Prince Harry has made a “smart move” by travelling to the UK without Meghan Markle, a royal commentator has said.
The Duke of Sussex kicked off a five-day trip filled with charity engagements earlier this week, including an event to mark the one year to go until the Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Despite reports Harry had hoped to bring the Duchess of Sussex and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with him, the Duke made the trip alone.
The Sussex family pulled out of the trip at the last minute due to security concerns, but a PR expert has now suggested Harry is “better off” without Meghan.
“Meghan choosing not to accompany Prince Harry to the UK is probably the smartest move for both her personal brand and the Invictus Games,” Nick Ede, a Brand and Culture expert, told the Express.
Mr Ede noted the focus of any engagements linked to the Invictus Games should be on the competitors and the veterans.
He explained: “Whenever Meghan attends, the conversation inevitably shifts towards what she’s wearing, body language, family tensions and the state of the Sussexes’ relationship with the Royal Family.
“Without her there, Harry has a better chance of putting the spotlight back where it belongs.”
Harry’s trip got off to a disappointing start for the Duke with his legal battle against the British tabloid press ending in defeat.
Justice Matthew Nicklin found Harry had failed to prove Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail, engaged in unlawful information gathering.
“We came to court seeking justice and accountability. But we received neither,” the Duke of Sussex said in a statement.
“It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected.”
The decision also ends the claims brought by six other high-profile figures, including Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, David Furnish, Doreen Lawrence and former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes.
Associated Newspapers described the outcome as an “overwhelming victory” and a “magnificent vindication” of the Daily Mail’s reporting.
Paul Dacre, the former Daily Mail editor and editor-in-chief of ANL branded Harry “a confused and angry young man”.
“Prince Harry wrote a sad book which boasted about his killing of 25 Taliban, his drug-taking and, in cringe-making detail, how he lost his virginity,” he said.
“There isn’t a laundry in the cosmos big enough to wash all the dirty linen he has aired about his own family. For him, to complain about his privacy being invaded takes, not just the biscuit, but the whole tin.”