After a royal bombshell was dropped last week, one politician has called for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to lose their titles. The topic has been brought up many times before, and isn’t a new revelation. But what makes this occasion different from any previous outrage, is that he wants to bring in a law to make it happen. If the Sussexes were to lose their last remaining link to The Firm, their hand would be forced.
A politician in Britain, Conservative MP Bob Seeley, wants to change the law that has been in place since World War I. Seeley wants to adapt the bill, so the government can strip Prince Harry and Meghan of their titles. Instead, they’d only be known as Mr and Mrs Mountbatten-Windsor. However, showbiz expert Mark Boardman has come out to say the move would be “disastrous” for the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ bank account.
Harry and Meghan could lose ‘millions’, not just their titles
He has told the Daily Express the couple have made too much cash from airing the royal family’s dirty laundry. Without their titles, they have less to gain, he adds.
Boardman explained: “The potential costs of losing royal titles could be substantial, not only for the immediate financial impact but also the long-term effects on their earning potential. Financial penalties or contractual repercussions tied to their titles within existing contracts could amount to millions, particularly if lucrative commercial deals are affected to the tune of millions a year in lost income should the worst happen, and the Sussexes lose their royal titles.”
He adds, although some would see the royals moving towards independence – something they wanted – others would see it as the couple leaving royal tradition. Tradition is still key in the UK, when it comes to the palace.
But what others seem to be missing, is that stripping Harry and Meghan of their titles will likely lead to the pair being backed into a corner. Their hand will be forced at what moves they make next as they build a life in their Montecito mansion.
Royals would be forced to sign up to more ‘lucrative deals’
Omid Scobie, who released the controversial book Endgame last month, spoke of their time outside The Firm. He claims the duo were forced to sign the lucrative deals after being cut off financially.
He says: “The rush to sign commercial deals after the royal institution cut them off from all funding and security in 2020 led them to sign some lucrative deals they might have thought twice about had they not been under so much financial pressure.
“When the couple signed a contract worth up to $20 million with Spotify to develop podcasts, neither of the two expected executives to turn down so many of their ideas.”
Scobie alleged the music giant wanted “juicy goods” and Meghan’s Archetypes didn’t deliver. He claims Meghan and Harry only received a “portion of that $20 million”, and they didn’t get the full paycheck.
The podcast deal was axed officially in the summer, with the two parties “mutually” parting ways. Meghan also then withdrew from copyrighting the term, seeming to prove she was stepping back from the idea as well.
An insider has claimed the pair have faced a “mountain of lessons” on the business side. However, if they could lose ‘millions’ by not spilling secrets on the royal family, what projects could they take up? Harry told Oprah in 2021 that his dad ‘cut them off’. The 39-year-old said he had to use his $16.3 million-dollar inheritance from Princess Diana to provide for his family. Then the duo signed up with Spotify and Netflix, and released docuseries about their time in the palace. But, if their potential earnings are capped and Meghan and Harry lose their titles – will they have to make more commercial deals to fund their life?
Earlier this year, it was reported the couple were eying up a mansion in Malibu. Still based in Los Angeles, it would save them a few million compared to where they live now. Despite the spare change, it’s still a mansion in sunny California, likely to have celebrity neighbors such as Kim Kardashian. Their bills won’t drop significantly where they can sit comfortably and not have any more commercial dealings.
Sussexes’ bank account could take a dive
As we discuss the million-dollar potential loss of earnings for the couple, let’s look at what they’ve made since leaving The Firm.
Meghan and Harry’s media company, Archewell Productions, make programs for Netflix. It was reported the deal could be worth more than $100m for various projects. So far, they have brought to life just two. The documentary series, called Harry & Meghan, where the couple talk about life in the royal family – again. The second was Harry’s Invictus series, about the competitive games he set up for former veterans.
Archewell’s Spotify deal has wrapped up, but the podcast Archetypes, was estimated to be worth $20 to $25million.
Harry also signed a four book deal with publisher Random House. His first release was his memoir, Spare, that came out in January 2023. It dived into his childhood, life as a royal, meeting Meghan and the fallout within The Firm. But Meghan also has taken to the pen, publishing a children’s book in 2021, called The Bench. At the time, she said she was inspired by the bond between Harry and son, Archie.
Then, Harry was named as a Chief Impact Officer at the firm BetterUp. Although his salary has never been released, it’s claimed to be seven figures for the role, which isn’t full time.
If we take out the royal family drama, then deals like Spotify, Netflix and autobiographies would be cut off. So what will their options be? Considering their taste for project ideas in the past, I can’t see much else they can do.
I guess Harry could do more shifts at BetterUp to increase his paycheck.
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