Harry and Meghan slammed for car crash book deal

The Sussexes and other royals with day jobs

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially stepped back from their roles as "senior" royals in January 2020, with the couple announcing a host of lucrative deals, jobs, and engagements in the wake of their decision.

However, not all their money-making ventures since their split from the royal family have been successful, and their latest project has sparked something of a backlash.

Read on to discover their biggest business hits and misses, and why find out they've been accused of making deals with "the worst offenders of actors' rights". All dollar values in US dollars.

Harry and Meghan's latest deal

In their latest business move, Harry and Meghan have snapped up the screen rights to Carley Fortune’s best-selling novel Meet Me at the Lake (pictured).

The rights to the romance book, which sold an incredible 37,000 copies in its first week alone, are estimated to have cost up to $3.8 million (£3m). 

The couple will adapt the book for Netflix as part of the multimillion-dollar production deal they struck with the streaming giant in 2020.

Life imitates art?

When news of the deal broke, many were quick to point out the striking similarities between the book's plot and Prince Harry and Meghan's own lives.

These include a storyline about the tragic death of a parent in a car crash, and the fact the book is set in Toronto, where Meghan lived while filming the TV show Suits.

An insider revealed the couple chose Meet Me at the Lake as their first adaptation with Netflix because the themes explored, such as grief and mental illness, "gripped" them.

Harry and Meghan's latest controversy

However, the couple are facing a backlash for announcing their new project with Netflix in the midst of the ongoing Hollywood strikes.

As a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), which joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in striking against Hollywood studios in July, Meghan has been accused of crossing the picket line to strike deals with the streamer. 

An American PR expert who goes by the alias @RoyalTea on social media platform X said of Meghan and Harry’s latest announcement: "Three years to make their first acquisition and they announce it now? Meghan, an admitted SAG member, and Harry have essentially crossed the picket line to continue making deals for one of the streaming giants that are the worst offenders of actors' rights."

With their latest project causing controversy, let's take a look at other ways the couple make their money...

Meghan had her own fortune too

Although she came from a humble background, by the time Meghan Markle joined the royal fold, she'd already garnered her own fortune.

She had built up a net worth of around $5 million (£3.9m), generated by her $50,000 (£39.3k)-an-episode role on legal drama Suits, as well as sponsorship deals and the freelance calligraphy that she did between acting jobs.

Before she married Prince Harry, Meghan also ran the travel and lifestyle blog The Tig, which reportedly earned her a modest $80,000 (£62.9k) annually. It’s rumoured that the Duchess of Sussex plans to relaunch The Tig and has ambitions of creating a lifestyle empire comparable to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

Suits revival?

Suits, the show that launched Meghan to fame and fortune, has experienced a resurgence in popularity after it was added to Netflix in June.

According to the latest data from Nielson, the series set a new record for an acquired show with an impressive total of 3.1 billion minutes streamed to date.  

Suits producer Gene Klein recently fuelled rumours of the show making a comeback by stating he "wouldn't be surprised" if it was revived in the "era of reboots and reunions", though he admitted nothing was currently in the works.

While it's unlikely that Meghan (pictured with the Suits cast) would return to the legal drama, she hasn't ruled it out either...

Multimillion Spotify deal

One of Prince Harry and Meghan's first business deals after stepping back as working royals was inking a $20 million (£15.6m) contract with Spotify in December 2020 to create podcasts via their production company, Archewell Audio. Later that month, the couple released a podcast featuring singer Elton John and the voice of their then-19-month-old son Archie, the first time he'd been heard in public.

This was followed by the release of Meghan’s Archetypes podcast in August 2022. The series featured conversations with celebrity guests, including Serena Williams and Paris Hilton, but after just 12 episodes it was recently announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had "mutually agreed to part ways" with Spotify.

Archetypes is axed

However, recent reports have suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan's split from Spotify may not have been so amicable. Insiders close to Spotify revealed the couple was dropped after they failed to meet the required productivity benchmark, and as a result they would not receive the full $20 million (£15.6m) payout.

Adding fuel to the fire, Bill Simmons, the head of podcast innovation and monetization at Spotify, has labelled Prince Harry and Meghan as "lazy" and "grifters". The outspoken executive previously blasted the royal couple in a January 2022 episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, stating: "Nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and you just complain about them." 

Did Meghan fake Archetype interviews?

According to Podnews, some of the interviews featured on Archetypes were not conducted by Meghan but by Archewell Audio staff members, with audio of her asking questions edited in at a later stage. If this is true, it could go some way toward explaining Simmons' "grifters" snub. 

The Duchess of Sussex has yet to comment on the accusations, though an Archewell Productions spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that "Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform."

Netflix deal

As mentioned, Meghan and Harry signed a lucrative deal with Netflix in 2020 – estimated to be worth somewhere between $100 million and $150 million (£78m£117.1m) – via their company Archewell Productions. The pair’s first confirmed docuseries for the streaming platform was announced in April 2021 and followed several athletes with disabilities as they trained for the 2022 Invictus Games. 

However, their deal with Netflix hasn't been all smooth sailing either. Meghan was working on an animated series for the streaming platform titled Pearl, which was set to focus on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl. But it was announced in May 2022 that Meghan’s children’s show had been cancelled amid Netflix’s ongoing financial struggle and a decline in subscriber numbers. 

The Sussexes' docuseries

The couple's docuseries Harry & Meghan launched on Netflix in December 2022. The series chronicles their "love story" and high-profile break from the royal family. Part of the pair's multimillion-dollar Netflix deal, it was originally meant to launch a month earlier but was delayed due to the death of the Queen.

Harry and Meghan are pictured here in a selfie they shared in the documentary. 

Prince Harry's book deal

The couple has also set up a string of companies in the US tax haven state of Delaware for their various projects, UK newspaper The Times has reported. This includes one for the rights to Prince Harry's best-selling memoir Spare.

While he signed a rumoured $20 million (£15.6m) book deal with Penguin Random House, any profits from the book will reportedly go to charity. Harry worked on the book with the help of ghostwriter JR Moehringer, a Pulitzer Prize winner. 

The success of Spare

Spare became the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time on its first day of publication, according to Guinness World Records. The memoir sold over 1.4 million copies on its first day on sale in the US, Canada, and the UK, smashing the record previously set by Barack Obama's A Promised Land.

Harry is now tipped to release three more books as part of a four-book deal with Penguin Random House.

Meghan has a book deal too

Meghan also turned to writing, and her children's book, focusing on father-son relationships from the perspective of a mother, was released in June 2021. The book, called The Bench, was also published by Penguin Random House. While it was a work of fiction, the story is inspired by her own family.

"The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father's Day, the month after Archie was born", the Duchess of Sussex revealed in a statement. No financial details have been released about Meghan's venture into children's literature. 

But Harry and Meghan are making moves beyond the worlds of TV and literature... 

Prince Harry's ecotourism firm

One of Archewell's earliest endeavours was Travalyst, an organisation to promote sustainable tourism that Prince Harry launched in September 2019. Travalyst was founded in collaboration with companies including Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Skyscanner, and Visa, and has most recently partnered with Google.

The nonprofit aims to help travellers make more environmentally friendly choices when going abroad, whether that's by offsetting the carbon footprint of their flight or by supporting local communities around the world. 

Harry and Meghan partner with Procter & Gamble

Prince Harry and Meghan have also launched a charity, the Archewell Foundation. In May 2021, the pair announced a multi-year partnership with US consumer goods company Procter & Gamble, which will focus on gender equality and elevating "the voices of adolescent girls", creating inclusive online spaces, and developing "resilience and impact" through sport.

However, some have questioned the move to partner with Procter & Gamble in light of the business' past controversies surrounding alleged links to child and forced labour in their supply chain, animal testing, and price fixing. Meghan Markle herself publicly criticised the firm for a "very sexist" advert for dish soap when she was just 11 years old.

Award-winning charity workers

In December 2022, Harry and Meghan were recognised for their charity work at a New York gala run by the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) organisation, where they were presented with the Ripple of Hope award. The prize honours people who show "an unwavering commitment to social change and [who] worked to protect and advance equity, justice and human rights", with RFKHR President Kerry Kennedy describing the royal couple as "incredibly brave" for addressing issues such as mental illness and racial justice.

At the gala, Harry and Meghan also announced that the Archewell Foundation will be collaborating with the RFKHR on a new venture: the creation of the Archewell Foundation Award for Gender Equity in Student Film.

The Archewell Foundation

In December, it was reported that Prince Harry and Meghan would take over the day-to-day operations of the Archewell Foundation after president Mandana Dayani resigned in what was described as a "mutually planned" decision.

"Her transition was mutually planned, with intent for the duke and duchess to now take full lead of their company. There will be no replacement for this position, and Ms. Dayani is fully supportive of the duke and duchess in their new leadership roles, and they remain friends", read a statement released on behalf of Harry and Meghan. 

The Archewell Foundation’s 2020-2022 Impact Report revealed that Harry and Meghan donated $3 million (£2.5m) to charitable causes, including COVID-19 vaccinations and the evacuation of refugees, during the Archewell Foundation's first year of operations. However, the organisation raised a total of $13 million (£10.8m), and some have criticised the disparity between the money raised and the money donated. Supporters of the Sussexes have, however, argued that the gap is a sensible reserve.

Harry becomes Chief Impact Officer at Silicon Valley start-up

Prince Harry announced not one but three other new jobs in 2021. He was appointed Chief Impact Officer at Silicon Valley start-up BetterUp, which provides coaching, advice, and support for both businesses and organisations. CEO Alexi Robichaux described his job as "a meaningful and meaty role". "I intend to help create impact in people’s lives," Prince Harry told the Wall Street Journal.

"Proactive coaching provides endless possibilities for personal development, increased awareness, and an all-round better life."

He's said to be involved with product strategy and charitable contributions, as well as promoting the benefits of good mental health in the workplace. It's not been revealed how much Harry is paid or whether he's been given shares in BetterUp. The company was most recently valued at $4.7 billion (£3.4bn). 

Commission on Information Disorder

Harry also joined a new Commission on Information Disorder founded by the nonprofit organisation the Aspen Institute. This aims to counter the spread of false information in the digital world. The Commission is funded by Craig Newmark, the billionaire owner of the Craigslist listings website. Other people on the Commission include media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's daughter-in-law Kathryn and former Republican congressman Will Hurd.

In a statement, Prince Harry said: "The experience of today’s digital world has us inundated with an avalanche of misinformation, affecting our ability as individuals as well as societies to think clearly and truly understand the world we live in." It's reported that Harry has a part-time role on the Commission.

Public speaking engagements

The couple has frequently spoken about topics including mental health and gender and racial equality as part of their work with the New York-based speaking agency Harry Walker. According to Town & Country, the pair signed with the agency – which also counts the Clintons and Obamas amongst its clients – in the summer of 2020. Earlier that year, Harry reportedly earned as much as $1 million (£822k) for speaking at an event hosted by JP Morgan.

In March, Harry delivered his first speech since the release of Spare. He was a guest speaker at BetterUp's Uplift Summit in San Francisco, California. While it's unclear just how much the royal pocketed from the engagement, tickets cost an eye-watering $950.

Harry and Meghan partner with asset manager Ethic

In October 2021, Harry and Meghan also announced their partnership with asset management platform Ethic.

Founded in 2015, Ethic aims to democratise investing and help people invest in sustainable companies and industries. Harry and Meghan have joined the company as "impact partners" to raise awareness of sustainable investing and encourage younger people to invest in line with their values.

"From the world I come from, you don't talk about investing, right? You don't have the luxury to invest. That sounds so fancy", Meghan said in an interview with the New York Times. 

No payment for Oprah interview

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex weren't paid for their explosive TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, in which they revealed they'd used Harry's inheritance from Princess Diana, half of which he received when he turned 30, to fund their move to the US. A large part of Prince Harry's current wealth, and Prince William's too, stems from the £21 million ($34m) trust their late mother left to the beneficiaries of her will. After inheritance tax, the sum dropped to £13 million ($21m), which is equivalent to £23.4 million ($28.4m) today, and the brothers each received half of the trust when they turned 30.

However, the princes have had access to the trust’s profits, which are thought to total around £330,000 ($456k) per year, since they were 21. It was this money that Harry claimed allowed them to seek financial independence in 2020.

Now from a flying king to a fairytale-writing princess, let's take a look at some other royals who work for a living...

Princess Märtha Louise, Norway: author and entrepreneur

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway finally officially turned her back on royal duties in November 2022, but has worked with more freedom from her role as a princess since 2002. She’s a certified physiotherapist, but has never practised her profession, and instead used her fascination with traditional Norwegian folklore to establish a commercial entertainment business. 

Princess Märtha Louise, Norway: author and entrepreneur

And it doesn’t stop there. In 2004, her first book, a children’s book entitled Why Kings and Queens Don’t Wear Crowns, was published. The royal also claims she can communicate with animals and angels and started her own alternative therapy centre Astarte Education, which has been subjected to intense scrutiny over the years. 

Quitting royal life to "differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway", Märtha Louise is rumoured to have a personal net worth of around $20.7 million (£17m). 

Princess Beatrice, UK: business matchmaker

Following in the footsteps of her father Prince Andrew the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice has set herself up as a business matchmaker, and bagged her first-high profile client in the process, Afiniti – a company that provides software for call centres.

Princess Beatrice, UK: business matchmaker

The Princess, who had her first child Sienna in September 2021, is said to have held down multiple roles over the years, including working at Sandbridge Capital, a retail-focused venture capital firm in New York, and as a production analyst at Sony Pictures. 

Princess Eugenie, UK: company director

Princess Beatrice’s younger sister Eugenie has also had a few jobs over the years. The princess worked for online auction house Paddle8 in New York from 2013 until 2015. 

Princess Eugenie, UK: company director

After she was headhunted while working at Paddle8, Eugenie joined the ranks of the Mayfair-based gallery Hauser & Wirth as an associate director in the summer of 2015. Her hard work and determination didn't go unnoticed, as she was promoted to director in 2017, and it's said to be "well deserved". 

Princess Eugenie gave birth to her first child, a son named August, in February 2021 and welcomed a son named Ernest in June.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, UK: media personality and author

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's mother Sarah Ferguson stopped being a Royal Highness after her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996, following their split four years earlier, but kept her Duchess of York title. She later told magazine Harper's Bazaar in 2007 that she wasn't keen on the divorce, but they went ahead because of her desire to work in the real world: "Andrew and I decided to make to make the divorce official so I could go off and get a job."

She reportedly received £3 million ($4.9m) as part of their divorce settlement, according to The Sunday Telegraph, and released an autobiography called My Story in 1997. She also took up a role as an ambassador for Weight Watchers (now called WW).

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, UK: media personality and author

Since entering the world of work, Sarah, Duchess of York has starred in TV series including The Duchess on the Estate and a mini-series on the Oprah Winfrey Network called Finding Sarah. And Meghan Markle is not the first royal to make a foray into children's literature, as the Duchess of York has released a series of Budgie the Little Helicopter books, as well as a Little Red series.

In April 2020, she also launched a YouTube channel Storytime with Fergie and Friends, which features Sarah and other authors reading stories to children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her first novel Her Heart for a Compass was published in 2021 by famous British romantic publisher Mills & Boon, to mixed reviews.

Zara Tindall née Phillips, UK: equestrian rider

Daughter to Anne, the UK’s Princess Royal, you may recognise Zara from the British equestrian team as she competed at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and London 2012. 

Zara Tindall née Phillips, UK: equestrian rider

She followed in both her parents’ footsteps and became an accomplished rider, and has competed across countless competitions and events over the years. But her love for the world of horses doesn’t stop there, as Zara also designs her own range of equestrian clothing for Musto Outdoor Clothing alongside working as a patron for several charities. 

Her husband Mike, a former England international rugby player, appeared on the British reality TV show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2022. 

Peter Phillips, UK: managing director

Like his sister Zara, Peter is no stranger to having a "day job", and tried his hand working at a few different companies. After graduating from college, he worked for Jaguar as corporate hospitality manager and then for Williams F1 racing as sponsorship accounts manager. 

Peter Phillips, UK: managing director

In 2005, he became a manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh, but Peter has held the position of managing director at sports management company SEL UK since 2012. He came under fire for appearing in an advert for Jersey milk on Chinese TV, playing on his royal connections.

Viscount Linley, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, UK: furniture maker and company chairman

Up until 2012, the late Queen's nephew and Princess Margaret's son David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, ran his own high-end furniture and interior design business under the brand name Linley before selling it to the heir of a yachting family. 

Viscount Linley, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, UK: furniture maker and company chairman

In 2015, Viscount Linley was promoted to Chairman of auction house Christie’s in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India, following on from his former role of Chairman of Christie’s UK.

King Willem-Alexander, Netherlands: airline pilot

King Willem-Alexander has revealed he held down a part-time job as a "guest pilot" for more than two decades. The Dutch king stepped down from his position after 21 years on KLM’s fleet of Fokker 70 planes. 

King Willem-Alexander, Netherlands: airline pilot

The monarch to 17 million Dutch citizens describes flying as a "hobby" that allows him to leave his royal duties on the tarmac as he glides through the skies. The king has since retrained to fly Boeing 737s as the Fokkers will be phased out of service. 

Prince Nazım Ziyaeddin Nazım Osmanoğlu, Ottoman Empire: stand-up comedian

His Imperial Highness Prince Nazım Ziyaeddin Nazım Osmanoğlu, Imperial Prince of the Ottoman Empire – or Naz Osmanoglu as he prefers to be known – was actually born and raised in the UK, where he's remained. He's a member of the House of Osman, which no longer rules in Turkey, so Naz has pursued a career as a stand-up comedian.

Prince Nazım Ziyaeddin Nazım Osmanoğlu, Ottoman Empire: stand-up comedian

The 37-year-old is happy to laugh about his royal roots, giving one of his solo shows the tongue-in-cheek title of Ottoman Without An Empire. He revealed that in 2016 he had to pay to visit Dolmabahçe Palace, his family's palace in Istanbul before they went into exile, which is now a tourist attraction. The joker even made a video about Prince Harry's 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle. 

Princess Marie-Chantal, Greece: fashion designer

Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece is married to Prince Pavlos of Greece but, as the Greek royal family was abolished in 1973, they need to work.

Before marrying, Marie-Chantal was an heiress to her American investor father Robert Miller's duty-free empire and was a fashion designer who'd worked with Andy Warhol.

Princess Marie-Chantal, Greece: fashion designer

Princess Marie-Chantal (pictured here with her daughter Princess Maria-Olympia, and actress Emma Watson at a fashion show) now runs her own children's clothing line, called Marie-Chantal.

Prince Amedeo, Belgium: financier

The nephew of King Philippe of Belgium effectively abdicated when he married Italian journalist Elisabetta Maria Rosboch Von Wolkenstein in 2014. By not requesting official permission from his uncle, it was thought to be a means to streamline the royal family, although retrospective permission was given in 2015. However, Prince Amedeo does work...

Prince Amedeo, Belgium: financier

After completing a degree in Management at the London School of Economics, he worked for Deloitte in New York City. Prince Amedeo later went on to study for an MBA at the Columbia Business School and now works for private bank Gutzwiller in Basel, Switzerland.

Prince Joachim, Belgium: navy officer

Prince Amedeo's younger brother, Prince Joachim, has gone down a slightly different route to his sibling. As has been the tradition for many royals he began a military career. After studying at Bocconi University in Milan and the Nautical School in Brugge, the 31-year-old worked as a naval officer. 

Prince Joachim, Belgium: navy officer

In 2020 it was reported that he was undertaking an internship in Spain, but the royal got in trouble for travelling to the country from Belgium and not keeping to the 14-day quarantine rules. Prince Joachim was fined €10,400 ($12.6k/£9.3k). 

It's unlikely this young royal will ever be king. Still, it seems that a life of fortune and luxury still awaits for the prince, who is a graduate of the prestigious Harvard Business School.

King Emmanuel Bushayija, Rwanda: security boss

This isn’t the most straightforward of royal fairy tales, we’re afraid. Emmanuel Bushayija, who was declared King of Rwanda in 2017, and his fellow royals were exiled from the country in the 1960s when it became a republic following a referendum. 

King Emmanuel Bushayija, Rwanda: security boss

His appointment as king came after the death of his uncle, King Kigeli V, in 2016. Mr Bushayija has lived in exile in the UK since 2000 and runs his own security firm in Manchester, but also once worked for Pepsi Cola in Uganda. 

Prince Joachim, Denmark: Danish attaché

Prince Joachim of Denmark, the younger son of Queen Margrethe II and sixth in line to the throne, will move to the US to work for the Danish embassy in September.

This comes after Joachim’s children Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena lost their royal titles last year.

Though the family publicly expressed their grievances at the stripping of the titles, Queen Margrethe noted the decision was "necessary future-proofing of the monarchy".

Prince Joachim, Denmark: Danish attaché

Speaking on his upcoming role as a defence industry attaché, Prince Joachim said he was "proud" to "still get the opportunity to represent Denmark internationally in the area of security and defence".

He added, "Transatlantic cooperation is a high-priority area, and I am honoured that they have found me qualified for the task."

Now discover how King Charles III really makes his money

Or read about the world's richest royal families