Prince Harry has earned praise for embarking on several engagements as a solo agent.
The Duke of Sussex is in New York City to support several charities. The 40-year-old will then fly to London where she will attend the WellChild Awards on September 30.
The father of two was last seen in Manhattan in October 2023. At the time, he was with his wife Meghan Markle to support World Mental Health Day.
Doug Eldridge, an agent, celebrity brand and marketing expert as well as the founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital that the solo trip was a smart move for the British prince. He confirmed that since the couple left the palace in 2020, they have been having problems together.
“This is similar to splitting the ace at the poker table: together you would think they are unbeatable – and usually they are – but often it is better to play two separate hands with an ace as an anchor,” Eldridge explained.
“Now, if you see Harry and Meghan together, then there is a direct connection to the drama, nothing positive: leaving the royal family, all the books, sitting, negativity. In contrast, if you look separately, they can almost play their hands, like a pair of aces separated on the table.
“For now, Harry can look like the man he’s always thought of, while Megan is free to brand things to come,” he said. “For him, the royal tag no longer applies and his affiliation with Harry is no longer selling – at least to the number of consumers who need to be a viable brand.”
“In the long run, I don’t know if this will be beneficial for the partnership, but in the short term, it can be productive for the public relations war,” Eldridge added.
Ahead of his New York City tour, Harry took to the stage on Friday at the star-studded One805LIVE! concert, hosted by Kevin Costner, in Carpinteria, California. The event helps raise funds for Santa Barbara County First Responders. According to some reports, Meghan is too ill to attend.
Harry has had a strained relationship with his family and has rarely seen his father since he and his wife stepped down from royal duties in 2020. At the time, the couple said that harassment and the racist attitude of the British press intolerable was what prompted them to step down. as a senior royal.
The royal began detailing his relationship with his family in TV interviews, documentaries and a memoir, “Spare”.
In the book, Harry singles out his stepmother, Queen Camilla, for leaking private conversations to the media to burnish his own reputation. He also explained his sibling rivalry with Prince William, the heir to the British throne, claiming that his brother assaulted him during a fight.
Most recently, people close to the prince spoke to People magazine, admitting that his father, King Charles III, had left his son’s phone calls and letters unanswered. An unnamed source recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s staff, who labeled Meghan a “highly entitled dictator” who has reduced “adults to tears”.
A request for comment was sent to a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It is understood that Josh Kettler, the pair’s former chief of staff who left the post after three months in August, was hired on a trial basis. The decision to part ways was described as “mutual,” with both sides agreeing it was not a good fit.
Several former and current staff members have come forward to Us Weekly, defending the couple and their work ethic.
British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the Sussexes need all the positive publicity they can get.
“So far, the NYC trip has been a success for Harry because he is sticking with the good, being empathetic to a worthy cause, just like his mother,” explained Fordwich. “Not criticizing his own family and constantly complaining about his glorious life, it’s more fun. Indeed, this could be the first step to return to relevance.
“Harry’s appearance in London marks another significant event without Meghan Markle by his side,” Fordwich said. “Actually, more than others because he was nicknamed ‘plus one.'”
“Even worse than ‘the rest,’ she has been relegated to little more than a foil for Meghan Markle’s appearance,” he said.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, told Fox News Digital, it didn’t take long to realize that the Sussexes working separately was a good strategy to improve their reputation.
“I guess they’re okay? They haven’t charged the photographer who was involved in the car chase that was near the disaster,” Schofield said. “I think they keep things safe. Meghan’s presence can sometimes increase anxiety related to security. She is not in this sense on this trip.
Schofield claims that the road to public victory after the non-stop scandal will be long.
“Last summer, Rolling Stone ran a story, ‘Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are in an Era of Flop,'” she explained. “The Sussexes haven’t done anything of note since then. Are they still technically in the throes of failure?”
“I will not applaud Prince Harry for the success of the network … I have more expectations than that,” she said. “But if we continue to see Prince Harry working away from Meghan after the new year, I think it’s fair to debate what a professional divorce means for the couple.
“Last year there were reports that Meghan was upset about a professional failure,” Schofield said. “…What are the weeks that Harry has been traveling for work without Meghan as a result of?”
But Harry’s family had been on his mind during his whirlwind trip.
On September 23, Harry FaceTimed his wife and two children before taking the stage at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit, People magazine reported.
According to the outlet, Harry moved the camera around the room, giving his children a virtual mini-tour of the event space.
Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, recipient of the Diana Legacy Award, told the outlet that backstage she called the former actress, 43 years old.
“I think it’s really sweet, and it helps humanize him,” she said.
