Royal Expert Claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘playing to their skills’ to reinvent their image

Royal Family
Joe Anderson
February 13, 2025
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8 minutes read

Credit: Getty Images

A royal expert has weighed in on why Meghan Markle left Prince Harry after a brief four-day appearance at the Invictus Games in Canada, suggesting her presence shifted attention away from the athletes. Royal writer Hugo Vickers told The Sun that the Duchess of Sussex’s involvement turned the focus toward her rather than the participants, leading to speculation that she stepped back to let the event shine.

“In my view, he does that better than when she is around, because when we saw earlier in the week, she sort of took the whole thing over, it became the Meghan Markle show,” Vickers remarked. According to the expert, Harry performs better when working alone, as it allows him to engage fully with the competitors and showcase his passion for the cause.

Vickers believes the Sussexes are now “playing to their skills” in an effort to redefine their image. He suggested that Harry is leaning toward more traditional, royal-style engagements, while Meghan thrives in the Hollywood spotlight. “I think that was a pity because the Invictus Games is a fantastic achievement, and it’s a wonderful thing for the participants, and it should really be focused on them,” Vickers added.

Harry and Meghan — Chris Jackson/WPA Images/Getty Images

He praised Harry’s ability to connect with people, particularly children, highlighting his strengths in royal-style duties. “He’s very good with children. He’s very good at what you might call sort of royal duties. He really engages with them, and he looks very happy when he’s doing it,” the author noted.

By contrast, Vickers characterized Meghan’s presence at the start of the Games as more in line with her Hollywood background. “She is much more, red carpet, the Hollywood-type appearances. That’s what we saw a little bit of at the beginning of the week, which I thought was rather unattractive,” he said.

Markle’s brief yet high-profile appearance at the Games drew significant media attention, leading to debates over whether she unintentionally overshadowed the event. Her early departure, some experts speculate, was a strategic decision to allow the Games to remain centered on the athletes.

As the Sussexes continue to navigate their post-royal lives, their evolving public roles indicate a growing divide between Harry’s focus on charitable and royal-style work and Meghan’s preference for celebrity-driven engagements.