Prince Harry quit royal life five years ago and appears to have faced one key predicament ever since. When walking away from royal life and everything he knew in 2020, Harry expressed a desire to be financially independent and carve a new way of life in America with his wife Meghan Markle by his side.
However, this desire to be financially independent – which is now a need to fund their Montecito lifestyle – meant that Harry put his royal relationships on the line. To make money, Harry, 40, decided to reveal intimate family moments with his royal relatives that were never meant to see the light of day, whether that be arguments or private conversations, via both the Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, and in his 2023 memoir Spare.
And he did that for a hefty price tag too. By revealing such intimate moments, and essentially airing his family’s dirty laundry out for all to see, the Duke of Sussex knew that the bombshells would bring in a lot of money, which is most likely to have been a big motivator.
However, this came at a cost. As while Harry’s pockets may have been getting fuller and fuller, the trust between himself and his family was getting thinner and thinner.
As a royal expert, I think it’s now time for Harry to finally decide once and for all if money or family is more important.
In May, Harry spoke openly about how much he wants to reconcile with his royal relatives, especially his father King Charles and his brother Prince William – who he is believed to have been on rocky terms with for some time. However, with a lack of trust between Harry and his relatives, this is going to take more than just a heartfelt message.
With Harry and his wife Meghan Markle still having a deal with Netflix, there is likely to be an ongoing concern for the royals, as who can say he won’t reveal private family information and moments again? Especially if a big price tag is involved, which it most likely would be.
If Harry is serious about reconciliation, he needs to fully prove that no matter what money he is offered, he will not expose intimate family moments again, whether that be in a book, on a series, or in a documentary. As a “kind” person, a word frequently used to describe Harry, this shouldn’t be a difficult.
But how he will do this is anyone’s guess. But what is for certain is that it will take a lot for Harry to prove to his royal relations that family comes over pay cheques, even if he does need to continue funding the costs of his sprawling Montecito estate, where he lives with Meghan and their two children Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
As the famous expression says, ‘trust take years to build and seconds to lose’. And in the case of Harry’s royal rifts, never have truer words been spoken.