After 4 years of being ousted from the royal family, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were unexpectedly hit with the seizure of millions of dollars worth of assets: A stagnant life.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reside in a lavish mansion in Montecito, California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s mansion is reportedly worth $14 million (£11m), with the couple living close to the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Katy Perry.
According to reports, the Sussexes have a combined net worth of $60 million (£48m), despite their stepping down from their roles as senior working royals in 2020 and being forced to repay the taxpayer costs for the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, their former Windsor home.
In May 2020, it was reported that the Duke and Duchess would repay taxpayer costs for the Frogmore Cottage renovations, with them planning to make the payments over the next decade. The total refurbishment costs were estimated at around £2.4 million, meaning they would pay around £18,000 a month until completely paid in full.
Since moving from England to the States, the couple have secured several lucrative deals. In 2020, the same year that they announced their royal departure, the couple signed a deal with Netflix which was reportedly worth around $100 million (£80m). They then secured a $20 million (£17m) advance from publisher Penguin Random House for a reported four-book deal, which included Spare.
The couple also signed a lucrative $25 million (£18m) deal with Spotify in late 2020, which saw Meghan Markle release her Archetypes podcast. A joint statement from the couple’s company, Archewell, and streaming platform Spotify said that they had “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together,” but later a Spotify executive branded the couple “f***ing grifters”.
The Sussexes’ many lucrative deals came in after announcing they were retiring from royal duties. When the couple were working royals they received 95% of their annual income from Harry’s father, the King. According to reports, The taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant made up the other 5% of the Sussexes’ earnings. And when they stepped down as senior royals, King Charles gave them “a substantial sum”, according to reports.
Meanwhile, before Meghan Markle married into the British Royal Family, she was worth an estimated $5 million (£3.5m). Prior to meeting the Prince, Meghan was an actress working on the hit legal drama Suits. Meghan famously portrayed the role of Rachel Zane in the hit TV show, with her earning a reported $50,000 per episode (£37K).
Fast forward to 2024, and Meghan Markle is now gearing up to launch her brand, American Riviera Orchard, which is rumoured to emulate Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand. According to reports around a trademark application, Meghan’s brand will sell: “Fragrance sachets; Lavender Sachets; Non-medicated skin care preparations; Bath and shower gels and salts…non-mediated hair preparations; Bath soap; Bar soap: Non-medicated hand soaps: Body creams: Bath oil: Body lotions: Cosmetics [and] Body Oil.”