Molly-Mae Hague is ‘strategically’ aligning herself with a ‘different calibre’ of celebrity, like Prince Harry, to move away from her Love Island persona, a branding expert has revealed – as he compared her to the Duchess of Sussex.
‘Like Meghan, she is navigating the tension between being self-made and desiring acceptance within elite social spaces,’ Chad Teixeira told the Daily Mail.
‘Molly-Mae may not have royal ties, but she’s clearly attempting to build a brand that’s more than commercial deals, one rooted in cultural relevance and legacy, it’s a clever way to ensure longevity in her career.’
The influencer, who soared to fame after appearing on series five of the dating show in 2019, has gone from small-time social media content to a chic mansion, ‘quiet luxury’ brand and a British Vogue cover.
It’s not the only hint of her tilt towards the socialite scene, with the star – now a mother to two-year-old Bambi – also sporting a Birkin bag and Patek Philippe watch as she noted comparisons between herself and Princess Diana.
Most recently, Molly-Mae looked chic in a black suit as she rubbed shoulders with Prince Harry at the star-studded WellChild Awards held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on Monday night.
Chad said the public image pivot is all pointing towards ‘a more elevated, aspirational space’.
‘By aligning herself with a quiet luxury aesthetic, understated styling, muted tones, and polished appearances, she’s leaning into the same codes we see in aristocratic and royal-adjacent circles,’ he explained.
Molly-Mae is ‘strategically’ aligning herself with a ‘different calibre’ of celebrity, like Prince Harry , to move away from her Love Island persona, a branding expert has revealed – as he compared her to the Duchess of Sussex
‘It’s a calculated shift from influencer to something more enduring.’
The publicist recalled the social media star’s Vogue interview in which – when remarked on her split from ex-fiancé Tommy Fury, who now appears to be back in her life – she quipped: ‘People were saying, ‘it’s Princess Diana and Charles’. But more on that later.’
‘This wasn’t accidental,’ he continued. ‘It was a done to purposely plant a narrative seed, positioning them not just as another celebrity couple but as a modern-day fairytale romance with public intrigue.
‘Now, with Molly-Mae turning up at the same events as Prince Harry, she is strategically placing herself within proximity of a different calibre of celebrity.’
If not channeling Duchess herself – as she touts As Ever-esque aesthetics – Chad shared, there is certainly a case for Molly-Mae’s aspirations as a ‘royal-adjacent socialite archetype’.
‘Molly-Mae has the reach and audience to blur the lines between influencer and traditional high society,’ he said.
‘She’s moving from the fast-fashion world she once dominated into a subtler, more commanding narrative.
‘Whether or not the public fully buys into her new positioning will depend on consistency and credibility but there’s no doubt she’s making her shift clear.’
If not channeling Duchess herself – as she touts As Ever-esque aesthetics – Chad shared, there is certainly a case for Molly-Mae’s aspirations as a ‘royal-adjacent socialite archetype’
Molly-Mae Hague looked chic in a black suit as she rubbed shoulders with Prince Harry at the star-studded WellChild Awards held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on Monday night
It comes as, earlier this month, Molly-Mae shared struggles over balancing her work and raising Bambi in a YouTube vlog.
The businesswoman and ex Love Islander, 26, – who has a reported net worth of £6million – said she was finding it hard being a mother and focusing on her career.
‘Bambi’s at nursery today so I have a bit of “me time”, I’m so excited,’ she shared.
‘I’ve had the most mental week. Life at the minute is like… I can’t… every single day Fran [Molly’s manager] will send me my schedule and I’ll look at it and I’m just like, “Ok, so at what point in the day do I come up to breathe? Oh, that’s right, I don’t”.’
Molly continued: ‘Every Friday we try and leave it free in my diary, sometimes it doesn’t happen. But because Bambi’s at nursery we can’t book shoots or meetings just in case I get a call.
‘If Tommy’s busy and I get a call asking me to pick her up, I can’t be away or on a shoot or something where I can’t leave.
‘So as much as nursery’s great, for me, it’s not like definite childcare because they could call me and say they need picking up.’
It comes after last month she insisted she will keep posting about motherhood to help others despite suffering fierce backlash from trolls online.Molly
Molly-Mae has leaned into a ‘quiet luxury’ style, sporting pieces which are comparable to those donned by Meghan
Elevated classics and glamour have been the go-tos for both Molly-Mae and the Duchess of Sussex
By attending the same event as Prince Harry, Chad said, it’s possible Molly-Mae is trying to reposition herself
It’s not the only hint of her tilt towards the socialite scene, with the star (pictured with Tommy Fury in 2020) – now a mother to two-year-old Bambi – also sporting a Birkin bag and Patek Philippe watch as she noted comparisons between herself and Princess Diana
Chad said the public image pivot is all pointing towards ‘a more elevated, aspirational space’. Molly-Mae pictured with Tommy when she was pregnant
The star regularly shares vlogs sharing her experience with parenting their daughter Bambi, two, but her more recent videos have caused a stir.
And in another recent post, she and Tommy packed on the PDA for the first time since their split. The pair were known for sharing all aspects of their relationship online, including their engagement back in July 2023.
However, since their break-up in August 2024, the boxer hadn’t appeared in Molly’s vlogs, with the influencer explaining she preferred to keep their relationship private as they worked on their reconciliation.
Yet in one of Molly’s latest vlogs, the couple shared a passionate smooch as she drove to the airport to drop Tommy off ahead of his triathlon.
Filmed before Molly knew she was going to fly to France with Bambi to surprise Tommy, Molly joked: ‘I’ll hold down the fort with the child.’
The pair locked lips before both gushing ‘I love you’, before Tommy swooped in for a second kiss as he opened his mouth wide.
Later in the vlog Molly filmed herself flying off to France in her private jet as she surprised Tommy at the finish line of his 62-mile triathlon.
Asking Tommy how he felt about her and Bambi surprising him he gushed: ‘Honestly I thought I was probably hallucinating.
The influencer, who soared to fame after appearing on series five of the dating show in 2019, has gone from small-time social media content to a chic mansion, ‘quiet luxury’ brand and a British Vogue cover
Molly-Mae’s own clothing line Maebe appears to hark at the dreamy yet glam aesthetics of Meghan’s As Ever
The star regularly shares vlogs sharing her experience with parenting their daughter Bambi, two, but her more recent videos have caused a stir
Chad Teixeira (pictured) told the Daily Mail that Molly-Mae’s tilt towards the socialite scene is’strategic’
‘When I touched you I thought “OMG, you are actually here.” That was the highlight of this whole event, by a mile.’
It’s been a busy start to the week for Molly, who last night was among the many A-listers at the award show also attended by the Duke of Sussex.
Harry has returned to the UK this week for a series of engagements, raising questions about whether he had plans to see his father, King Charles, and brother Prince William, during the trip.
The WellChild Awards celebrates the inspirational qualities of the UK’s seriously ill children, and the professionals who help care for them.
William’s brother touched down at Heathrow Airport on Monday, but has made the transatlantic trip on his own.
Harry’s trip to the UK, which includes four days of official engagements, will be his longest since he and Meghan visited in 2022 when Queen Elizabeth II died.
The Duke was last in the UK in April when he lost his legal challenge over the level of security protection he receives from the government while he is in Britain – after he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to California in 2020.
Harry was appealing a ruling dismissing his challenge to the level of police protection he receives in the UK – but Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos ruled the Duke’s ‘sense of grievance’ did not ‘translate into a legal argument’.
Buckingham Palace is remaining tight-lipped on whether the King, who is currently at his Scottish residence in Birkhall, will meet his estranged son for the first time in 19 months.
But recently there have been signs that the fractured relationship is easing and that a reconciliation could be within reach.
The father and son last met in February 2024, when Harry flew to the UK after it was announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.
Prince William, who has taken a much firmer line on rekindling relations with his brother, has official engagements elsewhere on every day of Harry’s visit.
