After what one source previously described to The Post as a “summer of hell” — including angering the public over private-jet travel and a $4 million home renovation — Meghan Markle is using her and Prince Harry’s South Africa tour as a chance to shift opinion.
It has been a carefully crafted campaign, with the Duchess of Sussex sitting on the floor with fellow moms, hugging impoverished kids, wearing “old” clothes — even leaving her $140,000 engagement ring at home.
Sources told The Post she is being advised on the image repair by close pals, including friend Keleigh Thomas Morgan and others at Sunshine Sachs, an LA firm known for celebrity crisis management.
“Meghan knew she needed help, [so] she reached out to a very few trusted people, including Keleigh,” said a close Meghan insider. “She has a few girlfriends in the UK who are extremely well-versed in British media.”
(Sunshine Sachs told The Post that the company has been hired only to help with Harry and Meghan’s charitable Sussex Foundation.)
Perhaps most important in terms of giving the public what they want, Meghan and Harry finally allowed son Archie to be candidly photographed. Previously they had released only a handful of formal photos and were accused of “hiding” the baby.
The Sussex Royal Instagram account posted a video of the family walking to see the anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu as Harry told his son: “You’re going to meet Arch, Arch.”
During her first royal tour — of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga — a year ago, Meghan wore pricey goods by Stella McCartney and Oscar de la Renta.
This time she plumped for a Madewell denim jacket — roughly $100 — and pulled outfits out of the back of her wardrobe, donning dresses by Veronica Beard and Martin Grant, both worn while she was pregnant. She also sent an eco-friendly message by wearing brands that practice sustainability.
Not only did the Duchess show her compassionate side by embracing and dancing with locals, she visited a memorial to a murdered South African student as a “personal gesture” after “closely following the story,” a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said. She and Harry also wore “justice” bracelets that honor The Justice Desk, a nonprofit initiative that supports female empowerment.
The trip, so far, has been a true master-class, reminding the once-adoring public why they fell for Meghan in the first place.
The new mom — who gave birth in May — proved her relatability by donnong a Veronica Beard dress that she first wore in Tonga, while pregnant.
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Meghan was spotted in this Everlane jumpsuit in behind-the-scenes photos from her guest-editor stint at British Vogue. She previously wore the Gas Bijoux earrings in Morocco.
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Meghan’s Madewell denim jacket, an old favorite, made another appearance, as did a pair of Brother Vellies espadrilles.
WireImage
In a show of modesty, Meghan brought back a Martin Grant dress she also wore on her Aussie tour.
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Both Harry and Meghan sported a beaded “Justice” bracelet honoring The Justice Desk human-rights initiative — just as they wore matching bracelets in the early days of their courtship.
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