Royal Expert Says Meghan And Harry Are Competing To Be More Popular Than Kate And William
Prince William and Kate Middleton live in a four-story home at Kensington Palace and spend a great deal of time at their country estate, Anmer Hall (via The Observer). Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live in a $14 million mansion in California, (via The Daily Mail). And Duncan Larcombe, an expert on the royal family who spoke with The Sun, says that the two couples are "in a transatlantic popularity contest."
A big part of this is their online presence, as explained by brand expert Nick Ede. Recently, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge revamped their social media platforms, which Ede states is now "warm and inviting." When describing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's approach, though, Ede says, "[They] have gone for commercial partnerships, which are very brand heavy and personality light."
Ede continues, (via The Daily Mail), "They are more about using the huge platforms of Netflix, Apple+, and Spotify to get their messages across to millions of people but in a far more slick way, that often feel like adverts rather than from the heart."
Expert says Prince Harry and Meghan are playing into "the cult of the celebrity"
The official Instagram account of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has 12.8 million followers, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official Instagram account has 10.2 million followers. As stated by The Daily Mail, Prince William and Kate Middleton changed their username from Kensington Royal and their profile picture to a more candid photo, potentially for its relatability.
Duncan Larcombe, who wrote "Prince Harry: The Inside Story," says, per The Sun, "Harry and Meghan have shown that modern royalty will only survive if it is absolutely at the cutting edge of social media, and their profiles play into the narrative of the cult of the celebrity. Which is a complete change from the era of Prince Philip. It was never about the royals, it was about the causes, never complain, never explain, ignore questions about you, and make it about your causes. Clearly William and Kate are quite clear they need to do more to sell themselves as a couple, family, and personalities."