Meghan Markle has been issued a stark warning about her attendance at the Winter Invictus Games by a PR expert, who describes her presence at the event as a “lose-lose situation”.
At the beginning of the tournament for military victims on February 8, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, put on a loved-up display, kissing in the stands and being affectionate towards each other.
Although it has emerged Meghan is heading home to California, Harry will stay behind until after the closing ceremony on February 16.
PR expert, Edward Coram James, the CEO of Go Up told the Mirror: “Meghan’s presence was always going to be a lose-lose situation — damned if she did, damned if she didn’t. But ultimately, it’s a distraction for many people.
“That said, from a PR standpoint, she handled it well. She was engaged but not overbearing, affectionate but not too performative. Still, she needs to recognise that no matter what she does, her critics will say she’s making it about herself.”
The Duchess of Sussex has been using her Instagram account to document her behind-the-scenes antics with competitors, the family of veterans and moments alongside Prince Harry.
One video shows how she nervously took part in tubing on the snow-covered ski runs in Whistler.
Ed believes this has been one positive for the Duchess, he said: “Meghan is a woman blessed with many things — fame, influence, a platform — but for a long time, autonomy wasn’t one of them.
“It looks like she’s out to reclaim that autonomy, one Instagram Story at a time. Even her handle says a lot. Literally just ‘Meghan’ — clean, simple, powerful. No “MeghanDuchessOfSussex.” No fluff. How she managed to snag that coveted handle, who knows, but it’s a statement in itself.”
He also stated how using 24-hour stories has made her seem more “relatable” as a royal.
However, he did admit Meghan should leave the event optics to Harry. He explained: “Meghan should leave the Invictus Games to Harry. It’s his project, and he’s more than capable of drumming up support and publicity for this incredible cause. Their joint brand has become tainted over the years — not through any fault of their own, but due to woeful PR.”
The Invictus Games have come after a tough time for the Sussexes, who were labelled as “disaster tourists” in the wake of visiting victims of California wildfires. They were also the subject of a scathing Vanity Fair article documenting what previous employees had said about what it is really like to work for them.
Harry, a former British Army captain, launched the Invictus Games in 2014 as an international sports tournament for service personnel and veterans.
After spending 10 years in the military, Harry made the decision to use his own personal experience to create an event for others who have served.
Over 500 competitors from over 20 nations are taking part in the Winter Games and are competing in adaptive sports. The winter sports include Alpine Skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing and biathlon, skeleton, and wheelchair curling.
The closing ceremony will take place at Rogers Arena on February 16.