Meghan Markle needs to build a brand that is not just based on “grievances”, a royal author has said.
Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and Tatler, said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had “to prove themselves now in the gladiator arena of entertainment”.
The author of The Palace Papers said that while former soldier Harry has the Invictus Games, Meghan needs to develop her own brand beyond “grievances”.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Ms. Brown said: “Harry’s always going to be royal.
“He will always have the iconic status that that has. He does have an identity, his Invictus has an authenticity and people relate to that.
“I think Meghan does really need to find the thing she cares about the most and develop her own sort of brand that isn’t just a grievance brand — that is actually something we recognize as hers.
“It’s hard to find that and I think she hasn’t yet found that but I think she could if she rows back from the focusing always on what didn’t work.”
Ms. Brown also said Harry and Meghan, who are living in the US after quitting as working royals, had underestimated the challenges of moving into commercial activity.
She said: “The Sussexes didn’t realize how hard it was to create a rival platform. You’re essentially at the mercy of PRs.
“The people who achieved it, the George Clooneys and the Oprahs, they are very good at it. It’s very difficult when you want to be above it. It’s much harder than it looks.”
Ms Brown added: “Given that they’ve now staked their livelihoods on product, on entertainment, it’s going to be about what they do.”
