Close to the Oscars wrapping up, the spotlight of prestigious awards shall now shift to The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or the 55th NAACP Awards. Scheduled for March 16 at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium with Queen Latifah as its host, the 2024 edition will honor artists of color and achievements in film, television, theater, music, and over forty other categories. However, the latest speculations have hinted that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would not appear as attendees at the event.

Now a PR expert has labeled that their absence may not hold well for their production business arm with Archewell Productions, given the current state of affairs.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry should reconsider giving the NAACP a miss

On March 14, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry virtually handed over the NAACP–Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award to Dr. Joy Buolamwini, suggesting their potential absence from the main event. However, a PR expert, Lynn Carratt, told the Mirror, that the couple not attending the ceremony in person would be a mistake, especially considering their brand and the work they have put into it recently. “Meghan is a huge champion for people of color across the globe,” and hence should attend as per Carratt.

The NAACP honors the individuals and organizations devoted to making a difference and Meghan Markle and Prine Harry have come across as major-change markers with Archewell, winning the President’s Award at the 53rd edition. Additionally, with the Duchess launching a new brand recently and the production company working closely with Netflix for further documentaries and shows after the success of the Heart of Invictus, they should attend “from a PR perspective,” said the expert.

At these times, the Duchess recently found her credibility taking a hit until Oscar-nominated The After’s director stepped in.

Misan Harriman came to the rescue of the Sussexes

A recent uproar over the photo-editing crisis kick-started by one Mother’s Day portrait shared by Kate Middleton took a 2021 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry photo under its wrath. A black-and-white photo of the couple under a willow tree let out on Instagram to announce the Duchess’ pregnancy with Princess Lillibet found itself laden with charges that the background and trees did not exist and that the image was doctored.

Taking note of it, Misan Harriman defended the Sussexes and refuted those allegations. Taken as part of a virtual shoot during the pandemic, the only touch-up done to the image came in the form of the monochrome filter. Describing it as a “very joyous image,” the director spoke at length to get his point across while explaining why the confusion ever happened in the first place.

What are your thoughts on the possibility of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry giving the NAACP a miss? Let us know in the comments below.