Meghan Markle left the royal family alongside her husband, Prince Harry, back in 2020 after the two were dissatisfied with their treatment from both the press and the royal family. Ever since, they have been working to boost their popularity both within the United States and around the world.

However, Meghan has struggled to grow her popularity, though she’s working hard to prove herself as an activist and business owner. Now, one expert claims Meghan has to do one thing in order to build her reputation back up.

Meghan Markle popularity | Robin L Marshall/FilmMagic

Meghan Markle might need to take some time away from the spotlight

Harry and Meghan made waves when they left the royal family, and the two have been working to separate themselves from the royals over the last couple of years. But with Meghan’s lifestyle brand launching soon and her likeability still struggling, one expert says that stepping away from the spotlight for a while might be exactly what the Duchess of Sussex needs.

“Harry and Meghan’s value, both commercially and as public figures, has deflated such that things can best be described in 2024 as flaccid,” a royal commentator wrote of Harry and Meghan earlier this year, per Express. “Contrast all of this with Kate. The woman [Kate] has not been seen, heard from, or done a single thing in months except continuing to exist and her stock has never been higher.”

The idea is that if Meghan chose to lay low for a bit, it might make her more popular because people would start to wonder about her and ask where she’s been. Meghan has kept herself out of the spotlight a little more in 2024 than in past years, and it seems to have worked slightly; she’s focused more on her business and philanthropic work and less on the royals, which has given the critics less to say about her.

Meghan Markle is launching a new lifestyle brand

The Duchess of Sussex caused a stir earlier this year when she launched her new lifestyle brand’s Instagram account. American Riviera Orchard, Meghan’s new venture, also received some steam when she sent jams and jellies to a number of high-profile celebrities to promote. However, the brand has gone dark since then.

Meghan continues to work on the brand behind the scenes, and she also reportedly has a cooking show coming to Netflix. It’s possible that if she dives into the lifestyle space, it will give her the boost she needs in terms of building her reputation. Meanwhile, Harry continues to work on his charitable ventures, and the two recently made a joint charitable video appearance released by the Archewell Foundation in November 2024.