Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Can Never Do a ‘Normal’ Celebrity Interview
EXCLUSIVE: There is a reason why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have previously shunned the traditional publicity machine for their projects
WHEN films and high-profile TV projects are released both in cinemas and on streaming services, Hollywood stars have been known to have flown across the globe to promote them.
Indeed, it is usually customary for a celebrity to speak extensively to the media on red carpets and to a number of outlets with short sit-down interviews, and some even play fun games online. However, the same cannot be said for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when the duo released their high-profile TV projects.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently announced that they intend to move back to the UK for an "extended period," and they have already enrolled their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, into local schools. However, sources exclusively told the Royal Observer that they will not be returning to royal duties, as they intend to carry on with a mix of their commercial activities and philanthropic endeavours.
They previously dropped a number of shows on Netflix, which include Meghan’s Emmy Award-nominated lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan. However, the pair have previously eschewed the traditional publicity tactics in favour of a completely different approach. According to Sam McAlister, this is because the duo faces such daily intense public scrutiny, and any conversation they take part in could bring trouble.
“It's quite a massive risk when you do any media,“ she exclusively told the Royal Observer. “The risk when you take that to the level of their renown, global fame, and the antipathy that they face, it's not just that they would face the risk of that. They would also face the risk of being asked questions about things they don't want to speak about personally, in terms of the relationship, obviously, with the King and the rest of the Royal Family.
“But also, politically, no one is going to ask me what I think about the situation in Gaza. But they could ask them. That's a massive risk. No one is going to ask me what I think about Brexit, but they could ask them. It's a massive risk.”
I think there's a massive risk for them in anything they do, and I understand why that risk would be very difficult to face. - Sam McAlister
The pair previously reunited with The King and The Queen at a private tea last month at His Majesty’s private residence, Highgrove. The former BBC Newsnight producer pointed out that the duo would more than likely be asked about private information related to the Royal Family, something they may not want to answer.
“[There’s] the risk of being asked about the cancer that Princess Catherine was facing, or the relationship with Queen Camilla, or the relationship with William, or the King. I think there's a massive risk for them in anything they do, and I understand why that risk would be very, very difficult to face. So, I feel a modicum of sympathy for making that decision.”
As both the author of the original memoir, Scoops, and as part of the production team of the Netflix film adaptation, McAlister was flown across the globe as an ambassador for the global press tour to promote the Netflix film. “For me, it was just fun,” she told me.
“[However], there's not much fun when you're facing global scrutiny and people who want to ask you difficult questions about excruciatingly difficult things that are going to cause global headlines.” She added: “And I think on the cost-benefit analysis, you can understand why for them that might be a risk that's too big.”
