has been criticised after about the wildfires in Los Angeles following
The Duchess of Sussex in which she opened a special gift donated by singer Billie Eilish for a family whose home was burned by the LA fires.
Meghan appeared emotional as she explained how she got in touch with a mother and daughter whose home was “left in ashes” by the blazes that destroyed more than 12,000 homes.
She said that among the 15-year-old’s possessions burned in the fire was a Billie Eilish T-shirt that had been left in the washing machine and that she promised her that she would somehow get her that top.
Moments later, the duchess, who last month visited LA to help with volunteering, gleefully opened a package to reveal the singer had signed a box full of merchandise for the 15-year-old.
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Meghan Markle posted an emotional video on Instagram but was criticised by a PR expert (Image: Instagram/@meghan)
However, Meghan’s video received a mixed reaction from royal fans, with some praising her for her actions, while others accused her of being “tone-deaf”.
Now Renae Smith, founder and director of , criticised the royal’s decision to upload a video about the fires, only weeks after she was accused of being a “disaster tourist” and staging a “photo op”.
She told Express.co.uk: “From a PR perspective, I’m not personally a fan of Meghan’s latest video.
“While I believe her actions were genuinely kind—she’s not a monster, after all—the issue here is all about perception.
“She’s just come under fire (literally and figuratively) for being accused of making the LA fires about herself, and now this video, while well-intentioned, could easily be seen as grandstanding.”
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Meghan Markle talks about the Billie Eilish delivery she has received (Image: Instagram/@meghan)
Ms Smith added that while the duchess may genuinely have been happy about receiving the singer’s package to give to the LA wildfire victims, she shouldn’t have posted the video as it could have an impact on her already tarnished reputation.
She explained: “I do believe Meghan was genuinely happy about receiving the delivery and gifting the Billie Eilish merch to the girl affected by the fires.
“But given her reputation and the existing narrative that she’s self-absorbed, posting a video like this only feeds into that perception. It’s a delicate balance: if her social media is meant to be authentic and unapologetically ‘her,’ then fine—it doesn’t necessarily help repair her reputation, but perhaps that’s not the goal.”
She concluded: “The real question is whether she’s interested in shifting the narrative or just living authentically online. If I were advising her professionally, I’d suggest either not posting the video or framing it differently to avoid reinforcing negative perceptions.
“But maybe that’s not even a consideration for her. It won’t harm her brand significantly, but from a reputational repair standpoint, it feels uncalculated—more like ‘I’m posting what I want’ rather than a strategic move.
“So, is it the right time and space? It depends on whether she’s bothered by the current narrative. If not, then this is just Meghan being Meghan, and her core audience will continue to support her regardless.”