At 10:00 AM on Monday, July 28, 2025, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, find themselves at a critical juncture as their lucrative Netflix contract nears its end without renewal, forcing drastic measures to preserve their financial stability. The couple, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to Montecito, California, signed a reported $100 million deal with Netflix to produce content, yielding five series: Heart of Invictus, Live to Lead, Polo, Harry & Meghan, and With Love, Meghan. However, with the agreement set to expire this September, Netflix has opted not to extend the partnership, leaving the couple to cut staff and grapple with an increasingly uncertain financial outlook. As their once-promising Hollywood venture falters, questions arise about their ability to sustain their lavish lifestyle and the viability of their post-royal brand.
The decision not to renew stems from a series of underwhelming performances by the couple’s productions. Their 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan, which detailed their exit from royal life, achieved 64 million viewing hours, marking a high point. However, subsequent releases have struggled to maintain interest. Polo, released in December 2024 and focused on Harry’s passion for the sport, drew a mere 500,000 views, ranking a dismal 3,436 out of 7,000 shows in Netflix’s first-half 2025 Engagement Report. With Love, Meghan, a lifestyle series premiered in March 2025, garnered 5.3 million views, placing it at No. 383, a far cry from its initial 12.6 million hours watched. Industry insiders suggest Netflix views the couple’s content as having peaked with the initial royal exposé, with little appetite for new projects. A source told The Sun, “There’s no animosity from either side. Things have just run their course,” though the streaming giant appears to have extracted maximum value from the early controversy.
The financial implications are stark. Since severing ties with the royal family in early 2020, Harry and Meghan have relied on their own ventures, including the Netflix deal, a now-defunct $20 million Spotify contract, and Harry’s $15 million memoir Spare. The Montecito mansion, purchased for $14.65 million, along with staff salaries for their Archewell Foundation, production team, and personal office, reportedly costs around $4 million annually after taxes. Tabloids like Page Six reported on July 5 that the couple has downsized their team to cut costs, a move attributed to the looming loss of Netflix revenue. With Princess Diana’s estimated $10 million inheritance dwindling under these expenses, the couple faces a precarious future unless new income streams emerge. The second season of With Love, Meghan, scheduled for this fall, offers a temporary lifeline, but its success is uncertain given the first season’s modest reception.
The establishment narrative portrays this as a natural evolution, with sources emphasizing a mutual parting and openness to future one-off projects. Netflix’s decision aligns with a strategic pivot, as seen with the Obama family’s deal shifting to a first-look agreement. Yet, this framing glosses over the couple’s declining popularity, a sentiment echoed across media. Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News that Harry & Meghan was the only financially viable project, with subsequent offerings failing to recapture the public’s fascination with royal gossip. Posts on X reflect a growing disillusionment, with some labeling the couple’s content “tasteless” and their brand “irrelevant.” This shift in perception, coupled with the next generation of royals—Prince William’s children—gaining attention, suggests the Sussexes’ star power is waning.
Harry and Meghan’s response has been muted, with no official statement addressing the staff cuts or financial strain. Their Archewell Productions, intended as a hub for impactful storytelling, has yet to replicate the initial success of Harry & Meghan. The planned movie Meet Me At The Lake and Meghan’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, launched in March 2024, remain stalled, with no products sold despite sell-out claims for jams and candles. Critics, including brand experts on The Art of the Brand podcast, have called it a “royal disaster,” accusing Meghan of leveraging her royal fame without delivering substance. This critique challenges the narrative of a seamless transition to media moguls, hinting at a reliance on past notoriety rather than sustainable innovation.
The couple’s financial independence from the royal family, once a point of pride, now looms as a liability. Palace sources, as noted by Marca, express concern over their long-term stability, with expenses outpacing earnings. The end of the Spotify deal in 2023, after failing to meet productivity benchmarks, and the Netflix non-renewal signal a shrinking pipeline. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams warned that without the contract, Archewell’s limited donors could push them into financial trouble, a scenario the royal family might hope to avoid given the couple’s unpredictable ambitions. The King’s rumored worry, as cited by Dan Wootton, underscores a potential need for rapprochement, though recent meetings with royal aides suggest strategic rather than reconciliatory intent.
Public sentiment, drawn from web discussions, oscillates between schadenfreude and sympathy. Some view the staff cuts as karma for their royal critiques, while others see a couple struggling against a fickle industry. The establishment’s focus on a “smooth transition” downplays the human cost—laid-off employees and a family adjusting to reduced means. The couple’s Montecito life, once a symbol of liberation, now appears a gilded cage, with $4 million yearly costs unsustainable without major deals. Their attempt to rebuild bridges with the UK, as reported by the Daily Mail, might reflect financial pragmatism rather than a change of heart, challenging the narrative of a principled break.
Critically, the decline raises questions about their content strategy. With Love, Meghan’s modest viewership, despite Meghan’s personal involvement, suggests a disconnect with audiences seeking more than lifestyle tips. Polo’s failure indicates Harry’s personal passions lack broad appeal, a flaw the couple must address to survive in Hollywood. The establishment’s silence on these creative missteps avoids accountability, possibly to protect Netflix’s image or avoid reigniting royal tensions. The black car sighting in the Diogo Jota crash, though unrelated, echoes a theme of overlooked details, urging scrutiny of whether the couple’s narrative—crafted since 2020—obscures deeper vulnerabilities.
As September approaches, Harry and Meghan face a pivotal moment. The With Love, Meghan second season offers a chance to regain footing, but its fate hinges on viewership. Without a new deal, they may lean on As Ever or seek counteroffers from platforms like Amazon or Disney, though their track record tempers optimism. The royal family’s financial support, once rejected, might become a reluctant necessity, reshaping their independence narrative. For now, the couple’s future remains murky, their Hollywood dream teetering on the edge of collapse as they navigate a landscape where fame alone no longer guarantees fortune.
