Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kept public attention on humanitarian and business work with their upcoming Australian tour and recent trip to Jordan, a PR expert has noted.
PR expert Lynn Carratt described their silence on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a deliberate choice after the Duke of Sussex declined to engage when the issue was raised during the couple’s trip to Jordan.
Harry and Meghan travelled to Amman on February 26 for a visit linked to humanitarian organisations in the region.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time in the country visiting projects connected to health and aid work, including the King Hussein Cancer Center.
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The couple also visited a refugee camp and the Amman office of World Central Kitchen as part of the visit, which was linked to work with the World Health Organisation and Archewell Philanthropies.
During the trip, Harry was asked about his uncle, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, but declined to respond.
He told Channel 4 News he did not want to answer questions on the subject during the interview, instead keeping the focus on Jordan’s humanitarian efforts and the need for aid support in the region.
Ms Carratt, from E20 Communications, said the decision not to comment appeared intentional: “By choosing silence on the Andrew situation, Harry and Meghan are navigating a minefield.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s silence on Andrew is ‘most powerful statement’
|REUTERS
She added that the couple’s experience with media attention meant they would be aware of the risk of any intervention.
Ms Carratt explained: “Their own experiences with intense media scrutiny make commentary a risky business; one offhand remark could be sensationalised or politicised.”
The Sussexes’ Jordan trip took place against the backdrop of renewed constitutional and political pressure in Britain over Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s future.
Government ministers are not ruling out action over his place in the line of succession, and the royal website currently lists him eighth.
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Harry and Meghan concluded a visit to Jordan last month | PAMs Carratt said the choice to say nothing had allowed them to avoid becoming part of the controversy.
“Silence here is a deliberate, strategic choice, allowing them to maintain distance while avoiding unnecessary conflict,” the expert explained.
“From a PR perspective, it’s arguably the smartest move: they avoid fueling controversy, and instead allow the conversation to remain centred on constitutional and familial matters rather than personal opinion.
Harry and Meghan pictured in Sydney in 2018 | GETTY“Sometimes, saying nothing is the most powerful statement.”
Harry and Meghan have meanwhile continued to pursue their own public schedule outside the formal royal system.
The couple are due to return to Australia in April for private, business and philanthropic engagements, with Harry set to speak in Melbourne and Meghan due to appear at a women’s retreat in Sydney.