EXCLUSIVE: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been blighted with issues in recent months.

Harry and Meghan’s future revealed after Sussexes dealt devastating blow (Image: Getty)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have lost another chief publicist. The Sussexes parted ways with US-based Method Communications PR consultants after just seven months. Meredith Maines, who was announced as Chief Communications Officer (CCO) in January last year, stepped down in December. She is believed to be the eleventh publicist to leave the Sussexes since they stepped down as working royals and moved to the US in 2020.

Elsewhere, the former Suits star’s Netflix series, With Love, Meghan is reportedly not returning for a third series. The show failed to break into Netflix’s top 1,000 most-watched programmes. The second season was released in August and was followed up by a Christmas special.

But despite the back-to-back blows, PR expert Olivia Bennett has suggested this is not the end for Brand Sussex. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Digital PR Director at SEO and PR agency Go Up, who deals in crisis management, has maintained the Sussexes need to establish more discipline.

An expert suggested Harry and Meghan need to reinvent themselves (Image: Getty)

“Having gone through eleven PR leads in five years is unusual at any level, and it suggests Harry and Meghan are still searching for clarity in how they want to be seen. Reinvention for them will hinge on coherence,” she explained.

Olivia continued: “At the moment, their public identity sits somewhere between activism, business, lifestyle, celebrity and ex-royalty. Until those threads align, no single communication hire will be able to stabilise their image.

The best reinvention strategy for Harry and Meghan isn’t a dramatic pivot. It’s discipline.”
She added: “They need fewer projects, tighter messaging and a clearer sense of audience. Reinvention is less about becoming something new and more about consistently demonstrating what you are.”

The expert suggested both Harry and Meghan need to dial back and establish their niche market to better serve audiences to continue building their brand outside of the monarchy.

Olivia explained, “There is absolutely a future for Brand Sussex, but the brand needs sharper definition.

At the moment, it evokes fame, philanthropy and royal adjacency, but it doesn’t yet communicate a clear purpose. Successful public brands need to answer two questions: What value do you create? And for whom?”

She concluded: “British public opinion is not fixed. The Sussexes could improve theirs considerably with consistency, humility and meaningful contribution. If they want long-term credibility, they need to demonstrate impact over visibility. Brand Sussex has currency — it just needs more direction.”

It is believed an agency has been found to replace Method Communications to support Harry and Meghan in the US.