Royal commentator Carole Malone has accused Meghan Markle of being “obsessed” with money, questioning the Duchess of Sussex’s financial ambitions and her latest television venture during the Daily Express’s Royals Unscripted podcast.
Speaking to Daily Express editor James Walker, Ms Malone claimed Meghan had long been focused on financial success, pointing to comments about her ambition to become one of the world’s first female billionaires.
Accusations of financial obsession
Ms Malone said: “She talked about wanting to be one of the first women billionaires. Well, she’s not, of course, because that’s Oprah, but she thought and she talked about being a billionaire.”
She added: “Money has always, always obsessed Meghan.”
Discussing the Duchess’s upbringing, Ms Malone referred to Meghan’s accounts of growing up eating relatively simple meals, saying: “She grew up in a family that didn’t have much money.” Ms Malone added: “She has always been after the money.”
Claims about royal wealth
The commentator then made a claim about Meghan’s expectations when she married Prince Harry, referring to an alleged remark about the prince’s wealth.
“There’s a line that someone said that when she married Harry, she really thought she was marrying a billionaire and she was gutted when she realised she was only a millionaire,” Ms Malone said.
She suggested Meghan may have expected access to the kind of wealth associated with the wider Royal Family, pointing to the contrast between Prince Harry’s personal inheritance and the assets associated with the monarchy.
MasterChef Australia involvement questioned
The conversation also turned to Meghan’s reported involvement in MasterChef Australia: Junior, with Ms Malone questioning whether the project would deliver the level of success the Duchess had hoped for.
“She’s making this sound like it’s a really big, fabulous gig. No, it isn’t,” Ms Malone said. “She’s having to go to the other end of the world to do a show with a relatively small audience.”
James and Ms Malone discussed the reported television appearance and whether Meghan would receive payment for her involvement. Ms Malone said Meghan had appeared on the original MasterChef Australia without being paid, adding that the network had not revealed whether she would receive a fee for the junior programme.
She said: “The network isn’t revealing whether she’s being paid for Junior MasterChef. That would seem to suggest that maybe she does need the money.”
Career reflections
Ms Malone also reflected on Meghan’s acting career before she married Harry, suggesting she might have achieved greater success had she remained in Hollywood.
“Had she stayed in Suits, maybe she’d have been a big movie star by now,” she said.
The commentator went on to compare Meghan’s earlier acting work with her current television opportunities, arguing that her career had taken an unexpected direction since she joined the Royal Family.
Meghan and Prince Harry stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020 and have since pursued commercial projects, including television productions, publishing and lifestyle ventures. Meghan has also developed her As Ever brand.
