Prince Harry’s PR team are stage managing his public appearances to avoid ‘gotcha’ moments amid Sussexes’s dwindling popularity, royal experts say as Duke dodges livestreams and carefully choreographs his attendance at events charging up to £1,200-a-ticket
Prince Harry is carefully stage-managing public appearances as he aims to control the narrative around him by avoiding ‘gotcha’ moments, royal experts claimed today.
The Duke of Sussex is thought to be working with his PR advisers at Archewell to do all he can to manage photographs and videos from his public appearances – with any output being edited by Archewell or event organisers before being released.
This week, Harry was not on the free livestream of a BetterUp event in San Francisco – meaning an in-person ticket costing more than £1,200 was the only way to see him.
And Netflix revealed last night that the couple will be executive producers on two new shows – which commentators said was also a nod to them staying in control.
The series will focus on lifestyle and polo, with Netflix hoping the couple’s ongoing £80million deal will attract more viewers to the £17.99-a-month streaming service.
On Wednesday, Harry appeared at a San Francisco summit held by ‘life coaching’ firm BetterUp. It was livestreamed via the website for free, but Harry did not appear in any videos – and in-person tickets sold out despite being $1,595 (£1,272) each.
Harry had previously been advertised as a speaker for the Uplift conference, but not the specific event – and so the only way of seeing him was to be present at the event.
Following the discussion in which Harry participated, a glowing press release with four photos was posted on his new website Sussex.com, describing the ‘insightful’ conversation about ‘the pressures of today’s world and modern corporate life’.
In another carefully-managed appearance on March 14, Harry addressed a group of Diana Legacy Award winners in a room in London via a live video from California.
Prince Harry with Kelly Jones, Cisco ‘chief people officer’, and Dr Adam Grant, BetterUp’s chairman of the ‘Center for Purpose and Performance’, in San Francisco on Wednesday
Prince Harry posed with The Office actress Mindy Kaling during his appearance at the ‘Beyond Burnout: Transforming C-Level Stress Into Strength’ session in San Francisco on Wednesday
This was done after the ceremony at the Science Museum had finished – and after William had appeared in person, with the estranged brothers avoiding each other.
On the same day, the Duchess launched her new business venture American Riviera Orchard with an Instagram teaser. A vintage-style video of her cooking and arranging white hydrangeas and roses was posted to the brand’s new account.
It comes as the Sussexes continue to focus on monetising content after their £15million Spotify deal was axed last June after just one series of Meghan Markle’s podcast Archetypes.
Experts today told how the Sussexes are doing whatever can to manage photos and videos from public appearances to avoid negative PR.
Former BBC TV royal correspondent Michael Cole analysed the Duke’s situation, telling MailOnline that it is ‘clear that Prince Harry is now being ‘produced’.’
He said: ‘The majority of his ‘public appearances’ are not public appearances at all but carefully choreographed video recordings played into events where his name on the invitation has been the main attraction.
‘There may be more than one reason the Prince is distancing himself from ‘live’ events but one is certainly an anxiety on his and his wife’s part that he could be confronted by people he does not wish to see and questions he would rather not address. And would not know how to handle either.
‘In Britain, the popularity of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has dwindled rapidly since they chose to go into self-imposed exile, in Canada initially, then California.
‘But even in America, where they were at first very popular, their approval ratings have been dropping as rapidly as the thermometer in mid-winter.’
He also pointed out the ‘very real possibility of a media ‘gotcha’ – someone with a microphone asking a provocative question or throwing an insult in order to get a reaction from the Prince that would garner millions of social media hits worldwide.’
Mr Cole continued: ‘It is obvious that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are well aware of the disapproval, hostility and contempt they have incurred among many people by their words and actions since they left Britain and they clearly do not wish take any risks of a confrontation they cannot control – let alone stop.
‘It is all down to ‘control’. With her Hollywood background, Meghan Markle is determined to ‘curate’ the way in which the world sees her and her husband. ‘Live’ events cannot be completely controlled.
March 14 – In another carefully-managed appearance, Harry addressed a group of Diana Legacy Award winners in a room at London’s Science Musum via a live video from California
‘But if you record things, then the message and the image both come out in the way you would wish the world to hear and see.
ANALYSIS BY MICHAEL COLE: Prince Harry is playing a game that can only have one winner… and it won’t be him
It’s clear that Prince Harry is now being ‘produced’. The majority of his ‘public appearances’ are not public appearances at all but carefully choreographed video recordings played into events where his name on the invitation has been the main attraction.
There may be more than one reason the Prince is distancing himself from ‘live’ events but one is certainly an anxiety on his and his wife’s part that he could be confronted by people he does not wish to see and questions he would rather not address. And would not know how to handle either.
In Britain, the popularity of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has dwindled rapidly since they chose to go into self-imposed exile, in Canada initially, then California. But even in America, where they were at first very popular, their approval ratings have been dropping as rapidly as the thermometer in mid-winter.
And then there is the very real possibility of a media ‘Gotcha’ — someone with a microphone asking a provocative question or throwing an insult in order to get a reaction from the Prince that would garner millions of social media hits worldwide.
It is obvious that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are well aware of the disapproval, hostility and contempt they have incurred among many people by their words and actions since they left Britain and they clearly do not wish take any risks of a confrontation they cannot control – let alone stop.
It is all down to ‘control’. With her Hollywood background, Meghan Markle is determined to ‘curate’ the way in which the world sees her and her husband. ‘Live’ events cannot be completely controlled. But if you record things, then the message and the image both come out in the way you would wish the world to hear and see.
That is what we are seeing here. Uber control at work, with Meghan pulling the Prince’s strings, advising him what to do and how to do it, leaving nothing to chance, even if that means failing to show up at a live event.
But Prince Harry is playing a game that can only have one winner – and it won’t be him. He’s trading on his royal status for money and then failing to deliver. This will not only diminish his personal reputation, it will be disappointing people who have paid good money to see or hear him.
And that is a very bad idea.
You cannot play fast and loose with people’s expectations. Very soon he will find that the law of diminishing returns kicks in — there will be fewer gigs and less profitable pay-days. In short, people will quickly become bored with a hit-or-miss royal who shows up when he wishes — but then sometimes doesn’t show at all.
It has always been The Big No-No at Buckingham Palace: No Member of the Royal Family Should Exploit their Special Status for Commercial Purposes or Allow Others to Do So.
When it happens, it always ends in tears. The Duchess of Edinburgh had to give up her PR business in contentious circumstances when a newspaper sting revealed she was trading on her marriage to the late Queen’s third son, Prince Edward. Peter Phillip, the late Queen’s first grandchild, was severely criticised for advertising milk on Chinese television. Prince Michael of Kent created disquiet by allowing his name to appear on the letter heads of companies which were then revealed to be dubious in one way or another.
Prince Harry’s USP — his Unique Selling Point — is that he is the younger son of King Charles III and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and as such he is fifth in line to the British throne. Essentially, that is all he has to sell. He has become a good public speaker but he would not be getting those speaking gigs but for his royal status.
If it becomes clear to people that he is a ‘Royal for Hire’, he will rapidly lose his lustre. It is often said that familiarity breeds contempt. If he is not very careful about the things he chooses to do, and who he works with, he runs the risk of being associated with people and projects that prove to be unworthy in one way or another.
None of this would be happening if he were still a working member of the Royal Family. He would have no need to earn his living on a daily basis and what he did and how he did it would have been decided in the general interests of the monarchy, the country and the British people. Now, he has a wife and family to support and a very expensive lifestyle.
Security alone is burning through a lot of money; three shifts a day of burly men to protect the hilltop Camelot of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Montecito, north of Los Angeles, is extremely expensive, 365 days a year.
But it would be a grave mistake for the Prince to spread himself too thin, signing up to promote or participate in projects that are not worthy of a Prince of the Royal Blood.
If he then doesn’t turn up – or fails to come through on his side of the deal, as it would be seen in Hollywood — he will find that the offers will cease to come and his income stream will rapidly dry up. And that would create real problems, not just for himself but for the highly ambitious Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, who has big plans of her own.
‘That is what we are seeing here. Uber control at work, with Meghan pulling the Prince’s strings, advising him what to do and how to do it, leaving nothing to chance, even if that means failing to show up at a live event. ‘
He also said that the Duke is ‘playing a game that can only have one winner – and it won’t be him’.
Mr Cole continued: ‘He’s trading on his royal status for money and then failing to deliver. This will not only diminish his personal reputation, it will be disappointing people who have paid good money to see or hear him. And that is a very bad idea.
‘You cannot play fast and loose with people’s expectations. Very soon he will find that the law of diminishing returns kicks in – there will be fewer gigs and less profitable pay-days.
‘In short, people will quickly become bored with a hit-or-miss royal who shows up when he wishes – but then sometimes doesn’t show at all.’
He said it had always been a ‘big no-no at Buckingham Palace’ that any member of the Royal Family should exploit their status for commercial gain or allow others to do so.
Mr Cole continued: ‘When it happens, it always ends in tears. The Duchess of Edinburgh had to give up her PR business in contentious circumstances when a newspaper sting revealed she was trading on her marriage to the late Queen’s third son, Prince Edward.
‘Peter Phillips, the late Queen’s first grandchild, was severely criticised for advertising milk on Chinese television.’
He added: ‘Prince Harry’s unique selling point is that he is the younger son of King Charles III and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and as such he is fifth in line to the British throne.
‘Essentially, that is all he has to sell. He has become a good public speaker but he would not be getting those speaking gigs but for his royal status. If it becomes clear to people that he is a ‘Royal for Hire’, he will rapidly lose his lustre.’
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams also spoke about the situation facing the Duke.
He told MailOnline of Harry: ‘His behaviour recently has certainly been unusual. The sad rift with his brother was deliberately highlighted at the Diana Legacy Awards and received huge worldwide coverage.
‘He appeared via video link from California, but only after the ceremony attended by William in Britain had finished.
‘An event for BetterUp in San Francisco, where he appeared personally, was carefully stage managed, though it was livestreamed online for free, Harry appeared in no videos and only those who paid $1,595 for a ticket would have actually seen him.’
He added that the Sussexes appear to have ‘total control’ over their new Netflix shows – with Meghan’s ‘obviously linked’ to America Riveira Orchard
Mr Fitzwilliams continued: ‘Harry, a keen polo player like many male royals, reportedly has a project about the game, though it is an elite sport and interest in it may be limited. However these indicate that their lucrative Netflix contract appears safe, at least for now.’
He added: ‘The indications are that Harry, famous in past years for his personal amiability and charm, is becoming more controlling and less available, whilst remaining obsessive on issues linked to security.’
Mr Fitzwilliams also asked: ‘Whoever advises the Sussexes, particularly Harry? This is a pertinent question as he seemed wayward when promoting his memoir Spare early last year.
‘The revelations about losing his virginity, penile frostbite and taking drugs, which he expanded on in the interviews he gave to promote the book, made him a laughing stock.’
He said that while Spare was a bestseller, there ‘have clearly been extremely serious lessons to be learnt from some of his revelations in it’.
On Wednesday at the summit hosted by life coaching firm BetterUp – for which Harry works as ‘chief impact officer’ – the Duke also met with The Office actress Mindy Kaling.
He had been listed as a speaker in advance of the summit taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, but his attendance at a specific event was not listed – and he did not appear in a livestream.
Fans only found out about Harry’s session after a post on Wednesday night by his website Sussex.com.
The Duke spoke during a ‘Beyond Burnout’ session, where he was joined by Dr Adam Grant, BetterUp’s chairman of the ‘Center for Purpose and Performance’, and Kelly Jones, ‘chief people officer’ at technology firm Cisco.
No video footage has been released of what Sussex.com referred to as his ‘insightful’ chat with Dr Grant and Ms Jones.
But a post on its website said: ‘The trio dove into the psychological toll of leading through uncertainty, sharing personal anecdotes, evidence-based practices, and forward-thinking policies aimed at helping leaders thrive amidst the pressures of today’s world and modern corporate life.’
Fans have since revealed their disappointment at Harry not appearing on the livestream.
One tweeted yesterday: ‘Why did they not livestream Harry yesterday? This does not look good on BetterUp.
‘I signed up and I am sure a lot of people also did to watch Harry. I think they used Harry as bait to get people to sign up watch the other speakers and never told people he would not be shown.’
Last week, other fans had discussed his appearance in advance and pointed out that the schedule was unclear.
One tweeted last week: ‘The Uplift conference by BetterUp starts in seven days. We’ll probably only see Prince Harry on the last day though. Who knows?’
Another added: ‘BetterUp with Prince Harry. In person sold out but attend virtually is still available. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy a rare appearance of our fav prince.’
Febraury 28 — ITV issued a video of Prince Harry in his garden in Los Angeles, when he made a surprise appearance on screen at the Sport Gives Back Awards at Cadogan Hall in London
February 28 – A video image issued by WellChild of the Duke of Sussex during a video message released in which he encouraged people to put forward nominations for the 2024 awards
MailOnline has contacted BetterUp and Harry and Meghan’s organisation Archewell for comment on why his appearance was not advertised in advance or livestreamed.
ANALYSIS BY RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS: Harry is now more controlling and less available
Whoever advises the Sussexes, particularly Harry? This is a pertinent question as he seemed wayward when promoting his memoir Spare early last year.
The revelations about losing his virginity, penile frostbite and taking drugs, which he expanded on in the interviews he gave to promote the book, made him a laughing stock.
The issue of whether he had admitted taking drugs on his application visa when he moved to California is currently before a court.
His attack on Queen Camilla reportedly led to their eviction from Frogmore Cottage, their base in Britain, by King Charles.
He revealed the number of Taliban that he personally killed when on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, which increased his security risk in an area where he has become obsessive.
His behaviour recently has certainly been unusual. The sad rift with his brother was deliberately highlighted at the Diana Legacy Awards and received huge worldwide coverage. He appeared via video link from California, but only after the ceremony attended by William in Britain had finished.
An event for BetterUp in San Francisco, where Harry is “Chief Impact Officer” and where he appeared personally, was carefully stage managed, though it was livestreamed online for free, Harry appeared in no videos and only those who paid $1,595 for a ticket would have actually seen him.
The Sussexes have reportedly total control over the new Netflix shows just announced, Meghan’s is obviously linked to America Riveira Orchard, her new lifestyle brand.
Harry, a keen polo player like many male royals, reportedly has a project about the game, though it is an elite sport and interest in it may be limited.
However these indicate that their lucrative Netflix contract appears safe, at least for now.
The indications are that Harry, famous in past years for his personal amiability and charm, is becoming more controlling and less available, whilst remaining obsessive on issues linked to security.
His memoir was a best seller, but there have clearly been extremely serious lessons to be learnt from some of his revelations in it.
The Sussexes have attended various events either together or separately so far this year, with one on March 21 seeing them speak at the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Their presence was initially revealed on Instagram by other attendees, before Sussex.com later published a new story which said they ‘joined guests on a private tour of the exhibit, which was followed by a moderated conversation’.
Earlier that month on March 8, Meghan spoke at an event at the annual SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, in an appearance which was photographed and filmed by news agencies.
She told an audience that people had lost their sense of humanity on social media, as she recalled the ‘cruel’ comments aimed at her while she was pregnant with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
One week earlier on February 28, Harry made a surprise appearance at the Sport Gives Back Awards at Cadogan Hall in London, appearing in a video which was later released by ITV.
That same day a pre-recorded video message was released by the WellChild Awards, in which he hailed the ‘extraordinary strength and spirit’ of young people with complex medical conditions and called for nominations.
But earlier in the month on February 15, ABC’s Good Morning America broadcasted a pre-recorded interview with Harry in Whistler, Canada, focusing on the Invictus Games.
He suggested the King’s cancer could lead to a reconciliation with his family, also saying I ‘love my family’ and that he was ‘grateful’ to be able to spend time with his father last week.
Harry had visited Charles for a private meeting at Clarence House in London one week earlier, flying in on February 6 then returning to California just over 24 hours later.
On his return to America he made a surprise appearance on stage at the NFL Honors awards at the Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas on February 9, with agency photographers present to capture the moment.
And that came after he made an in-person appearance on January 19 at the Living Legends of Aviation awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with a video of a speech he gave released by the organisers.
Last night, Netflix announced the couple will be the executive producers of two new non-fiction series focusing on lifestyle and polo.
Netflix revealed one of the shows will explore ‘the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship’, while the other will give ‘unprecedented access to the world of professional polo’ and the US Open Polo Championship in Florida.
The Duke and Duchess’s Archewell Productions company will make the shows, with Meghan to produce both series and Harry to work on the polo series.
Both are in the early stages of production with titles and release dates to be announced in the coming months.
‘Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level,’ Netflix said of the polo series.
February 8 – Prince Harry makes a surprise appearance at the NFL Honours in Las Vegas
The Sussexes have previously released three documentaries with Netflix as part of a multimillion-pound deal with the streaming giant.
Heart Of Invictus, which aired last August, followed a group of service members on their road to the Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style sporting competition set up by Harry in 2014 for injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
Netflix also released the documentary series Live To Lead and the controversial six-part Harry & Meghan documentary in December 2022.
In the latter, the Duke and Duchess shed light on their troubled life within the royal family, accusing Kensington Palace of lying to protect William, and Charles of lying at the Megxit summit.
The Duke and Duchess signed a five-year agreement with the California-based streaming giant in 2020 worth an estimated $100million (£80million) but in recent months there has been speculation that their contract renewal was under threat.
It came after their £15million Spotify contract ended last year and Meghan’s doomed animation Pearl was dropped by the television streaming giant last May.
January 19 – Prince Harry at the Living Legends of Aviation ceremony at the Beverly Hilton
The new Netflix launch comes a month after the CEO of Netflix denied speculation that the Sussexes’ would be dropped – claiming that Britons ‘devour’ any content about the pair.
He told US business magazine Forbes that the couple are ‘great at getting attention’.
‘The documentary we did on them [Harry and Meghan] is still one of our most watched documentaries of all time on and huge, particularly in the UK, where people just devour everything about them,’ he said.
‘They are controversial but that’s usually a good thing.’ He added: You may love them or hate them, but you’re watching.
‘And I do think that they are also going to be very strong storytellers, with great exposure to media in terms of what people want to talk about, what they think about, and they’re great at getting attention.’
Archewell Productions, formed by the couple in 2020, is ‘dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community’, according to the company’s website.
Since they stepped away from their official royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US, the Duke and Duchess have been cut off from the royal purse, forcing them to develop their own sources of income.
The couple, who married at Windsor Castle in May 2018, are now estranged from the royal family, and aired repeated complaints that Meghan was mistreated during their time as working royals.
