Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s management style is under scrutiny again. PR experts share 2 steps they should take to change the conversation.

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s leadership style is being scrutinized again.
• PR experts say the couple can change the conversation around them by focusing on service.
• They also said Prince Harry’s recent solo appearances are a strong move for the couple.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are under scrutiny again.

In recent weeks, conflicting reports about Harry and Meghan’s demeanor as bosses have been published by American outlets, reigniting a debate that raged in British tabloids in 2021.

Meghan and Harry have not commented publicly on the reports, which question their leadership skills and the workplace environments they create, but PR experts say the couple can change the narrative by leaning into philanthropic work.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to a request for comment.

Conflicting workplace reports

On September 12, The Hollywood Reporter published a piece about Harry and Meghan’s former chief of staff, Josh Kettler, resigning in August. The piece quoted an anonymous source who said some staffers were “terrified” of Meghan.

Kettler didn’t respond to a request for comment from BI on his resignation. However, he appeared to address THR’s report in a September 24 US Weekly article, describing the couple as “dedicated and hardworking.”

The article featured several other testimonies from former Sussex employees who spoke positively of their time with Meghan and Harry, including their former chief of staff, Catherine St-Laurent, and their previous head of content, Ben Browning.

Their global press secretary, Ashley Hansen, also praised her bosses to US Weekly, recounting the couple’s support when she had to undergo surgery.

The Daily Beast also reported that an unnamed source from Harry and Meghan’s team said THR’s reporting was “fabricated” and “total nonsense.” But the positive reviews and pushback haven’t stopped the negative headlines about Meghan and Harry’s leadership.

The back and forth feels like part two of the debate that went on in the British press in 2021 when The Times of London reported that Meghan bullied two staff members in 2018 during her time as a senior royal ahead of their interview with Oprah Winfrey. The duke and duchess denied the allegations at the time, with a spokesperson for the couple calling the reports a “calculated smear campaign.“

Buckingham Palace announced it was investigating the allegations in March 2021, though the results were never made public. According to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s royal memoir “Finding Freedom,” two staffers retracted the accusations they made against the duchess.

Despite the mixed reviews, experts told BI that the latest comments about Meghan and Harry’s management style indicate a need for a shift in their PR strategy.

A new strategy

Evan Nierman, the CEO and founder of the global PR firm Red Banyan, told BI the recent reports are a sign “the honeymoon period has long since passed” for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding their public support.

Megan Balyk, the vice president of Jive PR + Digital, also noted that because the couple’s business ventures haven’t been particularly successful and they’ve “crossed paths with so many different people,” they’ve made themselves more vulnerable to mixed opinions on their leadership.

Nierman and Balyk said it would be best for Harry and Meghan to focus on philanthropic and service-oriented appearances in the coming months instead of glitzier ventures.

For instance, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Colombia in August to speak at the Responsible Digital Future Summit at Universidad Ean at the invitation of Vice President Francia Márquez.

The trip seemed authentic to Harry and Meghan’s mission of championing international causes, leading to a slew of positive coverage.

Balyk said that Meghan, in particular, has a “superpower” in public service because of her ability to connect with women and girls around the globe.

“I did get a chance to kind of meet Meghan from afar when I was based in Cape Town,” Balyk said. “I just remember being so impressed with how much she was really inspiring the young females.”

“If she was able to tap into that, whether she’s doing public speaking initiatives at different universities around the world and focusing more on the nonprofit side, that’s where she’s able to move the needle and make a lasting impact,” she added.

Solo appearances from the prince can help

Harry has recently made several solo appearances, speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City and joining Jimmy Fallon in his “Tonightmares” haunted house. On Monday, he attended the Wellchild Awards in London.

Nierman said these solo outings are a boon for the couple because some of the recent coverage of them paints Meghan as the dominant force in their relationship.

“I do think part of the narrative that took hold was this idea that Meghan is the one who is in control and that she’s the one that drove him toward the break with his family,” Nierman said.

However, Harry appeared to say as early as 2020 that it was his choice for the couple to step back as senior royals.

Balyk told BI that by attending some engagements alone, Harry could subtly remind the public he is an adult making his own decisions and ensure he and Meghan aren’t “overexposed” as a unit. She added that Harry’s individual appearances have “only been a positive experience.”

“People resonate with some of what he’s really passionate about, whether it’s mental health or what have you, and people have a soft spot in their heart for him,” she said.

Harry and Meghan seem to be thinking as strategically as Nierman and Balyk. On Friday, Sentebale, the charity Prince Harry co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, announced that Harry and Seeiso would meet in Lesotho in October to work on “sustainable solutions for youth and community prosperity in the region.”

He appeared to kick off the trip on Tuesday, with Princess Senate Seeiso sharing on her Instagram story that she hosted Harry for lunch.

Harry’s solo, philanthropic-oriented trip to Africa might be exactly what the Sussexes’ reputation needs.