When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to California to seek their fortune, fans claimed they would be a new power couple, like George and Amal Clooney, who attended their wedding, but with a touch of royal mystique. Comparisons were even drawn to former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, whose lucrative book and podcast business they hoped to emulate.
This week we’ve seen evidence that that dream is in tatters, as Prince Harry and Meghan pursue different paths when it comes to their careers. It’s a new strategy, but to explain why they felt the need to adopt it, we have to go back to the moment they arrived in the United States.
The Sussexes’ ambition to harness their power as a couple became clear soon after they landed in Los Angeles on what Harry described as a “freedom flight” from Canada during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Meghan has filmed a cooking and lifestyle show, which is expected to air next year.
While living in a mansion generously lent to them by American TV star Tyler Perry (whom Harry admitted he did not know), the couple began planning how they would establish themselves as a new force in the US.
They created Archewell, a mix of for-profit and nonprofit organizations registered in Delaware, a tax-advantaged state, which they hoped would help them gain the same kind of status that former U.S. presidents, including Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, have gained from foundations. they had established.
Then came the crucial matter of cashing in on their royal connections as a couple. They did so by signing multimillion-dollar deals with media titans Netflix and Spotify.
Making it clear that music giant Spotify had signed them as a couple, both Harry and Meghan appeared on the pilot episode of their podcast. A host of celebrity guests were brought in, including Sir Elton John, James Corden and Tyler Perry, in a bid to demonstrate their ability to attract big names.
Three months later, they sat down for an explosive television interview with their Santa Barbara neighbour, Oprah Winfrey. Following Meghan’s claims in the interview that the future Princess of Wales had made her cry and her accusations of racism among unnamed Windsor royals, the sofa chat sparked a devastating rift with the Royal Family. It also alienated millions of people who had previously sympathised with Harry and Meghan.
The negative reaction to the interview may have been the tipping point, when the first doubts began to emerge about the wisdom of their “power couple” strategy. However, they had signed a deal with Netflix worth $100 million, so they went ahead with their tawdry “docuseries” or reality show, Harry & Meghan, which aired the following year.
By the time Spotify launched its first podcast series that same year, poor Harry’s voice had already been silenced. Instead, the twelve episodes of the series, Archetypes, were hosted exclusively by Meghan.
Apparently, the former actress had decided that she deserved the top spot. However, it didn’t help her much.
While living in a mansion lent to them by American television star Tyler Perry, the couple began planning how they would establish themselves as a new force in the US.
The series turned out to be the first and last for Spotify, with the company announcing in 2023 that it had ended their partnership. Adding insult to injury, Spotify executive Bill Simmons described the pair as “f***ing scammers” and ridiculed Harry’s attempts to come up with podcast ideas.
Meghan’s solo series set the path for their future careers. She left Harry to promote his memoir alone, while the book further infuriated the royals and their fans around the world.
Their upcoming projects for Netflix are separate: Meghan has filmed a cooking and lifestyle show, expected to air next year, while Harry made a show about polo, his favorite sport.
This week, Harry has been alone in New York, carrying out charity events related to his late mother, Princess Diana, which would once have held much appeal for Meghan.
What is most striking is that the Duke has appeared much more relaxed than during his previous visit to the city with his wife. That visit ended in fiasco, with allegations of a “high-speed chase” with paparazzi that were denied by the police.
Harry’s smiles also contrast with the scowl he often appeared to wear when he visited Colombia with Meghan last month.
A source in California says Meghan has decided her interests are best served by pursuing separate careers.
“They will continue to do some charitable work together and embark on overseas visits, but their work projects will be separate,” the source tells me.
Perhaps Meghan has decided that she is the bigger draw when it comes to showbiz. That would leave Harry free to continue trying to patch things up with his family on visits home that are likely to become more frequent and longer.
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