When you fly 6,000 miles around the globe for a speech and just two dozen people stop to hear you talk, it might be time to update your CV on LinkedIn. Meghan Markle flew from California to Geneva’s Place des Nations in Switzerland to open The Lost Screen Memorial and talk about the need to protect children online.
You would think child safety would draw a crowd but I’ve seen more people watching a Peruvian busking pipe band in Croydon’s Whitgift Centre than the Duchess of Sussex managed to pull in last weekend. There was even a lightshow but even with that, the crowd around the optimistically-needed security fencing was barely one person deep – and completely empty in some places – as she spoke.
It can cost up to £40,000 to fly a private jet from LA to Switzerland – that’s a hefty carbon footprint for a speech. So although she clearly cannot warm up a crowd, she can help warm up the planet.
Frankly it’s embarrassing and social media has already made hay with the sight of the paltry audience. She must have felt humiliated and I almost feel sorry for her.
But you have to also ask: Hasn’t she brought this all upon herself?
Hosted by Archewell Philanthropies and the World Health Organisation, Meghan joined the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and global health leaders.
Meghan said in her speech: “Behind me stands The Lost Screen Memorial. Not statistics. Not avatars. Not data points. Children.
“Each name belonged to a child who was loved beyond measure. A child whose laughter once filled a kitchen. Whose shoes once waited by a front door. Whose future once felt limitless.”
The speech was worthy and needed. I just wonder whether Meghan was the right person to make it.
There is a mental exhaustion and inner sigh when you hear that Prince Harry and Meghan have just cropped up someone halfway round the planet to give a preachy talk.
One minute Harry is in Ukraine lecturing President Trump on how to give “leadership” in tackling war and oppression, and then the Sussexes are on a beach meditating with survivors of the Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia.
To add some ‘grift’ – as well as grist – to the mill, Meghan was simultaneously selling the outfits she wore on the Oz tour on the OneOff app that she is also an investor in.
The app allows you to buy similar clothing to that worn by celebs while giving a percentage to the stars. So the bigger the media event and social media views, the more money Meghan makes.
No wonder she feels the need to travel the world making high-profile speeches.
So there may not have been anyone there in person to see Meghan’s hard-hitting speech but it doesn’t matter – as long as people liked the look of her black suit on Instagram and want to buy it, she is laughing.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
