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Harry and Meghan's 'cosy' first glimpse of their new life in Britain is also a bid to relaunch their 'wounded' brand, experts said today, branding the couple's retreat from California the 'kiss of death' for their hopes of US stardom.
asserted
retreat → see → stardom
The Duchess of Sussex has shared a montage of intimate family clips with her 4.8million Instagram followers, featuring a Union flag and heart emoji side by side throughout.
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Duchess → share → side
In contrast to their life in sun-soaked California, Meghan painted an idyllic picture of a British autumn, complete with splashing in puddles, roaring fires, fishing, bike rides and country walks with their Labrador, Pula.
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Meghan → soak → Labrador
PR guru Mark Borkowski believes Meghan's taste of family life in the UK on a grand English estate was a deliberate attempt to show the world how happy the couple are to be back.
But while the video may have delighted fans, he said their return to Britain also underlines their failure to achieve the success they had hoped for in the US.
uncertain
they → believe → US
He said: 'The cosy Instagram posting this weekend was interesting, and very much a case of "look at us in the bosom of the autumnal British countryside", but it is a wounded brand.
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it → say → countryside
This UK return may simply acknowledge that Harry feels his strongest currency, audience and commercial value remain here.
uncertain
currency → acknowledge → ?
But leaving the US suggests Meghan has no power.
uncertain
Meghan → leave → power
No one is buying it any longer.
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one → buy → it
The Meghan tragedy is that she has enjoyed unlimited access to amplification and, in reality, a steadily diminishing supply of affection.
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she → enjoy → affection
The Harry and Meghan brand isn't dead, but it has begun to resemble a glittering palace chandelier hanging by one screw: glamorous, expensive and increasingly unwise to stand underneath.'
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it → begin → screw
Mr Borkowski said that leaving California could mean the couple are quickly forgotten.
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couple → say → California
'Once you retreat from the much-publicised Californian ecosystem, momentum evaporates rather efficiently,' he said.
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he → retreat → ecosystem
Meghan and Harry's first video in the UK since moving back will delight fans but also a sign that their US adventure was a flop
PR guru Mark Borkowski believes Meghan Markle's taste of family life in the UK on a grand English estate was a deliberate attempt to show how happy the couple are to be back
'
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couple → move → estate
Hollywood is full of British stars who discovered that being welcomed into the land of showbusiness is not the same thing as being handed the keys.'
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welcomed → discover → keys
Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, told Newsweek that Meghan had lost her chance to become an A-lister by leaving the US.
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Meghan → tell → US
They got beaten like a rented mule during this process,' he said.
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he → beat → process
'There may be a B-list acting career, but there's going to be tremendous friction, largely because most people don't care.
uncertain
people → be → ?
'Their strength was in giving back, and I think they were happiest when they did that.
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they → give → that
Maybe they'll find their way back to it because that's where they can really do good and find deeper meaning.'
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they → find → meaning
In a series of videos the Duchess of Sussex posted on Instagram yesterday, Archie and Lilibet are seen making the most of autumn in the UK, where the family moved last month from California.
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family → post → California
A source close to the couple said last week: 'They are happy to be back' - and the video certainly gives that impression despite the row with the King after Charles said publicly they are now 'private citizens' who do not represent the monarchy.
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who → say → monarchy
The 34-second montage includes footage of one of the children's wellies jumping in a puddle, along with a clip of the duke and duchess walking hand in hand down a country lane, with Meghan turning to the camera to say: 'Come on, you – come on!'
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Meghan → include → camera
Lilibet is seen warming her bare feet next to the fire, humming contentedly, and then wellies that appear to be worn by Archie, splash into the scene in a muddy puddle.
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that → see → puddle
The next shot is of Lilibet on a pink tasselled bicycle fitted with a doll in its chair on the back, riding towards a group of deer across a track in a park.
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Lilibet → fit → park
'Archie!' Harry calls out to his son as he runs on camera, in a pink shirt and blue wellies.
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he → call → shirt
The family's labrador, Pula, is then seen bounding down another wooded track lined with ferns and trees.
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labrador → see → ferns
The family will keep their mansion in Montecito, California.
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family → keep → Montecito
They also own a holiday home in Portugal.
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They → own → Portugal
They have recently said they are 'happy to be back' in the UK, and the children have started at school already.
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children → say → school
This is in spite of their row with Buckingham Palace over Uganda's withdrawal from Prince Harry's Invictus Games – a sporting event founded by the Duke for wounded military veterans.
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This → found → veterans
Insiders close to the couple said Uganda's exit was a 'direct result' of a letter written by King Charles, which insisted they are 'private citizens', not working royals.
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they → say → Charles
Lilibet is seen warming her little bare feet next to the fire, humming contentedly
Charles's letter – sent to senior government officials, military leaders, Lord Lieutenants and the couple's team – made it clear that, while the family was back in the country, they were not back in the Firm.
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they → see → Firm
After the King's announcement, Uganda's chief of defence and son of the president, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, appeared to want to distance himself from Harry's project, suggesting he did not want to be associated with this 'Harry-Meghan nonsense'.
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he → appear → nonsense
He said on X earlier this week: 'In order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom, whom we deeply revere, Uganda hereby withdraws from the Invictus Games.'
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Uganda → say → Games
The Sussexes said they were 'surprised' to have received the letter from the King following rumours they might have had a 'half in, half out' arrangement on their return.
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they → say → return
But the letter appears to have put an end to all hope of this idea.
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letter → appear → idea
Insiders close to the couple said that the 'only people suffering' as a result of the monarch's letter are the Ugandan competitors who were set to take part in the upcoming games.
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who → say → games
'They made it very clear that the reason they pulled out was a direct result of perceived guidance from the Lord Chamberlain,' they told People magazine, which is widely considered the Sussexes' preferred publication in the US.
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which → make → US
Meghan and Harry left the UK six years ago to enjoy personal and financial freedom in the US before moving back just over a fortnight ago.
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Meghan → leave → US
A bitter argument has existed between the Sussexes and the royals back home since they left, after it was decided that they would not be allowed to have taxpayer-funded police security when visiting the UK, as they were no longer working royals.
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they → exist → UK
…and 19 more, not listed.
