Kate Middleton has made her royal return and King Charles is recovering from his cancer diagnosis. In many ways it feels like the Royal Family is returning to full strength, even if the estranged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain strangers to the fold.
The Sussexes have created a new life in the US, while their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are growing up fast. Despite the kids still being very young, they’ve already made many headlines.
Harry and Meghan have begun building their empire in the US, venturing into numerous business opportunities. Meghan created her lifestyle brand, and just days ago, Harry received millions from an old trust fund. What the Duke will do next is unclear, but according to one expert, he has a very special financial plan in place for his children.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle weren’t exactly poor when they left the Royal Family. The Duke had been receiving a portion of the Crown’s incredible wealth –which he was entitled to – while Meghan was a big name in her own right even before joining the British monarchy.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle – business ventures
Only months after the royal exit, Harry and Meghan reportedly secured a five-year $100 million production deal with Netflix. They also signed a four-book deal with their publisher, said to include an eye-watering $20 million advance and global royalties for Harry’s book, Spare, which is itself reportedly worth more than $120 million.
Spare was a massive success, becoming the fastest-selling nonfiction book ever published. According to bestselling author Richard Osman, Prince Harry likely made tens of millions from the book.
Speaking on his podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, earlier this year, Osman said: “It’s impossible to overestimate how much money that has been made.
“I mean, it’s been one of the most successful books. The fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time. I’ve done some back-of-the-envelope calculations because I like to,” the author continued, per Express.
“I know what you get paid per book. Got a $20 million advance. Thing with an advance is, you get paid in advance, $20 million in that case, you do not make a penny until your publisher makes back their $20 million.”
But that wasn’t all. The couple pocketed an additional $20 million for their Spotify deal. According to an industry expert speaking to Newsweek, the agreement itself was worth around $35 million.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle were dropped by Spotify
On top of that, Harry and William shared the reported $14 million fortune their mother, Princess Diana, left them. Meanwhile, Meghan had millions in the bank after her successful career as an actor. In the final seasons, released in the years she first met Harry, she reportedly earned about $50,000 per episode.
Harry and Meghan’s celebrity lifestyle in Montecito, which includes living in a lavish $14 million mansion, is undoubtedly what many dream of. The Duke and Duchess have been through a lot in recent years but appear to have settled well into their new life.
Their Netflix series was a huge success, and Harry’s book, Spare, sold millions of copies in just a few days. Meanwhile, Meghan embarked on her own Spotify podcast, which seemed hugely promising in its early days.
The Spotify deal would ultimately become Harry and Meghan’s first significant setback; last summer, the couple and the music giant mutually agreed to part ways.
According to an unnamed Variety source, Spotify was said to have been expecting more content from Archewell Studios.
Another source told the American news outlet that Harry and Meghan no longer want to distribute exclusively to Spotify. Instead, they have found other homes for their audio projects.
Spotify boss called Prince Harry & Meghan Markle “grifters”
No matter the reason, it’s safe to say that the project was a disaster for Harry and Meghan. And it got worse as Bill Simmons, the company’s head of podcast innovation and monetization at the time, lashed out at the couple on his podcast.
“I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation. The Fucking Grifters, that’s the podcast we should have launched with them,” Simmons said on the Bill Simmons podcast.
“I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories… Fuck them. The grifters.”
While Spotify didn’t work out, Harry and Meghan have continued to produce documentaries through their Archewell production company. As of 2024, the couple has released three documentaries, including one about themselves. Later this year, a new documentary on polo is set to air.
Meghan Markle has also established her own business journey. The Duchess announced her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, in March earlier this year. In the announcement video, shot at the couple’s Montecito mansion, Meghan walked around the beautiful home and showcased her cooking.
The first product — a lemon-filled gift basket containing fresh fruit jam — was sent to 50 of her friends, many of whom were celebrities.
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand could make multi-seven figures, expert says
At the time, PR expert Mayah Riaz said Meghan could earn as much as a seven-figure sum within the first year of launching her lifestyle brand.
“So far, the jams have been sent to only 50 people. This suggests that it will be an exclusive and limited edition item,” Riaz told the Mirror.
“It has already been reported a single jam jar could cost three figures. I believe that is entirely likely from what we have seen so far. This is not rare for a celebrity brand.”
The PR expert added: “Therefore, my estimation is that American Riveria Orchard in under a year could make Meghan seven figures. It is entirely possible for the brand to make multi-seven figures by the end of next year.”
Harry and Meghan bought their lavish mansion in Monicito, California, for around $14 million. It includes a tennis court, a wine cellar, a pool, and nine bedrooms, and it reportedly costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to run each year, including staff and maintenance work.
“The costs pile up quickly, but it comes with luxury living,” a property expert told The Sun. “Keeping a place this big properly staffed and maintained takes major money.”
Moreover, royal expert Katie Nicholl said that an expert told her: “You can’t live in Montecito the way they’re living without it costing about $20 million a year.”
Prince Harry’s financial plan for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
Even though Harry and Meghan might have backlash regarding their business ventures, the Duke is doing well. In any case, if money had been tight, the birthday present he got for his 40th birthday would have solved many problems.
It’s been reported that Harry received around $10 million from a family trust fund set up by the late Queen Mother when he was only a child.
According to several news outlets, Harry’s great-grandmother set up a trust to provide tax-free money to all her great-grandchildren.
“There was a trust fund set up at the time. It was a way in which the Queen Mother could set aside money for when her great-grandchildren were older and a way of passing a slice of her estate down in a tax-efficient way. It was a way in which some of her estate could be ring-fenced for them,” a former palace aid told Express.
Despite that, there have been concerning reports about Harry’s finances. However, aristocrat Lady Vicotria Hervey said that the Duke is “doing well financially.”
“He got an extra chunk of money for his birthday,” she told GB News.
“So we don’t know how he’s deciding to spend that. I’m sure that will come in very handy for what they [him and Meghan Markle] want to do next.”
“He wants to put the inheritance away for their future”
Harry was also handed millions after his mother tragically passed away. Looking to the future, his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are growing up in a world of luxury, and it seems like Harry has a plan in store for his children.
According to a GB News source, Harry will ensure that his son and daughter inherit millions of pounds. The money he got from his great-grandmother’s trust fund is not for him to use but for his children.
“He wants to put the inheritance away for their future, especially for Archie and Lili,” the source told GB News.
While having a lot of money makes some parts of life easier, in Harry and Meghan’s case, having a lot of cash has also brought troublesome headlines, which have also dragged their children into the mix.
Archie is beginning kindergarten this fall, while Lilibet is enrolling in preschool.
There’s still plenty of time until Archie and Lilibet begin their studies, which include at least high school or college. Until then, they will likely attend a school near the fashionable Montecito, California, where they live.
One journalist suggests that the Sussexes have begun looking at schools in the surrounding area. Inevitably, Harry and Meghan are now facing much criticism for their choice of possible institutions.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle criticized over school decision for Archie & Lilibet
Speaking with the Mirror, Rochard Mineards, with the Montecito Journal, revealed that Harry and Meghan have been eyeing a local private school. And it costs a pretty penny indeed.
“The Riven Rock twosome were spotted inspecting an institution’s campus last week, bringing them one-step closer to a decision,” Mineards said.
He added: “School fees in our area range from $60,000 to $50,000 plus for older grades, with most of the institutions having 100 percent of students going on to attend four-year colleges.”
It can be assumed that Harry and Meghan have the funds to send their children to private schools, and in a worst-case scenario, they could use the inheritance Harry received from the trust fund.
However, the fact that Harry is looking at such an expensive school only fits well with some.
US-based journalist Lee Cohen has moved to slam the royal couple, branding them “frauds.”
Expert brands Prince Harry & Meghan as “frauds”
In an interview with GB News, he said it’s “infuriating” that the Sussexes are planning to enroll their children in an “outrageously expensive” school, not least since they have the issue of equality close to their hearts.
“Their supposed commitment to progressive causes is nothing but a facade,” he continued. “If they’re willing to indulge in this epitome of elitism, there is no advocating for equality Yet they’re willing to pay staggering tens of thousands per year for their children’s education. How can they possibly justify this when so many families struggle to afford even the basic necessities?”
Cohen concluded his rant by accusing the couple of sustaining their “systems of privilege,” even though they claim to be working against it.
“Sending their children to such a prestigious institution completely exposes the frauds that Harry and Meghan are. By perpetuating the very systems of privilege that they claim to expose,” Cohen told GB News.
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