Meghan Markle's Aspirations Expand Beyond Being Prince Harry's ...

Meghan Markle is not content to simply be Prince Harry's "plus one" and will move forward with her developing Hollywood career, an entertainment expert has told Newsweek.

Meghan has been seen in public without Harry on a number of occasions in recent weeks, notably on a trip to a Montecito farmers' market, celebrating the birthday of a close friend and also reportedly at a Taylor Swift concert.

Harry and Meghan are due to attend the Invictus Games together in September, which the couple have done since meeting in 2016. The games will follow the release of Harry's Heart of Invictus Netflix docuseries, which debuts on August 30.

The pair have faced a number of setbacks in their burgeoning Hollywood careerssince leaving the monarchy in 2020, and though appearances at Harry's hugely popular Invictus Games will earn both of them some positive PR, Meghan will not be content to simply be seen as a "plus one," entertainment expert Mark Boardman, told Newsweek.

Meghan Markle is photographed with Prince Harry in Scotland on February 13, 2018. The duchess achieved success as an actress, independently from her royal associations. Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool/Getty Images

"Meghan's character traits are rarely seen from the public eye, but we see glimpses of her private life and her dedication to friends, family, and charitable causes. She's driven by a realistic ambition for personal success," he said on the one-year anniversary of the launch of her solo podcast Archetypes, which earned her both praise and criticism.

"The podcast was always a stepping stone to larger endeavors, and its conclusion ushers in a new chapter that requires careful consideration of the medium for Meghan's long-term plans that largely remain hidden outside her inner-circle," said Boardman, founder of showbiz and lifestyle website MarkMeets.

Highlighting the number of appearances in public that the duchess has been making without Harry, Boardman suggests they may be evidence of the former TV star re-engaging with her pre-royal life, where as an actress she enjoyed more freedom to operate.

"It's noteworthy that Meghan thrives in the company of people and has been present at numerous events of late without Harry by her side," he said.

"Despite her absence from the media scene since last year, both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend the Invictus Games, set in Dusseldorf, Germany," Boardman said. "It's evident that while Meghan will capitalize from the success of Harry's notable venture, her aspirations are deeply rooted in her identity as an accomplished actress and not as a plus one."

Meghan's success in her pre-royal career has been highlighted in recent weeks as her hit legal show, Suits, has broken streaming records since being made available on Netflix in addition to Peacock. The show has found a new audience, with fans and critics of Meghan alike tuning in to see what all the buzz has been about.

Meghan Markle appears as Rachel Zane in "Suits." The duchess starred in the show between 2011 and 2017. NBC Universal

Though her acting skills are at the forefront in Suits, the duchess has made clear that she has no intention of returning to life in front of the camera, having effectively retired when her relationship with Harry became serious.

In a 2022 interview with Variety, Meghan said she was "done" with acting, and though she would "never say never," she had absolutely no intention of making a comeback.

The duchess is looking to the future, with a number of developments in her Hollywood and philanthropic career on the horizon. In April she became a star signing at the William Morris Endeavor agency, which represent some of the world's top A-list stars, helping them secure high-profile deals and projects.

In August it was announced that the duchess' Archewell Productions company was working with Netflix on a screen-adaptation of the hit novel Meet Me at the Lake. The project will mark the first venture into scripted content for the royal and will also fulfill her ambition of developing romantic comedies and love stories for the screen.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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