The Duchess of Sussex, 43, and her husband, Prince Harry, 40, have been living in America for four years. However, they are facing problems with their brand image.

Meghan Markle believed her and Harry could be Hollywood stars. (Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Meghan Markle reportedly “persuaded” her husband, Prince Harry, that she could make the couple “Hollywood stars” due to her former life as an actress, a royal expert has claimed.

When the couple quit life as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020, they quickly relocated overseas to America, where they bought a large nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito.

Although Harry had only ever known life as a royal or serving in the military, an expert believes he followed Meghan to the States like a “child,” believing that she could help them become financially independent.

Tina Brown, who was friends with Princess Diana and wrote her biography in 2007, opined on GB News: “She persuaded him that she was the savvy Hollywood wheeler-dealer who could come in and make them stars and all the rest of it. He just sort of blindly followed her like a child, really.”

This comes after Tina, the former editor of Vanity Fair previously slammed the 43-year-old duchess on The Ankler podcast.

Prince Harry has recently carried out solo engagements. (Image: Brian Otieno/Getty Images for Sentebale)

The duke then made matters worse in 2023 by publishing his memoir Spare, which reportedly left him and his brother William on non-talking terms and the prince increasingly unpopular in the UK.

Since then, and in more recent months, Harry has been seen taking a professional split from his wife by going on a solo tour, with successful engagements in New York, the UK and Africa.

He spent weeks away from his wife, who stayed at home in the couple’s Montecito mansion caring for their two children and attending events alone, such as the red carpet for a children’s hospital gala. The move is believed to be a way of rebuilding the couple’s brand image as separate entities.

PR expert Ed Coram James told The Mirror: “Since their marriage, Harry and Meghan have had a distinct brand. That brand is based on a duo. Call it ‘Harry and Meghan’, call it ‘the Sussexes’, call it whatever you like. The fact is that for years they have become synonymous with one another.

“When combined, the Sussexes brand is, from a PR perspective, toxic. But, when separate, they have a genuine chance of creating an entirely separate brand, with completely different labels.”