As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prepare to take up residency again in the U.K. six years after giving up their royal roles, Markle will be serving up her fashion influence and continue running her brand, As Ever.While millions around the globe are chiming in about what their surprise decision could mean to the modern monarchy, others speculated about how commercial prospects may have played into their decision to relocate with their two children Archie, 7, and Lillibet, 5. Much has happened since Princess Diana and King Charles III’s younger son lost his honorary military and royal patronage appointments in 2021. The prince spelled out his many grievances with his kin in his memoir “Spare,” and the pair sounded off in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry has also openly criticized his home country for not providing his family of four with security. As for how that will be handled in a few weeks upon their return, Prime Minister Andy Burnham described that as “a private matter.”Although III and Queen Camilla were reunited with Harry’s two children earlier this month at the monarch’s private country estate Highgrove House, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were not there. The strained relations between Harry and his brother continue to be scrutinized on social media and in traditional media.David Haigh, founder and chief executive officer of the independent brand evaluation consultancy firm Brand Finance, said, “My take is they clearly haven’t succeeded in America like they thought they would.”Acknowledging how Harry and Markle each have critics and loyalists, Haigh said that Harry is “much more highly regarded in the U.K. than Markle is. And the dynamic will shift much more in his favor.”To that point, the latest YouGov public opinion poll of Harry gives him a 27 percent popularity ranking and Markle an 18 percent rating. But Markle has a track record for boosting designers’ sales by wearing their label. She sported 16 Australian labels during a trip Down Under in April. That resulted in a total of $51.6 million in media impact value over a four-day stretch, according to Launchmetrics.Carolina Herrera, Heidi Merrick, Dior, Valentino, Mackage, Emilia Wickstead, Victoria Beard, Reformation, Jason Wu and Anine Bing are among the many brands that 45-year-old Markle has rotated into her wardrobe. In addition to launching the lifestyle brand As Ever in the spring of last year, the former “Suits” actressand her husband were the executive producers for the documentary “Cookie Queens” about American Girl Scouts’ cookie selling.
Last month, she earned an Emmy nomination for her Netflix lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan.” In September 2020, the husband-and-wife team’s Archewell Productions secured a multiyear deal with Netflix, which was reportedly in the $60 million to $100 million range. With the couple maintaining their homes in Montecito, Calif., andMelides, Portugal, the expectation that they will spend most of their time in the U.K. should help rehabilitate Harry’s reputation through his charitable endeavors, Haigh said. As for how the change of address could impact As Ever’s business, Haigh said that depends on whether Markle picks the right advisers and takes the right advice. “Twenty years ago Charles was really at a nadir and down in the dumps, but they rehabilitated him and Camilla too.”
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Noting how moving abroad and uprooting a young family is “a huge decision,” royal commentator Christine Ross suggested that their professional opportunities must have been a factor. “As Ever has been built with a very California-cool vibe, so recreating that and extending it to her British lifestyle would be tricky,” she said. “As Ever currently doesn’t even ship to the United Kingdom, so building the entire business from across the pond will be a challenge.”While Markle has previously leaned into British designers in her formal role as a U.K.-based royal, Ross expects she will stick to her favorite go-to brands, and be “incorporating local British designs out of convenience in terms of shippings and customs fees rather than diplomacy.”Markle’s style choices could affect consumers’ spending too. “Meghan’s fashion still commands a lot of respect. Many items will sell out when she wears them. I would expect that trend to continue, and hopefully some British brands will see the benefits of theso-called ‘Meghan Effect.’”The couple’s return to the U.K. could have significant commercial implications and new opportunities, especially for Markle, whose public appearances could bring “considerable attention” to the brands she chooses to wear, according to a representative from the fashion-tracking platform NewMyRoyals.Posts about Markle and “consistently generate the highest number of page views and comments” on the fashion-centric site. Content about Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Princess Charlene of Monaco, are the next most popular royals of interest with readers. “Greater visibility could also be valuable for As Ever, although attention alone does not automatically translate into sales,” the spokesperson said, adding that Prince Harry and Markle’s return and sightings of them at public events could boost the NewMyRoyals’ audience.
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