Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to have found themselves “at a crossroads” as they witness their popularity plunge further ever since quitting the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex saw their popularity plummet since their bombshell exit five years ago, with polls constantly ranking them among the least favourite royals, just above Prince Andrew.

In March, a survey by YouGov painted an unfavourable view of the Sussex couple. Prince Harry‘s net favourability plunged to -31, as six in ten (61%) said they held an unfavourable view of him and just 30% a positive one. Meanwhile, Meghan emerged second to last, with 68% of negative votes and just 21% of positive ones, which brought her net score to -47.

But despite the latest rankings, a PR expert said that the Sussexes may not have lost all hope yet when it comes to their popularity and urged them to “reconnect” with the British public.

Edward Coram-James, CEO of PR and SEO agency Go Up, told the Express: “I don’t think they [Harry and Meghan] have passed the point of no return [when it comes to boosting their popularity], but they are at a crossroads.

“To rehabilitate their image, they need to reconnect with the British public, which seems almost impossible now. The more time they spend in the US, embracing the celebrity circuit, the more they alienate their original supporters.

“If they appear too out of touch with ordinary people and continue focusing on personal projects, they risk becoming just another set of celebrity outliers, a narrative that might stick for good.”

Elsewhere, the expert commented on Meghan’s recent claims during a TIME100 summit in New York that she is “happiest” she has ever been. He said: “Meghan saying she’s happier than ever despite these rankings is a classic case of positive reframing.

“If you look at it from her perspective, she’s essentially taking back control over her narrative.

“We’ve seen celebrities in her position often double down on the happy and thriving persona, especially when they’re facing public backlash.

“So, it’s not surprising that Meghan would emphasise her happiness; it’s a way of signalling to the public that their opinions don’t shake her.

“However, while I believe that Meghan is content, I doubt she will be thrilled by the data.”