Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · July 11, 2025 · Entertainment

Meghan Markle's Tumultuous Journey: Can She Redeem Her Public Image?

Ever since the start of Meghan Markle's romance with Britain's beloved Prince Harry, she has gone through many different stages of life - but her transitions have not always gone down well with the general public

Meghan Markle's Public Image Plummets: Can She Recover with New Lifestyle Ventures?

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has been making headlines for years, but her popularity has taken a hit since she and Prince Harry stepped down from their royal duties in 2020. The couple, who are now living in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, have been trying to rebrand themselves as lifestyle influencers, but is it enough to save Meghan's public image?

From Actress to Royal to Influencer: Meghan's Journey

Meghan, 43, has always touted herself as an independent person, and has embarked on a number of projects both before and after marrying into the royal family

Meghan, 43, has had a tumultuous journey since her romance with Prince Harry began. As an actress on the hit series Suits and a lifestyle blogger behind The Tig, she seemed like the perfect candidate for the royal family. However, after marrying Prince Harry in May 2018, things took a turn. In 2020, the couple decided to step down from their duties as working royals and move to California.

According to Ryan McCormick, co-Founder & Media Relations Specialist at Goldman McCormick PR, Meghan's favorability peaked during her royal wedding, but has been in decline ever since. "Worldwide interest also appeared to have hit its apex when Markle and her husband first burned their bridges to the Royal Family," McCormick told The Scholarly Note exclusively.

The Couple's Netflix Deal: A Lucrative but Polarizing Move

She married Prince Harry, 40, in May 2018, but in 2020, the two decided to formally step down from their duties as working royals and move to Montecito, California

Meghan and Harry's decision to pursue a combined $120 million deal with Spotify and Netflix seemed like a lucrative move, but it also sparked controversy. Their tell-all interview with Oprah in 2021, where Meghan claimed that the royals had concerns about Archie's skin color, was met with backlash from the public.

The couple's documentary series on Netflix, Harry & Meghan, which detailed their love story and true feelings about the royal family, was criticized for being one-sided. Members of the media slammed the couple for making no effort to apologize for their role in the breakdown of Harry's relationship with his family.

Meghan's Podcast Fail: A Misstep in Her Rebranding Efforts

And, while the public opinion about them started to sour after they stepped back from the royal family, their deals only became more lucrative as they pursued a combined $120 million deal with Spotify and Netflix

In 2021, Meghan launched her podcast "Archetypes" on Spotify, but it was canceled after just one season. The podcast featured interviews with power players like Andy Cohen, but failed to take off. The couple and the Spotify team produced only one 13-episode series before parting ways.

The podcast's demise was met with ridicule from Bill Simmons, who called Meghan and Harry "f*ing grifters." The couple's initial statement on the cancellation of the podcast seemed insincere, stating that they had "mutually agreed to part ways" without taking responsibility for its failure.

Meghan Returns to Podcasting: Will it be a Turning Point?

All three of Meghan's As Ever collections have sold out as well - even though the brand has been plagued by a number of mishaps, including overselling stock, like their apricot spread

In 2023, Meghan returned to podcasting with Confessions of a Female Founder, produced by Lemonada Media. However, the show has not been renewed for a second season. It seems like Meghan is trying to rebrand herself as a lifestyle influencer, but her efforts are being met with skepticism.

Meghan's New Lifestyle Brand: A Desperate Attempt to Save Her Image?

In 2023, Meghan launched her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and a hospitality show on Netflix called With Love, Meghan. The show features celebrity guests like comedian Mindy Kaling and has already been renewed for a second season.

However, it's not just the effort that counts here, it's the results. Jones said that Meghan's attempts to reshape her public image will depend entirely on the 'execution'

However, the brand's launch was plagued by overselling stock, including an apricot spread that left customers disappointed. It seems like Meghan is trying to distance herself from her past life as a royal, but her new ventures are being met with mixed reviews.

Experts Weigh In: Can Meghan Save Her Public Image?

According to Stacy Jones, founder and CEO at Hollywood Branded, Meghan's attempts to rebrand herself are "intentional pivots" that aim to position her as a lifestyle influencer. However, Jones believes that the execution of these projects is crucial in determining their success.

Now that she'll be on our screens for what appears to be the foreseeable future with Netflix, it begs the question - are all of these lifestyle ventures enough to save her public image?

"The intent is there, but the follow-through hasn't landed cleanly," Jones explained. "When your brand is under a microscope, even operational hiccups feel like PR disasters."

Katrina Owens, founder of Knockout Marketing Directive Inc, agrees that Meghan's new ventures are a "curated aesthetic" that aims to distract from her past life as a royal. However, Owens believes that these projects are not different enough in brand and concept to simply enable audiences to forget her past.

"The lack of follow-through creates a new reputational issue where audiences see her trying to shift away from her past in a way that feels messy and uncoordinated," Owens said.

The CEO believes that Meghan's show on Netflix is actually the smarter way to go in terms of building back some goodwill with the public

The Clock is Ticking: Will Meghan's New Ventures Save Her Public Image?

As Meghan continues to launch new projects, the question remains: will it be enough to save her public image? According to experts, the clock is ticking, and Meghan needs to invest in long-term strategy that consistently positions her alongside just one or two of her media assets.

Only time will tell if Meghan's new ventures will pay off, but one thing's for sure - there's a lot riding on it.

Owens believes that the projects will allow Meghan to rehabilitate her image eventually, but noted that there's still a lot of work to be done, due to the fact that her projects have all seemed to be 'short-lived'