Harry and Meghan: the PR masterclass, and luxury

I'm in awe of Harry and Meghan's PR machine. When leaving the Royal Family just over a year ago, the couple made clear they wanted to lead their own life, without the strain of the global media breathing down their necks. They felt a move to Los Angeles would do just that.

Of course, as they handed in their notice, Harry and Meghan had to overcome many challenges - the backlash of leaving Britain and the Family, the speculation of their where their careers would go, who wore the trousers in their marriage; the tabloids in particular had a field day. But arguably the biggest battle they faced (or more Meghan's) was the court case between her, the Mail on Sunday and her father.

The case itself was sticky. It started when the newspaper published extracts of a private letter from Meghan to her father. For years, they weren't been on speaking terms and from an outsider's perspective, it did look as though he sold that letter to a paper to stir the pot.

Fast forward to recent weeks, Meghan won the case. And with that, the couple are determined to swiftly move on. They insist on a quieter life that the Royal Family wouldn't have been able to provide. However, critics have cried foul on their recent 'attention seeking' antics - a new Spotify podcast deal, a new Netflix series is on the way, and an exclusive 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey is due imminently.

Critics like journalists Piers Morgan, Carole Malone and Camilla Long, as well as a number of royal commentators, wonder how on earth can they hope for a quiet, private life and then go for opportunities that will attract the biggest audiences. I'm afraid my response to them is that they know little about public relations - and give little credit to their strategy.

PR is all about reputation, and while we can never control how the public or media react to what the subject does, it's about finding chances to enable they grow into the profile they're happy to have. And this is regardless of whether the subject is an individual or an organisation. This takes careful planning and making sure you take on the right opportunities. Harry and Meghan, you can imagine, have offers coming out of their ears, and they're in no doubt a privileged position to cherry-pick those that suit how they want their image to appear.

And with the opportunities I stated earlier, Harry and Meghan are in control. Oprah won't give them a ride that, say, Piers Morgan would give. They would say their piece and even if members of the public didn't like it, that wouldn't matter. They'll still be relevant until the media stops writing and talking on air about them. And blanking critics is easy if you follow the saying 'ignorance is bliss'.

For PRs, the countless offers that Harry and Meghan receive are a stuff of dreams, but taking advantage of them to your benefit is an art often difficult to execute. For those just starting out in public relations or those who represent individuals or organisations with much smaller profiles, rarely have this luxury. This is where developing positive relationships with journalists and producers are so important, so when they do cover stories, it's good and profile-building for those you represent. Certainly, it means knocking on a lot of doors and tearing your hair out, but the rewards reaped afterwards are worth the effort - even if the level of recognition doesn't go anywhere near the dizzying heights of Harry and Meghan.

Back to the couple in demand, whether they like it or not, Harry and Meghan will always be at the centre of any news agenda. That will never change, and my impression is that they understand that too. They're not going to announce things every day of the week, just to get attention. They pick the right moments to say things that are indeed in the public interest. The rest is just rumour. So long as they keep listening to their PR crew, they'll be absolutely fine; including through the bumpy roads that inevitably lay ahead.