Prince Harry’s NYC trip without Meghan Markle can help him boost reputation after royal drama: experts

Prince Harry has gotten praise for embarking on a series of engagements as a solo agent.

The Duke of Sussex is in New York City to support several of his charities. The 40-year-old will then fly to London where he’ll attend the WellChild Awards on Sept. 30.

The father of two was last in Manhattan in October 2023. At the time, he was with wife Meghan Markle to support World Mental Health Day.

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Doug Eldridge, an agent, celeb branding and marketing expert as well as the founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital that the solo trip is a smart move for the British prince. He pointed out that since the couple made their royal exit in 2020, together they’ve been plagued with problems.

“This is akin to splitting aces at the poker table: together you’d think they’re unbeatable — and normally they would be — but oftentimes it’s better to play two separate hands with an ace as an anchor,” Eldridge explained.

“Right now, when you see Harry and Meghan together, it conjures an immediate association to the drama, none of which is positive: leaving the royal family, the tell-all book, the sit-downs, the negativity. By contrast, when seen separately, they can almost play their hand, just like the pair of aces you split at the table.”

“Right now, when you see Harry and Meghan together, it conjures an immediate association to the drama, none of which is positive: leaving the royal family, the tell-all book, the sit-downs, the negativity.”

— Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, speak during the Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age on October 10, 2023, in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds)

“For the time being, Harry can be seen like the charming guy he was always thought of, while Megan is free to brand her forthcoming line of goods,” he shared. “For her, the royal tag is no longer applicable and the affiliation with Harry hasn’t been selling — at least not to the consumer numbers that she would need to be a viable brand.”

“In the long run, I don’t know if this will be beneficial for their partnership, but in the short term, it could be productive for their public relations battles,” Eldridge added.

Before the New York City trip, Harry took to the stage on Friday at the star-studded One805LIVE! concert, hosted by Kevin Costner, in Carpinteria, California. The event helps raise funds for Santa Barbara County First Responders. According to multiple reports, Meghan was too sick to attend.

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, presents an award to Santa Barbara County Air Support Pilot Loren Courtney during the One805Live Fall Concert on September 20, 2024, in Carpinteria, California. (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Harry has had a strained relationship with his family and has seen his father infrequently since he and his wife quit royal duties in 2020. At the time, the couple said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press were what prompted them to step back as senior royals.

The royal has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir, “Spare.”

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In the book, Harry singled out his stepmother, Queen Camilla, for leaking private conversations to the media to burnish her own reputation. He also detailed his sibling rivalry with Prince William, heir to the British throne, claiming that his brother physically attacked him during a fight.

The British royal family is still feeling the effects of Prince Harry’s explosive memoir, “Spare.” (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Most recently, those close to the prince spoke to People magazine, claiming that his father, King Charles III, has left his son’s phone calls and letters unanswered. An unnamed source recently spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s staff, labeling Meghan a “dictator in high heels” who has reduced “grown men to tears.”

A request for comment was sent to a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It is understood that Josh Kettler, the couple’s former chief of staff who left the position after three months in August, was hired on a trial basis. The decision to part ways was described as “mutual,” with both sides agreeing it wasn’t the right fit.

Several former and current staff members have since come forward to Us Weekly, defending the couple and their work ethic.

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Several former staff members have recently defended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. (Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)

British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the Sussexes need all the positive publicity they can get.

“Thus far, his NYC trip has been a success for Harry because he has stuck to what he is good at, being empathetic for a worthy cause, just like his mother was,” Fordwich explained. “Refraining from criticizing his own family and whining constantly about his very privileged life is far more endearing. Indeed, it could be a first step on the path back to being relevant.”

“Harry’s London appearance marks another significant event without Meghan Markle by his side,” said Fordwich. “Actually, it’s been more than the other way around as he has been dubbed the ‘plus one.’”

“Even worse than a ‘spare,’ he has been relegated to more of a foil for Meghan Markle’s appearances,” she claimed.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Queen Mathilde of Belgium are pictured during a dinner in New York City on September 22, 2024. (BENOIT DOPPAGNE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, told Fox News Digital it’s too soon to tell if the Sussexes working separately is a good strategy to help boost their reputation.

“I guess he’s doing fine? He hasn’t accused photographers of engaging in a near-catastrophic car chase yet,” said Schofield. “I think he’s kept things safe. Meghan’s presence can sometimes heighten his anxiety associated with security. He’s absent from that feeling this trip.”

Schofield claimed that the road to winning the public over after nonstop scandals will be a long one.

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Meghan Markle has been keeping busy working on her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

“Last summer, Rolling Stone ran the story, ‘Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are in Their Flop Era,’” she explained. “The Sussexes have accomplished nothing significant since. Are they still technically in their flop era?”

“I am not going to applaud Prince Harry for successfully networking… I have higher expectations than that,” she said. “But if we continue to see Prince Harry work away from Meghan after the new year, I think it’s fair to debate what a professional divorce means for the couple personally.”

“Last year there were reports that Meghan was upset with their professional failures,” claimed Schofield. “… Are the weeks that Harry travels to work without Meghan a result of that?”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attends the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on September 24, 2024, in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images)

But Harry’s family has been on his mind during the whirlwind trip.

On Sept. 23, Harry FaceTimed his wife and their two young children before hitting the stage at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit, People magazine reported.

According to the outlet, Harry panned the camera around the room, giving his children a mini-virtual tour of the event space.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in California with their two children. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, a recipient of the Diana Legacy Award, told the outlet that backstage he was calling the former actress, 43.

“I thought that was just so sweet, and it helped humanize him,” she said.