Prince Harry take stage at Kevin Costner's charity event but 'sick' Meghan Markle missing
Prince Harry took to the stage in a rare public appearance since he and Meghan Markle stepped back from Royal life, but his wife was a no-show.
Prince Harry graced Kevin Costner's polo field stage to honor a fellow chopper pilot with an award - but 'sick' Meghan Markle missed the charity event.
Meghan accompanied Harry to last year's bash, but the Duchess of Sussex was absent this time round due to illness.
At the Santa Barbara One805Live! fundraiser for first responders, Harry showed up suit-clad but sans socks around 7pm. He paid tribute on stage to helicopter pilot Loren Courtney.
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Harry light-heartedly compared the ease of helicopter piloting versus public speaking. Among the celebrities performing were Pink, Richard Marx of '80s fame, and Kevin Costner himself.
"We were all hoping Meghan would attend like she did last year but the word is that she is sick and could not make it.", an insider told the Mirror.
The Prince is slated to be in New York soon for several engagements, including the Diana Awards and a Halo Trust event, an organization his late mother supported.
Scheduled to be in the UK on September 30, Harry's appearances follow criticism from PR expert Edward Coram-James, who cited communication blunders for the Sussexes' dip in public regard.
Summing up sharply, Coram-James stated: "It's just that they had a bad PR plan."
Harry and Meghan's popularity has taken a significant hit since their move to the US, according to a poll conducted earlier this month.
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The poll suggested that Harry's explosive allegations against the Royal family significantly contributed to his dwindling popularity.
However, Mr Coram-James has now shared his perspective on the findings. He stated: "To be fair to the Sussexes, they seem to have learned the lessons from bad PR, and appear to have turned the page."
"That's the thing with PR: if it goes wrong, the public can, fairly or unfairly, decide that it makes you a bad person, where, when it goes right, the public can decide that you're a good person. Its why communications are so key," Mr Coram-James told Express.co.uk.
