Here's Why Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's New Projects Are Actually 'Tactical Diversions'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to have lucked out with brands lining up to collaborate with the former royals. Previously, their popularity dips posed financial difficulties, but things now seem to have taken a turn for the good. The Duchess of Sussex announced her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard while the Duke secured a podcast deal, which royal experts claim is a 'clever distraction'. 

Daily Mail's Richard Kay alleged that "not much is going on" in terms of their work life. He emphasized that the couple is always 'in a hurry' to make announcements to appear 'busy' when that's not the case but rather a facade. "All these plans are in the pipeline and then nothing happens," said Kay referring to Markle's podcast comeback following her signing up to Lemonada Media in February 2024, which isn't likely to happen until next year.

Markle produced her last podcast Archetypes under her own brand Archewell Audio Productions which debuted on Spotify on August 23, 2022. In the series, Markle chatted with people from different spheres of life- artists, athletes, and experts, about the history of stereotypes that get leveled against women. Subsequently, she teamed up with Lemonda to develop a new series. Kay asserted that Markle is focused and 'proud' of her 'lifestyle Riviera stuff that she's...curating' and added that the announcement of 'project' plans is "sort of a way of taking a breath and pausing, trying to decide what to do next." His colleague Richard Eden however remarked that is a "very strange way of operating." 

Eden added, "I mean, take Netflix, they will announce a new film for something when it's gone into production or it's about to be broadcast. It's very strange to announce deals and then have nothing. Announcing a deal like this and then not having any content, any podcasts for a year. You do wonder, is she just doing it for the publicity?"

Recently, Markle gifted jars of jam to a select group of 50 individuals, among them renowned famous Hollywood celebs and influencers, such as 'momager' Kris Jenner, as a part of promotional efforts for her brand American Riviera Orchard. She has also partnered with Netflix for a lifestyle series and her husband Harry is working on a polo-focused program with the streaming giant.

The 42-year-old ecstatically announced her collaboration with Lemonada earlier this year after her $20 million deal with Spotify was axed last summer. Although it's a relatively smaller audio streaming company, it will push Markle's Archetypes podcast on all audio platforms. "I'm proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting," Markle stated in February. She added, "Being able to support a female-founded company with a roster of thought-provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024," as per Variety.