The couple has not been seen together in public since the start of September, but what does this mean?<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-name” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_align=”center” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Words by Nikki Peach<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-25-at-16.22.09.png” alt=”Meghan Markle in LA in October.” title_text=”Meghan Markle in LA in October.” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Since they first started dating in 2016, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have struggled with their reputations \u2013 both individually and as a couple.<\/p>\n When they lived in the UK, they were relentlessly hounded by the tabloid press, criticised by the public on social media and compared with Prince William and Kate Middleton at every turn. Nothing they did was right, or at least that\u2019s how it seemed.<\/p>\n In 2020, a defeated Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and hoped to rebuild their lives, and their reputations, in California. They purchased a $14 million home in Montecito where they brush shoulders with A-list neighbours, keep chickens and are able to raise their two children without the scrutiny and expectations that come with being part of the British royal family.<\/p>\n Soon followed a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, an ill-fated Spotify deal, a six-part Netflix documentary and a lifestyle brand \u2013 the latter of which has, incidentally, gone quiet since it was teased in March.<\/p>\n Far from a total rebrand, Harry and Meghan\u2019s move to the US did not grant them the image overhaul they may have hoped for. In fact, it gave rise to rumours that they are impossible to work for (they have lost 18 members of staff since 2018), that they are \u2018out of touch\u2019 and even that they are at risk of deportation when Donald Trump returns to The White House.<\/p>\n The president-elect has long made his disapproval of Harry known and previously said he would not be given \u2018special privileges\u2019 if he was found to have lied on his visa application. Harry admitted to taking recreational drugs in his memoir,\u00a0Spare,\u00a0which could be grounds for deportation.<\/p>\n According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, Harry and Meghan\u2019s bumpy few years in the US has forced them to rethink their PR strategy. He claims their work relationship is in a \u2018very bad state\u2019 so they are trialling a \u2018professional separation\u2019, which will see Harry and Meghan undertake more public appearances on their own.<\/p>\n In fact, project \u2018professional separation\u2019 might already be underway. Short of a joint video message they sent to a United Nations conference in Colombia on 8 November, calling for the end to violence against children, the couple have not been seen together since the start of September.<\/p>\n Their trip to Colombia in August was their last highly publicised joint appearance. During the visit they promoted their charity work about internet safety, learned about Colombia\u2019s culture and history and met the country\u2019s Invictus Games team. Described by many as a \u2018quasi-royal tour\u2019, it was met with a mixed response.<\/p>\n For one, they only allowed their own videographers and reporters into most of the events, supposedly to ensure they were represented \u2018accurately\u2019. This raised questions about why the couple would want to go on such a high-profile visit in the first place, especially if they are worried about how they are represented in the media.<\/p>\n Arguably, they are trying to find a way of maintaining their influence and visibility on a global stage, but on their own terms. Unfortunately, their trip to Colombia was not a resounding success. The couple were accused of \u2018wasteful spending\u2019 when news broke that the tour cost an estimated $45,000 and they reportedly failed to draw the large crowds expected of royal visits.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/imago0755554291h-1-scaled.jpg” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] As such, in recent months they have been attending various events separately. Last weekend, Meghan hosted a dinner for the Southern California Welcome Project through the couple\u2019s Archewell Foundation. She then shared a statement on the Archewell website where she reflected on the \u2018heartfelt dinner\u2019 hosted for Afghan women. \u2018This initiative has spent the past year building community through storytelling and creating a safe space for women who have resettled in the US from Afghanistan,\u2019 it read. \u2018The evening included a shared meal that encouraged open conversation centred on gratitude and resilience.\u2019<\/p>\n Last week, Harry spent time in Vancouver at a series of Invictus Games-related events while Meghan stayed in LA and was spotted at the launch of her friend Kadi Lee\u2019s new haircare range \u2013 which the Duchess is an investor in.<\/p>\n Harry is also gearing up to promote his new Netflix series,\u00a0POLO,\u00a0which lands on the platform on 10 December. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of polo and is executive produced by Archewell Productions. While Meghan is listed as an executive producer, it is very much Harry\u2019s domain. It is \u2018the sport of kings\u2019 after all, which is unlikely to do his relatability rating any favours.<\/p>\n Ignacio \u2018Nacho\u2019 Figueras, a polo player who features in the series, said, \u2018This is more his project than it is mine. It\u2019s an honour to know that I was able to help. The show is not about me. It\u2019s not about him. We\u2019ve been working very hard on it, and we\u2019re very excited about the outcome.\u2019<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Meghan is rumoured to have her own series about \u2018the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship\u2019 in development with Netflix. A title and release date for which has not been announced.<\/p>\n \u2018This is obviously a new tactic,\u2019 Fitzwilliams told GB News. \u2018As in every brand the Sussexes want to promote their brand as best as they can. They have tried something that has worked with the so-called royal tours of Nigeria and Colombia. Then we have got the solo engagements, so they are experimenting.\u2019<\/p>\n For now, it seems their professional separation might be working. In pursuing their own respective interests and projects, the couple is trialling a new way of maintaining influence without as much scrutiny. Whether this is a sustainable long-term strategy is another question, especially once people start inevitably reading too much into the \u2018separation\u2019 side of things.<\/p>\n Their next joint appearance could well be at the 2025 Invictus Games in Canada at the start of February, where they are rumoured to be bringing their two children along for the first time. Will this period of \u2018separation\u2019 bring a renewed sense of excitement to see the family together again, or will Harry and Meghan be subjected to the usual backlash and media circus? We\u2019ll have to wait to see.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#111111″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” module_class=”custom-divider” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-texts” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|||on|||||” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”] Photo: <\/b>IMAGO<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meghan and Harry have not been seen together in public since September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":5310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"kschwarz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5296"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5311,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5296\/revisions\/5311"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}