Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make ‘deliberate’ move amid rift with Prince William

Meghan Markle’s new business venture has faced heavy criticism as the timing coincided with a speech from Prince William.

The Duchess Of Sussex delighted her fans when she finally launched her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard earlier this week just days after she spoke about the “dangers of social media” for women at her SXSW Festival women’s panel appearance.

The Instagram account for the launch already has just under 500k followers and a verification mark.

It’s already been reported that the launch is also likely to coincide with Meghan debuting a new cookery show on Netflix. However, a PR expert has reflected both on the timing of Meghan’s launch and her use of social media after her admitting her desire to keep her distance from it in the past.

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READ MORE: Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard explained

Meghan launched American Riviera Orchard this week (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Renae Smith, the founder of The Atticism PR, shared her thoughts on Meghan’s enterprise telling The Express: “The question of whether Meghan’s timing for launching her new venture – coinciding with Prince William’s speech – was deliberate is indeed thought-provoking.

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“Without insider knowledge, it’s challenging to assert if there was any intentional overlap with the royal schedule. Given Meghan’s expressed distance from the Royal Family (and the unlikely event she has access to their schedules), it’s plausible that any timing overlap was coincidental.

“However, in public relations, perception often equals reality. Therefore, even unintentional overlaps can lead to speculation about underlying motives.mIt highlights the importance of strategic timing in announcements, especially when past affiliations might invite added scrutiny.”

William’s speech came shortly after Meghan’s launch (
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Renae also slammed Meghan for turning to social media so soon after discussing the “cruel” online abuse she was subjected to while pregnant a “paradox” and a “strategic approach to media management”. Speaking at South by Southwest festival (SXSW) in Texas last weekend Meghan said: “I keep my distance from (social media) right now just for my own wellbeing.

“The bulk of the bullying and abuse that I was experiencing in social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili, and with a newborn. It’s not catty. It’s cruel.” Renae called the return so soon after her declaration “strategic.”

She added that Meghan’s “re-engagement with social media” was an indicator of “public relations grapple with balancing personal principles against professional imperatives.” She also outlined the “indispensable role of social media in brand building and audience engagement today cannot be understated,” reiterating that stands “even for figures who have experienced its darker sides.”

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