If Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were hoping the press would give them an easier time on their return to Britain, the frenzied reporting around her potential new acting role may indicate how they, and their brand, will fare. With most royal commentators flummoxed by the couple's imminent return to Britain six years after they left for the U.S., reports emerged that Meghan was in talks to appear in a Guy Ritchie Netflix crime drama, before a new report said a backlash had prompted the offer to be withdrawn.
While neither side confirmed nor denied any talks, branding experts said it showed what the couple would offer to brands and entertainment groups as they build their life outside the royal family: huge media interest, polarized opinions and drama.
But it also shows the challenges they will face as they seek to promote the charities and brands they work with and attempt to maintain some kind of privacy, in a country where polling shows they have become unpopular, at least among older people.
"You can't buy this kind of publicity for a TV show," entertainment journalist Caroline Frost told Reuters.
Mark Borkowski, a British PR guru, agreed: "Both Harry and Meghan give people visibility. They can generate an audience."
