Sussexes Reportedly Hire Ex-Obama PR Guru, Spark Speculation of Meghan Markle Wading ‘Into Politics’

© AFP 2023 / SEM VAN DER WALThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle visit the sitting volleyball section of the fifth edition of the Invictus Games in The Hague on April 17, 2022
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle visit the sitting volleyball section of the fifth edition of the Invictus Games in The Hague on April 17, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 25.04.2022
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who quit as working royals back in 2020 and whose succession of “truth bombs” in a spate of interviews profoundly strained relations with Buckingham Palace, visited the Queen for supposed “olive branch” talks at Windsor Castle before flying to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have hired the PR genius Miranda Barbot, who was part of the team behind Barack Obama’s second presidential term triumph, to spruce up their image, reported The Mirror.
Barbot, who was a 19-year-old university undergraduate when she won a scholarship to Obama’s team, has been brought in as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may try to emulate the Obamas, a source was cited as saying.

“There are shades of the Clintons or even Kennedys… It wouldn't be a huge shock now if Meghan went into politics”, an insider indicated.

The PR whizz kid joined the Sussexes’ firm Archewell after purportedly leaving US public relations firm BerlinRosen, which has worked with law firms, big corporations and the Green Party in the US. Barbot was purportedly seen mingling with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s official team at the Invictus games in Holland, which ended on Friday.
© AP Photo / Peter DejongPrince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hug Lisa Johnston, a former army medic and amputee, who celebrates with her medal at the Invictus Games venue in The Hague, Netherlands, Sunday, April 17, 2022
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hug Lisa Johnston, a former army medic and amputee, who celebrates with her medal at the Invictus Games venue in The Hague, Netherlands, Sunday, April 17, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 25.04.2022
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hug Lisa Johnston, a former army medic and amputee, who celebrates with her medal at the Invictus Games venue in The Hague, Netherlands, Sunday, April 17, 2022
“Shrewd operator” Barbot was singled out as a key figure in Team Sussex, possessing ample experience to help the couple adapt to life outside the royal family fold.
Furthermore, the reported hire comes as a few weeks earlier, it was announced that Meghan Markle's Archewell Audio podcast series, Archetypes, would be debuting this year, and several new staff-members were recently recruited for their foundation.

‘Battered’ Public Image

Since the Sussexes’ decided to step away from their role as working royals to embark upon a life of financial independence, their public image has been mired in controversies. Documentaries and interviews with the couple where they dropped so-called “truth bombs” have alienated other members of the royal family, particularly last year’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
During the March 2021 bombshell sit-down, both Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, made explosive claims. An unidentified member of the royal family had allegedly voiced concern about “how dark” the couple’s firstborn’s skin might be, in a reference to Archie.
The Duke of Sussex also lobbed a bombshell accusation at his father, Charles, Prince of Wales, for “cutting me off financially”.
Needless to say, the revelations have rankled within the walls of Buckingham Palace.
In this Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, file photo, Britain's Prince Harry arrives in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 23.04.2022
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Furthermore, while the Sussexes have never declared their political allegiance, since quitting the royal scene they have increasingly been accused of meddling in UK and US politics.
Meghan Markle, who lobbied for paid parental leave in the US last October, was accused of resorting to the “tactics of an aspiring politician”.
At the time, she wrote a two-page letter on the Sussexes’ headed paper addressed to the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and the majority leader in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer.
Official calls and evening reception for TRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex - Sputnik International, 1920, 04.11.2021
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Previously, Meghan Markle was active in encouraging people to vote in the 2020 elections as part of a campaign led by Michelle Obama.
The Sussexes, who have signed multi-million dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify to produce their own documentary series and podcasts but have been keeping a relatively low profile amid the coronavirus pandemic, travelled to the Netherlands for the duke's Invictus Games, held from 16 to 22 April, in what is seen as a sign of their return to public life.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hug Lisa Johnston, a former army medic and amputee, who celebrates with her medal at the Invictus Games venue in The Hague, Netherlands, Sunday, April 17, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 22.04.2022
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In another significant development, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Queen Elizabeth II for supposed “olive branch” talks at Windsor Castle on 13 April and met with Prince Charles before flying out to the Netherlands.
The visit, ahead of the monarch’s 96th birthday, was Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first time in the UK together since their break from the working royals fold.

“As the Queen said when Megxit was signed, they will always be a much-loved part of the family. By seeing the Queen before they arrived in Holland for a high-profile visit, they managed to diminish any idea they were snubbing her. Charles was happy to have them”, a royal source was cited as saying.

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