Analysing Meghan Markle’s carefully curated podcast cover image for ‘Confessions of a Female Founder‘, experts have exclusively told Express.co.uk that the image is a “clever combination” of making Meghan look “relatable” but simultaneously “aspirational” to any potential listeners.

‘Confessions of a Female Founder’ launches on April 8 in collaboration with Lemonada Media and will be the second podcast launch from the Duchess of Sussex, following on from her deal with streaming giant Spotify for the launch of her former show, Archetypes.

Assessing the work of Meghan’s team, Joe Miles, Course Director of Photography at Birmingham City University, looked at the lighting, pose, and overall feel of the image for his analysis.

He told Express.co.uk: “The fact that Meghan is holding her hand in that position, makes it look like she was in the middle of doing something. It’s an ‘I’ve just stopped to turn and look at you’ pose. It’s designed to draw us in and flatter us as a viewer.”

Mr Miles, who has taught at the University since 2014, added: “The very flat, even lighting suggests Meghan’s creating an ‘I’m a working woman’ persona. Because she still looks very made up and is also pulling an elegant pose, it also showcases ‘I am someone you aspire to’. It’s a clever combination of the two.”

The former commercial and portrait photographer also described his overall impressions of the final product. He said: “Every photographer is different. For me, this image feels too posed and too dull. It’s almost quite grey.”

He continued: “The problem is, if you go so far in trying to make an image look natural, it ends up not looking natural. They’re forcing her to look accessible and ‘everyday’, but it can end up backfiring.”

The expert also believes that Meghan is trying to create a new persona through the newly released photograph. Making a comparison between Meghan’s first podcast cover for Archetypes, Mr Miles believes the former image showed Meghan seeming more “honest”.

He explained: “The Archetypes cover shows Meghan being very honest – wearing a vest, hair down, looking straight on, in black and white. But this [new image] is another persona, almost somewhere between the two. She’s showcasing ‘I’m successful and accessible’ and she wants to give her audience access to other successful people.”

Meanwhile, the fashion editor of Khush Wedding Magazine, Vikas Rattu, explained his suggested interpretation of Meghan’s styling in which the Duchess wears a royal blue blouse, no visible jewellery, and even her wedding ring is barely noticeable.

Echoing the photography expert’s comments, he told Express.co.uk: “What I like about this styling is that she looks very comfortable and approachable to her audience.”

From an aspirational perspective, if someone wanted to achieve Meghan’s look, it would be possible, claims the fashion editor. He further added: “Everyone might have access to such a blouse in their cupboard. And the hair and makeup style in the photo is different from the glamorous side of Meghan we are used to seeing.

“This is more relatable, and it makes perfect sense, as the podcast would want to have a wide reach. From an audience’s perspective, I feel like this is giving us an entry-level snapshot as to what to expect from Meghan’s new podcast.”