Megxit. It’s the 21st-century version of abdication, the nickname the British press has given to the Sussexes’ decision to step aside from royal duties to go it alone and pursue financial independence. But whereas the last member of the British royal family to step aside—Edward VIII, who forfeited the crown to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson—was widely criticized for putting the “woman I love” ahead of country, Harry and Meghan seem to have garnered a lot of public sympathy.

And while this move will extricate the couple from the royal family circle, it will not extricate them from the news cycle.

The Relentless News Cycle

When this story broke, EBM did some analysis of several key past projects to review how media cycles are relentless because the press like nothing more than a good story (and they don’t much care where it comes from, whether it crosses the line of privacy, or whether it sits within the bounds of some kind of protocol or official function, as Meghan and Harry already know).

In my book on Media Training and our client work, we focus on “news” as something “new,” unexpected, presenting a different angle or viewpoint; something sensational producing a certain shock and the desire to know more. The “Wow!” factor. Think about how you felt when you read the announcement by Harry and Meghan.

So, really, Harry and Meghan will become even more interesting to the paparazzi BECAUSE of their decision to do something very unexpected. Unprecedented, even. Who doesn’t want to know how a royal couple (be it of London or Hollywood) hopes to avoid the press?

Yes, the withdrawal from royal family life—dropping their official duties as royals to open hospitals, etc. in front of the press, for example—may create a bit of a heat shield between the Sussexes and the UK media, but it won’t do much to keep the rest of the world press at bay. There’s a good bet the press will still be hounding the couple at every turn: hideaway vacation locations, jogging, or going to the office if Harry chooses to take a real job.

No Love Lost

This is not at all to suggest the decision to become un-royal was a publicity stunt of any kind. The media has been the bane of Harry’s existence, it seems, all his life. On the couple’s website, Harry wrote, “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person…I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”

In fact, long before announcing their decision to step down, Meghan and Harry had each taken legal action against a handful of UK tabloids. Last year, the Duchess of Sussex sued The Mail on Sunday for publishing—in what she called “an intentionally destructive manner”—a private letter she had written to her father. For his part, Harry has sued the owner of The Sun and the owner of The Mirror for allegedly hacking his phone.

The articles mentioned above were the product of the “Royal Rota,” an antiquated system conceived some 40-years ago (long before ubiquitous social media was the glimmer of an idea) in which a handful of press representatives are given exclusive access to goings-on of the royal family, which they then share with the rest of the media—the Buckingham Palace equivalent of the White House press pool.

Sometimes this grab for access gets out of hand.

Taking Control?

Instead of running this gauntlet (not to mention coping with Her Majesty’s own stringent rules about what to say to which media, when and why) Harry and Meghan have decided they’ll take charge of their communications, a strategy defined on their website as follows:

“Engaging with grassroots media organisations and young, up-and-coming journalists;
Inviting specialist media to specific events and engagements to give greater access to their cause-driven activities, widening the spectrum of news coverage;
Providing access to credible media outlets focused on objective news reporting to cover key moments and events;
Continuing to share information directly to the wider public via their official communications channels;”

This may physically distance the pair from their least-favorite journalists, but it won’t quell people’s thirst for information about this couple they’re already fascinated by and interested in, and it doesn’t stop the media-at-large from following them on social media and running with the stories posted there. Remember, when Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step down from their royal roles they did so via social media; Buckingham Place replied by issuing a “statement.”

So while this media strategy as they move to private life will allow Meghan and Harry to answer directly any unsubstantiated commentary or fake news that comes along (the Palace strategy has been to remain silent), it won’t necessarily offer the Sussexes the media control they are looking for. And it certainly won’t quell public interest.

Moreover, whoever handles the task of coordinating media for the Sussexes will have a big job on his or her hands. Consider this: Hello! Magazine reported on January 22, 2020 that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have officially hit 11 million followers on Instagram, overtaking the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Kensington Royal account by several thousands….. Their account will soon reach 11.1 million, with 11,032,936 followers currently, while Kensington Royal sits at 11 million.”