Meghan Markle needs to build a brand not based on her grievances if she wants to be a global business success, says Tina Brown, ex-Vanity Fair editor
- Tina Brown was asked how durable the Sussex brand can be around the world
- She said Prince Harry, 38, would “always be royal” as the son of Charles and Diana.
- But she insisted Meghan, 41, needs to find and focus on her own thing
Meghan Markle needs to build her own brand, not based solely on her grievances, if she wants to be a global business success, a royal expert has said.
Asked how long-lasting the Sussex brand can be around the world now that the couple is half outside the royal herd, former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown said Prince Harry, 38, would be the son of King Charles “always be royal”. Princess Diana.
She told the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday: “He’ll always have the iconic status that that has. He has an identity, his Invictus [Games] has an authenticity and people relate to it.’
But she insisted Harry’s wife Meghan, 41, had to find a cause of her own and focus on it.
She said: “I think Meghan really needs to find what’s important to her and develop her own kind of brand that isn’t just a complaint mark, but something that we actually recognize as hers.
“It’s hard to find that and I don’t think she has found that yet, but I think she might if she refrains from always focusing on what didn’t work.”
Meghan Markle needs to develop her own brand, which isn’t just a “grievance brand” if the Sussexes are to thrive globally, a royal expert has said
Brown, who was speaking to promote her latest book, The Palace Papers, said when they stepped down as senior royals, the Sussexes did not foresee the challenges of life outside palace operations.
“The Sussexes didn’t realize how difficult it was to create a competing platform. They are essentially at the mercy of PRs who [specialise in making people look good].’
“The guys that made it, the George Clooneys and the Oprahs, they’re very good at it.
“It’s very difficult if you want to be above it. It’s a lot harder than it looks.”
Earlier this month, the Mail’s Richard Eden revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had quit Sunshine Sachs, the New York-based PR agency that has advised Meghan since she was an actress on legal drama Suits.
The pair have a number of big projects in the pipeline, including Harry’s upcoming memoir and a reality TV documentary as part of a $100 million deal with streaming giant Netflix.
Brown told the Cheltenham audience that in the US, “the jury is out on the popularity of Harry and Meghan.”
“Given the fact that they now have their livelihoods focused on products and entertainment, it’s going to be about what they do.
Asked how long-lasting the Sussex brand can be around the world now that the couple is half outside the royal herd, former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown said Prince Harry, 38, would be the son of King Charles “always be royal”. Princess Diana
Brown, who was speaking to promote her latest book, The Palace Papers, said when they stepped down as senior royals, the Sussexes did not foresee the challenges of life outside palace operations
“Meghan’s first Spotify podcast about Serena Williams was hugely successful – she ousted America’s number one podcaster, Joe Rogan, from the top spot.
“She has a good podcasting voice. You must now prove yourself in the gladiator arena of entertainment.’
Brown added that Harry’s book was “a big mistake” but he’s now under a lot of pressure to get it published.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he feels [that it’s a mistake] but the truck pulled up. It’s not just the advance.
“The publisher has a lot at stake. I think it’s a big problem for them. I feel really bad for him at the moment.
“If he doesn’t do the book, I think it’s going to be a real mess business-wise, and if he does the book, it’s going to really alienate him from his family.
“No matter how bad things are, no one wants to be estranged from their family.”