Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Future Will Be ‘Bleak’ if They Fail at 1 Thing ‘Like So Many Other Celebrities’
Work, work, work. That’s essentially what a royal historian says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have to do to avoid having a “bleak” future and “disappear[ing]” like other celebrities. Ahead, the challenges facing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their post-royal existence, from their “lush” life to staying part of the public “conversation.”
Harry and Meghan must constantly have new ideas or ‘disappear’ like other celebrities
According to royal historian Hugo Vickers, the future may present challenges for Harry and Meghan. “Unless they keep coming up with new initiatives and new goods, they’re going to disappear like so many other celebrities,” he said on “The Royals With Roya and Kate” podcast. “Once that happens, I think the future is going to look rather bleak.”
For Harry, “it’s very difficult because he is part of an extraordinary institution. And then suddenly, he’s cut free from that,” Vickers said. “He’s gone off on his own. It’s a brave step into an unknown world.” Meanwhile, Meghan’s previously been described as a “businesswoman at heart,” which may perhaps become a major asset as their post-royal lives continue.
They face challenges in California
Harry and Meghan’s “lush” life concerns Vickers (and other royal commentators and experts). Sure, they’ve inked several major media deals since moving to the U.S. in 2020, and they have an estimated joint net worth of $60 million, but their lifestyle is expensive.
“What worries me is that I think, whenever I see images of Range Rovers and things coming to the airport and security people, that’s jolly expensive,” he said. “And they’ve got to keep moving the whole time to finance this life. And I’ve been to Montecito, and that’s pretty and lush and expensive, too.”
Harry and Meghan live in an oceanside Montecito, California, mansion with their two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, after reportedly securing a $9.5 million-dollar mortgage.
Besides money, there’s the stateside challenge of staying part of the public “conversation,” which, as a friend and adviser told the U.K.’s The Times, they seem to be faltering on at the moment.
“What they haven’t been able to do is create a public presence that’s respected and popular,” they said. “I was in LA recently and was struck by how they’re not the topic of conversation. Everyone wanted to know about the King [Charles III] and Kate [Middleton]’s health. Harry and Meghan have dropped out of the conversation.”
Harry and Meghan have multiple projects in the works
For now, Harry and Meghan are keeping “the goods” coming. They have solo and joint projects on the way. They recently unveiled the Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network to promote safety online.
The couple’s also producing Netflix’s film adaptation of Carley Fortune’s Meet Me at the Lake novel as part of a multi-year partnership with the streamer set to expire in 2025.
As for solo projects, Harry has the Invictus Games, which will take place in Canada early next year and in England in 2027. He’s also behind a Netflix docuseries on the sport of professional polo.
Meanwhile, Meghan’s reportedly wrapped filming on her own Netflix show about “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship.” She also has her own budding lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which has yet to officially launch. (Celebrity friends have offered glimpses of dog treats and jams on social media.)
Finally, she has a new podcast on the way with Lemonada Media after one season of “Archetypes” with Spotify.
