Many fans of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry believed that once the couple could finally cut the oppressive ties that bound them to the British royal family, they’d be free to flourish as the in-demand celebrities that they are.
It’s safe to say that things haven’t quite worked out that way. Like many children, Prince Harry learned the hard way that leaving the safety of his family and becoming independent isn’t as easy as it seems.
Although, it has to be said that both Harry and Meghan Markle have done an impressive job of managing to get by without spending any of their own money.
Well, aside from that Walmart privacy screen they put up around Tyler Perry’s $18 million mansion.
I do not doubt that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had it all figured out when they informed Queen Elizabeth of their intentions to quit the royal family via email.
Meghan could exploit her royal status and look to work with clothing and fashion brands by way of endorsements, while Harry could look to earn millions on the corporate speaking circuit. Harry, of course, would also be needed to sell his wife’s acting abilities to Hollywood’s decision-makers.
They could tie all of this together quite nicely with their Sussex Royal social media brand.
It was the perfect plan. Until it started to fall apart.
First, Queen Elizabeth laid a royal stomping to everything by telling the couple that no, they could not use the Sussex Royal brand and that if they wished to retain some semblance of a royal standing, they’d have to follow some of those pesky rules.
So, the Queen hadn’t played ball. Okay, it’s a set-back, but nothing they can’t overcome, right?
Prince Harry had already dipped his toe into the public speaking role that he had earmarked as his earning avenue when he took to the stage at a JPMorgan event earlier in 2020.
This avenue was set to be the primary source of income for the couple. With Meghan Markle by his side, Prince Harry could exploit his mental health issues and his mother’s death for profit.
Talk about the worst way to earn a buck? I have to believe his mother would be furious at her son for opening up on such matters to a bunch of Wall Street bankers for personal gain. I’m not sure Prince William would be too enamored with their private lives being put out there for some wealthy bankers to hear.
Then the pandemic that has disrupted the entire planet strikes. Talk about bad timing? The world, as we know it, has fundamentally changed.
Speaking to Radio New Zealand, the Royal Editor of the Daily Mirror, Russell Myers, commented:
All their plans are simply up in the air at the moment. They had huge plans once they settled in Los Angeles to set up their own foundation, and now obviously, these plans are in tatters. They had plans to launch themselves into the corporate world, into the very, very lucrative world of public speaking, where they could potentially net millions and millions of pounds for a single gig.
Once the worst of the pandemic blows over, what then? Will these financial institutions still be interested in paying millions of dollars to a British Prince to hear him talk about mental health?
If not, then the game could well and truly be up. The couple should be thankful they have that 12-month trial period in their deal with The Queen. They can go running back to the UK and their coddled lifestyle when they realize the real world isn’t all that interested in them.