Insiders have described the Duke of Sussex as a “glorified house husband,” alleging he is “not really doing anything in America” amid growing questions about his career path and long-term role in California.
Harry, 41, stepped back from royal life in 2020 alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, 44, and their two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
The family later settled in a large Montecito mansion in California, Meghan’s home state.
Early financial wins, growing strain
The Sussexes initially secured a lucrative five-year deal with Netflix in 2020, followed by the release of Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023, which reportedly earned him around $27 million (about AUD$40 million).
However, sources now claim the couple has struggled to land similarly high-profile projects since then.
According to Page Six, their finances have been “slowly dwindling” following the downgrading of their Netflix deal, announced in August, combined with significant ongoing expenses.
These reportedly include between USD$2 million and $3 million a year (around AUD$3–4 million) for security, monthly repayments on a $10 million mortgage (about AUD$14.5 million), and the costs of maintaining household and professional staff.
Speaking engagements and side ventures
To ease the financial pressure, Harry is said to be pursuing speaking engagements, while Meghan continues to focus on commercial ventures through her lifestyle brand, As Ever, which sells products such as jam and flower sprinkles.
“Harry’s not really doing anything in America,” one source told the outlet.
“I think he’s banking on speaking engagements for income right now.”
The same source suggested that while there has been speculation Harry could start a new business, he and Meghan “don’t have the best track record” in that area.
“He’s (Harry’s) really great at service – look at the success of his Invictus charity. He really should just stick with that,” they said.
Uncertainty around Archewell
Harry remains closely involved with the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014, but the couple has reportedly spent months reassessing the future of their joint charitable organisation, Archewell Philanthropies.
In December, it was revealed that Archewell had cut three staff members and recorded a drop in revenue alongside rising expenses for 2024.