Meghan Markle owes success of Smart Works charity fashion launch to sister-in-law Kate Middleton
BEAMING in a smart white shirt and black trousers, Meghan’s slickly managed return to work was a welcome contrast to the PR disasters that have lately been dogging her and Prince Harry.
And many think she has sister-in-law Kate to thank — as she looks to bury their differences and learn from the woman best placed to help her.
The Duchess, who was promoting her Smart Works charity fashion range at John Lewis’s flagship store in central London, was like the Meghan of old as she gave a ten-minute unscripted speech about girl power that went down a storm with fans gathered outside.
One well-placed source revealed: “Meghan accepts that she had lost her way and lost her mojo. She knows she needs to take radical action to get the public back on board and allow people to fall for her again just like they did when she started dating Harry.
“Kate is a huge inspiration, as she has provided a princess masterclass since she married William, and Meghan realises she has a lot to learn from her.
“Kate has been constantly graceful and elegant — flawless, actually — and has an intuition for how ordinary British people think and feel about things, which Meghan has struggled to grasp.
“Meghan knows her reputation has taken a battering and she has made big mistakes, but she is convinced she can turn it round.
“From now on we will see a very different Duchess of Sussex — one that is much more humble and considerate. One that is more like Kate, basically.”
Meghan was once seen as the next People’s Princess after Diana, whose earrings she wore at the John Lewis event on Thursday.
A TV actress with a stellar band of A-list friends, the 38-year-old was a breath of fresh air for the stuffy royals when she met Harry, who turns 35 today, three years ago.
The public were immediately taken by her megawatt smile, easy-going charm and glamorous wardrobe.
She could not put a foot wrong as her spontaneous nature saw her warmly embrace fans and break protocol, such as opening her own car door.
Not even divorce from film producer Trevor Engelson nor a fallout with her family in the States took the shine off.
But cracks started to appear before her wedding last year.
If Kate and Meghan can join forces they can still be a dynamic duo who bring glamour to the Royal Family, but also a much-needed humanitarian dimension
Royal biographer Andrew Morton
There were rumours Meghan was barking orders, losing her temper with staff and acting so out of hand she made Kate cry and had to be spoken to by the Queen.
Aides left in droves and insiders gossiped of a bitter falling out between Wills and Harry, apparently sparked by Meghan.
The newlyweds upped sticks and moved from Kensington Palace, where they had been neighbours with Wills and Kate.
And the couples’ formally separated their staff and charity foundation, ending a partnership dubbed the Fab Four.
Meghan and Harry seemed to make matters worse by lavishing £2.4million on refurbishing their new home, Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle, insisting baby Archie had a behind-closed-doors christening and restricting photos of him.
Taking four private jets in 11 days while lecturing the public about climate change did not go down well, either.
And when the couple stated they would have a maximum of two children as more would damage the environment, some saw it as a swipe at Wills and Kate, both 37, who have three.
As Meghan and Harry’s reputation crumbled, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s continued to soar.
Their budget flights and humble appearances with children George, six, Charlotte, four, and one-year-old Louis provided a stark contrast. On Tuesday, Kate’s common touch was in evidence again as she wore a pair of £1.50 Accessorize earrings to open a play garden in Surrey.
Two days later Meghan showed she is learning when she spoke at her well-received charity launch in London.
She told the audience: “As women it is 100 per cent our responsibility to support and uplift each other. To champion each other as we aim to succeed. To not set each other up for failure but instead really be there, rallying around each other and saying, ‘I want to help you’.”
Insiders joke she could have been talking about Kate — and experts agree the Fab Four needs to reunite sooner rather than later.
A united front by Meghan and Kate and William and Harry is the key to the future success of the monarchy
Duncan Larcombe, author
Royal biographer Andrew Morton, author of Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, said: “If Kate and Meghan can join forces they can still be a dynamic duo who bring glamour to the Royal Family, but also a much-needed humanitarian dimension.
“They are stronger together and could do turbo-charged work to help those less fortunate if they co-ordinate.”
Duncan Larcombe, author of Prince Harry: The Inside Story, feels the worst of the Kate and Meghan split might be over and they could now spur each other on in a positive way.
He told The Sun on Sunday: “Harry and Meghan have made mistakes and were rightly attacked for them, but it’s time to stop the nonsense and hopefully they have learnt a lesson.
“A united front by Meghan and Kate and William and Harry is the key to the future success of the monarchy.
“Now her maternity leave is over, Meghan can slowly slip into full-time royal duties, and Kate can help her.
“One of the biggest problems of the royals at the moment is the separate courts of the Queen, Charles and now William and Harry, and there is no joined-up thinking.”
Duncan believes the forthcoming tours for the couples will be crucial. He said: “Harry and Meghan are going to Africa and William and Kate to Pakistan.
“If Harry and Meghan’s trip is a success it will give them a massive boost, but if anything goes wrong they will be compared to William and Kate.
“If I were advising them I would use Archie as a trump card and make sure they are photographed with him at least once, which people would love.
“If both trips go well, the Fab Four will be back on track, albeit it in a different format.”
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