How exactly do Meghan Markle and Prince Harry make their money and afford their lavish lifestyle?

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry first announced their desire to step back as senior members of the royal family, they expressed an intention to “work to become financially independent”. Their now-defunct Sussex Royal website, established in 2020 prior to the couple’s move to the U.S., stated that in stepping back from their roles, they would “no longer receive funding through the Sovereign Grant”.

The couple made the choice to become financially independent, their site explained, because they “value the ability to earn a professional income,” which they were previously “prohibited from doing”.

The site also indicated that the Duke and Duchess were looking forward to becoming royal family members with financial independence, which Meghan herself has said gives someone “the freedom of choice”. Discussing its importance at the 2025 Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, the Duchess said: “I think in this day and age, we all need to be able to have our autonomy that is a huge element of that.”

For Prince Harry, financial independence came when his father, King Charles, cut the purse strings. In his memoir Spare, the Duke reflected, “I recognized the absurdity, a man in his mid-thirties being financially cut off by his father. But Pa wasn’t merely my father, he was my boss, my banker, my comptroller, keeper of the purse strings throughout my adult life. Cutting me off therefore meant firing me, without redundancy pay, and casting me into the void after a lifetime of service. More, after a lifetime of rendering me otherwise unemployable.“

Since relinquishing their royal duties, the Duke and Duchess have developed different income streams across multiple sectors. Meghan has also made investments in companies like Clevr Blends, Cesta Collective, Highbrow Hippie, Midi Health and OneOff.

Work, as Meghan has acknowledged, is a necessity. “I need to work because it fills my cup. Also we need to work for practical reasons,” the Duchess said on The Jamie Kern Lima Show in 2025. “You need to work, pay your bills, you need to work.”

Speaking engagements and appearances

Months after moving to California, it was confirmed that the former working royals had signed with the Harry Walker Agency, which also represents Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and Dr. Jill Biden, for speaking engagements. It was understood that the Duke and Duchess would be engaging in keynote speeches with trade associations, corporations and community forums.

Harry was reportedly set to make $50,000 for his speech at the 2026 IAPP Global Summit in Washington, D.C. Fees for the Duke and Duchess are not listed on their respective speaker pages, but inquiries can be made. 

While in Australia for her and Harry’s visit in 2016, Meghan made a surprise appearance on MasterChef Australia. Sky News Australia reported that the Duchess could earn six figures for her special guest role on the show.

Netflix

Months after moving to California, it was revealed that Meghan and Harry had inked a multi-year deal with Netflix, which was estimated to be in “the neighborhood of $100 million”. At the end of 2020, they also secured a deal with Spotify, estimated to be about $20 million, though the partnership has since ended.

The Duke and Duchess, who founded their production company, Archewell Productions, in 2020, told the New York Times at the time that their focus was going to be “on creating content that informs but also gives hope,” adding: “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.”

These days, their company is described as being “dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community – through scripted and non-scripted TV, film, documentaries, and podcasting.” In the years that have followed their deal, the Duke and Duchess have released a variety of docuseries, including Harry & Meghan, Polo, Heart of Invictus. 

Archewell Productions extended its creative partnership with the streamer in 2025 with a multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects.

Back when Meghan and Harry sat down for their interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the Duke remarked that Netflix, along with Spotify, “was never part of the plan.”

“We didn’t have a plan,” Meghan said. Harry then added: “We didn’t have a plan. That was suggested by somebody else by the point of where my family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford . . . afford security for us.”

Inheritance 

In the same interview with Oprah, Harry confirmed that he was cut off in “the first quarter of 2020,” but revealed that he had what his late mother, Princess Diana had left him. “Without that, we would not have been able to do this,” the Prince said.

According to Forbes, Harry received an “estimated $10 million inheritance” from his mother’s estate. The Duke mentioned his inheritance in his memoir Spare, sharing: “Upon reaching thirty I’d receive a large sum left to me by Mummy. I scolded myself for being gloomy about that: most people would kill to inherit money. To me, however, it was another reminder of her absence, another sign of the void she’d left, which pounds and euros could never fill.”

While he wrote that he and Meghan “could always spend some” of his inheritance on a home and security, he admitted that “that felt like a last resort.” “We saw that money as belonging to Archie. And his sibling,” he penned.

Publishing

It was reported in 2021 that Harry had sold his memoir to Penguin Random House, with his advance believed to be at least $20 million, according to Page Six. The Duke did not keep the full proceeds, with Penguin Random House noting that he wished to “support British charities with donations from his proceeds from Spare.” Per the publisher, he donated $1,500,000 to Sentebale and was also set to donate £300,000 to WellChild.

Two years prior to the publication of her husband’s memoir, Meghan Markle published her first children’s book, The Bench, reportedly earning an advance of up to $700,000.

As ever

Meghan expanded her business portfolio in 2025 with the launch of her lifestyle brand As ever, developed in partnership with Netflix. The first collection featuring eight products, including flower sprinkles and limited-edition wildflower honey with honeycomb, sold out in under an hour following its release in April 2025. 

Months later, in July, As ever introduced its first wine offering. Since its debut, the brand has also collaborated with Compartés chocolatier on chocolate bars and with High Camp Supply on a special Bloom Box.

Affiliate links

The As ever founder is not only an investor in the AI-powered fashion platform OneOff, but also a participant. The Duchess is among the celebrities and creators whose looks are available to shop through the affiliate e-commerce platform. Outfits from Meghan’s 2026 visit to Australia, along with other pieces worn by her, are available on OneOff.

The Duchess previously had a ShopMy page where individuals could purchase a “handpicked and curated collection” of products, but it was revealed in September 2025 that she had closed it. According to Nick Ede, one of the UK’s leading brand and culture experts, it was the Duchess’ “best venture” when her show With Love, Meghan “launched as it actually made sense.” “You watch the show, you buy her clothes,” Nick told HELLO!. “That’s what her fans want to feel, that they can connect and interact.”