When Prince Harry abandoned his royal duties, he lost financial support from King Charles III and was left with his mother’s reported $16 million inheritance to get him and Meghan Markle by when they moved to America in 2020. But he never expected that his wife would waste his fortune away on her failed projects, and so he has laid some ground rules to remind her that she too has to earn her keep.
To earn money, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed multi-million dollar deals with Spotify ($20 million) and Netflix (five-year, $100 million contract) to produce multiple content under their Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions company, respectively.
Unfortunately, the audio streamer cut ties with them in 2022 because Meghan failed to keep the end of their bargain. She only produced one podcast series, Archetypes, which ran for 12 episodes (two series if you include the Christmas special she recorded which had a cameo of her son Prince Archie). Spotify executive and podcaster Bill Simmons had even lashed out at the Sussexes and called them “f**king grifters.”
Likewise, Netflix pulled out Meghan’s animated series Pearl before it could even go to pre-production. On a positive note, they gave the streaming giant a boost with the success of their Harry & Meghan docuseries. But their succeeding documentaries, Live to Lead and Heart of Invictus, didn’t match the success of the first, and initial reactions from the trailer of their upcoming Polo film suggest it could be a hit or miss.
Now, it’s said that Meghan spent a lot of time and money to ensure the launch of her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, went without a hitch after its delayed release due to trademark issues. Harry is said to be growing increasingly worried that his wife’s “overly ambitious “ dreams could potentially leave them hanging dry, and so he has warned her that she better “start earning, not keep spending.”
A source claimed that the Duke is beginning to wonder if the problem is not the business but Meghan herself. He is reportedly “not alone in thinking Meghan’s big relaunch plans for the new year are just going to be more of the same.” The insider noted that while “on paper, her branding ideas tick every box “the question is, will it be a profitable success? Harry reportedly finds her passion projects to be nothing but “a thorn in his side.”
“Harry’s beginning to realize the only constant in their problems is the decisions made by Meghan… He’s worried she’s not making the most of their opportunities” and so “he’s had no choice but to give Meghan an ultimatum, at the very least a strong warning.”
The insider claimed that while Harry has allowed Meghan to do her projects in her spare time, he also wants her to think about financial stability. After all, Charles is no longer bankrolling them. He wants her to do “something that will be a success” and to “focus more on things that will matter, not jams and dog biscuits.” The source added that the Duke is “tired of the ridicule” aimed their way but he also acknowledges that “a lot of it is actually warranted.” There’s no doubt in his mind now that they would have to “make some huge changes in the future if they don’t start to turn things around soon.”