Meghan Markle is said to be under fresh pressure in the United States after new poll data reviewed by Newsweek showed a 13 point decline in the Sussexes' popularity across two quarters, while traffic to her As Ever brand website was also reported to have fallen by 89,000 in January. The report has apparently left the Duchess rattled and, according to a source quoted by Closer, frustrated with Prince Harry as she tries to steady both the brand and the couple's public image. Nothing is confirmed yet so everything should be taken with a grain of salt.
Markle has spent the past couple of years trying to build As Ever into something sturdier than a passing celebrity project. That makes the latest numbers awkward, because they point to a brand that may not be catching the way the people behind it had hoped. And for anyone watching the Sussex machine from the outside, the optics are messy.
