Is This The Real Reason Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Traveled To New York City?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle planned to take an extended period of time off following the birth of their daughter, Lilibet Diana, according to Town & Country. And while no one really knew just how long they would remain out of the public eye, most people assumed that the two would lie low until early 2022. Although the duo haven't actually been "working" in a traditional sense, they haven't exactly been "off," either. In fact, Harry made his very first public appearance in July when he traveled to the UK for the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace. Meanwhile, Meghan surprised us with a video posted on the Archewell website in which she announced a new initiative in honor of her 40th birthday.
Harry and Meghan also decided to take part in the Global Citizen Live event in Central Park on September 25, marking their first New York City appearance since they moved to the United States in early 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in the Big Apple a few days early, and made a few stops and met with a few people along the way. The couple visited Ground Zero, the 9/11 museum, and One World Trade Center, according to Reuters, and stopped into a school in Harlem where Meghan read her children's book to a group of students, according to People magazine.
It seems, however, that Harry and Meghan could have had a bigger reason for their trip. Read on to learn more.
Was Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's trip to New York City a good marketing opportunity?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry felt strongly about attending the Global Citizen Live event in New York City, and they both spoke about the coronavirus pandemic and the importance of vaccine equality, according to Us Weekly. However, there may have been another reason for the couple's decision to travel to the Big Apple. Royal expert Daniela Elser suggests that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the trip because it was good for their brand. "It is hard to escape the impression that the whole thing, all the puffed up bells and whistles, were about aggressively marketing themselves to the [United States]," Elser wrote for news.com.au.
"Harry and Meghan's New York trip was essentially them firing the starting gun on their U.S. careers after having to wait out pandemic lockdowns followed by the duo taking parental leave after the birth of their daughter Lili in early June," Elser added in her piece for news.com.au.