Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have hit rock bottom, according to royal critics, after a series of financial setbacks and a fatal flaw in their business model. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from the Royal Family in 2020, but their new life in Los Angeles is not panning out as expected. Meghan has seen a watered-down relationship with streaming giant Netflix, a huge plunge from the initial £75 million deal she and Harry signed in 2020. Meanwhile, Harry faces financial setbacks after government funding for Invictus Australia was cut.
Fatal Flaw in the Sussex Business Model
TalkTV stand-in host Samara Gill said there is one fatal flaw in the Sussexes' business model. She noted a pattern of others cutting ties from Meghan, including Oprah, David and Victoria Beckham, George and Amal Clooney, former pal Jessica Mulroney, and former Vogue editor Edward Enninful. Gill explained: "The Sussex business model has one fatal flaw - it relies on Harry and Meghan being more interesting than the Royal Family, and unfortunately for them, they're not. They would struggle to operate without the massive apparatus of the ever-vilified 'firm'."
Gill also said Harry and Meghan "seem trapped in a never-ending, constantly changing startup pitch" about themselves. Recent reports claimed that royal officials are exploring plans to reverse the £2.4 million renovations at Frogmore Cottage. The Windsor property, previously converted into a single-family home for Harry and Meghan, may be subdivided back into separate residences to make it more appealing for future occupants.
Frogmore Cottage Demotion
Gill continued: "The sectioning off of his old Frogmore Cottage hut must hurt. Not because it was a house, but because it was proof to Harry that no matter how many interviews they gave or documentaries they made slating the royal family, they were still part of the royal story. But now King Charles has done away with the keys. The brutal truth is that Frogmore Cottage wasn't an eviction; it was a demotion." She added: "And today, William is preparing to be King, Kate's preparing to be Queen, the monarchy is carrying on exactly as it has for over a thousand years. And Harry, he is still complaining that he should have been allowed to keep the guest cottage."
Guest Peter Barnes branded the Sussexes' behaviour as "bitter ex" while Ash Gould, also on the TalkTV panel, said: "They are just wandering around the world and it's sort of aimless, isn't it? Yes, Frogmore Cottage, what they're going to do, it's going to be like a royal Butlins, so minor royals can stay apart from them. If she steps foot in the UK, she would just get booed. I think there's always an open door for Harry, but only when he's not with her anymore."
Trust Issues with Prince William
The trio also believed that Prince William would never be able to trust Harry. Gill noted: "He had to take the visitors' entrance through to Clarence House when he went there the last time to meet with the king because they just don't trust him." Peter added: "He got frisked as well, didn't he? One of those wands that you get at the airport just to make sure he's not got anything. But this is the situation that the Royal Family are in because of how they behaved. It's not like the Royal Family is doing this to be cruel. This is a consequence of their own actions."
Dwindling Popularity in America
New data published by Newsweek revealed Meghan's popularity among Americans fell in the first three months of 2026. Meghan was liked by 29 per cent and disliked by 27 per cent of respondents in a poll of around 1,300 Americans conducted by YouGov, giving her a net rating of +2.
