Royal Writer Says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have a ‘Money Problem’ Now Because of Their ‘Expensive Lifestyle’
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were stepping down as senior royals in 2020, they said that they would work to become “financially independent.” After they moved to California, the pair signed a mega-deal with Netflix to produce original content. But a year and a half later, the streaming giant is still waiting to get that content from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and now there is chatter about them doing a reality show. A royal expert believes that the couple “selling themselves” to the reality family TV world “exposes” a money problem for them.
‘Keeping Up With the Sussexes’ could be in the works after Meghan’s show was canceled
There had been rumblings for a few weeks and reports from multiple media outlets that Meghan and Harry have to give something substantial to Netflix especially after it axed the duchess’s animated series, Pearl, before it even went into production.
Now, it’s believed that the duke and duchess need to offer something “juicer” to the streaming platform and as Page Six reported, a Keeping Up With the Kardashians-style docuseries could be just that. A producer and “Hollywood insider” told the site that the details and timing of when the show would be released are still in the works.
Netflix has not confirmed the reports. But if Meghan and Harry are going to let cameras into their home and go behind the scenes for the world to see their family life, that directly contradicts the privacy they claimed they so desperately wanted. And a royal writer believes that doing so is proof that the prince and former Suits star are having money issues.
Royal expert explains why Meghan and Harry could have money woes now
According to royal expert Daniela Elser, it appears that “selling themselves” to the highest TV bidder had become Meghan and Harry’s “only option” which “exposes a money problem” and that can be attributed to their expensive lifestyle. Elser explained that the pair either “can’t — or won’t — live within their means.”
“When it comes to the Sussexes’ bank accounts, the issue is that while $46 million (their reported net worth when they moved to California) might be an unthinkable amount of money to you and I, it’s pocket change for the company that the Sussexes now keep,” Elser wrote in news.com.au. “Their neighbor and mate Oprah is worth $4.4 billion, royal wedding guests George and Amal Clooney are worth $340 million, while their Montecito neighbor Katy Perry earned $54.9 million in 2020 alone.”
Elser noted that some of the biggest expenses for the Sussexes are having round-the-clock private bodyguards which cost them anywhere between $1.4 million to $4.7 million. In addition, they have the upkeep of their massive $15 million Montecito mansion which has 16 bathrooms. The expert also pointed out the expensive designer clothes Meghan has been seen wearing post-royal life. As a working member of the royal family, her wardrobe was covered by Prince Charles but that’s not the case anymore.
The duke and duchess reportedly have another docuseries already in the works
It’s reported that during Harry’s trip to The Hauge, Netherlands for the Invictus Games in April 2022 that a camera crew was on hand filming what will be the Sussexes’ first series for Netflix. The documentary is titled Heart of Invictus.
A statement on Meghan and Harry’s Archewell website said: “Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve. This series will give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors … As Archewell Productions’ first series with Netflix, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential, and continued service.”
A camera crew also followed the couple when they visited New York City back in September. There hasn’t been any word yet on if that is part of something else they’re working on or if that’s our first look at what Keeping Up With the Sussexes will include.
