Prince Harry and Meghan Markle loving one key thing about UK’s snap general election

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been described as “rebel royals” who will “love the extra attention” they get now that the Royal Family have gone into pre-election shutdown mode, a royal author has claimed.

Last week, Buckingham Palace said the Firm is to postpone engagements “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign”, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a General Election for July 4. A Palace spokesperson said: “The Royal Family will – in accordance with normal procedure – postpone engagements that may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign.”

Now royal author Tom Quinn claimed that this is the moment the Duke and Duchess have been waiting for in order to “promote the Sussex royal brand”. He told the Mirror: “The British public will miss seeing and hearing about the royal family as they go into pre-Election shutdown mode so what could be more natural than turning their attention to the rebel royals – Megan and Harry will love the extra attention and not just because it will be one in the eye for the royal family.

The royal expert added that Meghan will consider this royal absence as “great timing” for her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard. He explained: “Far more important, at least from Meghan’s point of view, the temporary absence of the senior royals is a chance to promote the Sussex royal brand. “It’s great timing for Meghan who is seriously worried the hoots of derision that greeted the recent launch of her luxury jam will damage the future of her weirdly named online brand, American Riviera Orchard.

“She has gone into damage limitation mode and will seize this current opportunity with both hands.” The Duchess of Sussex soft-launched American Riviera Orchard back in March by dropping a new Instagram page for it, which featured the brand’s logo, a bio that said “by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex” and linked to a website where people can join a waiting list.

While the brand’s hard launch has not been announced yet, its first product – strawberry jam – was sent to 50 influencers to taste test and went viral on social media last month. Meghan is thought to be selling a wide range of items through her brand, including household goods, cookware, pet products, gardening tools, beverages, food and condiments.

American Riviera Orchard is said to coincide with another one of Meghan’s projects – a series on Netflix which will “celebrate the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.