still are to an extent.
