How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have become Hollywood’s brightest couple

It’s been nearly a year since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shocked the world when they announced they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family. And while some critics doubted the couple could achieve the financial independence they craved, 11 months on, they are set to prove them wrong.

For Meghan and Harry, 36, are on track to rake in millions, thanks to the backing of Hollywood and their showbiz pals.

“Meghan and Harry are Hollywood’s brightest couple,” royal expert Katie Nicholls tells Closer. “They are the biggest celebrities over there and they’ve got the royal card, which is in a sphere of its own.

“They’ve forged huge successes since leaving; it’s a remarkable achievement. They’ll be closing this year saying, ‘We’ve done it. We’ve left the royal family, we’ve left Britain, we’ve got our dream home in LA. We’ve had more time with Archie than we’d ever hoped for and we’ve signed these cracking deals.’”

Recently, it emerged that the couple had signed a lucrative contract to host and produce podcasts for Spotify. While the details hadn’t been disclosed as Closer went to press, it’s estimated the deal is worth around £18 million for their charitable foundation, Archewell.

In addition, they recently signed a contract with streaming service Netflix to produce a range of shows. It’s been rumoured that the money-spinning deal is worth over £100 million, which would put the power couple streets ahead of the estimated £5 million per year they earned as royals.

“Financially, they are going to be much better off,” says Katie. “These are multi-million pound deals. They are making a fortune, and one of the key reasons they left the royal family was to make money. After a year of planning, next year will be about showing us how they’re going to work.”

Katie adds that it’s also hoped the couple will welcome a sibling for Archie in 2021. Meghan, 39, recently opened up about suffering a devastating miscarriage in July, describing the moment she “dropped to the floor” in pain as she changed one-year-old Archie’s nappy.

“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” she wrote. “Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.”

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Now Katie tells Closer, “A bigger family is definitely on the agenda. I think it’s everyone’s hope that they will fall pregnant in the new year and that it’s a safe and healthy year for them both. Covid-permitting, we’ll hopefully see them visit Britain, too. It’s the Queen’s 95th birthday and the Duke of Edinburgh is turning 100. Harry hasn’t seen his father or his brother or grandparents since last March, so he’ll want to come back next year.”

She adds, “This has been a really difficult year for all of us and it’s the same for them. It’s been a year of heartache, but they’ve had time to sit down and get their business model right.

“They know they are going to have their critics – especially  this side of the pond – but they are resilient. They’re going to be tapping into an ethically-aware generation and they’re going to be very successful. Next year, we’ll see things come to fruition.”

In addition to their deals with Spotify and Netflix, Meghan has also invested in a new vegan coffee range. And Katie believes she has ambitions of following fellow Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow into the wellness industry. She closed her hugely successful fashion, food and lifestyle blog, The Tig, when she became entwined with the royal family, but it’s been rumoured she may relaunch a new version. And it could prove tough competition for Gwyneth, whose lifestyle brand Goop is said to be worth an estimated £190 million.

“I hear rumours that Meghan will be entering the wellness arena,” says Katie. “It’s definitely something she wants to dip into. Her new coffee business is also quite hippie and it’s very LA. It chimes with everything she’s into – sustainability, being organic and helping the community.”

Meghan’s friend Oprah Winfrey famously promoted her coffee brand to her 19.2m followers, leading PR experts to speculate that the free publicity was worth as much as £740,000. It’s certainly proved a boost for Meghan, who grew up in LA and counts the likes of Serena Williams and Amal Clooney among her friends, while Michelle Obama is said to be appearing on their new Spotify series.

“Oprah went to the royal wedding and she’s publicly supported Meghan,” says Katie. “Meghan is very much part of that Santa Barbara set – she is Hollywood, and she’s climbed her way to the top. She’s business savvy, and she’s clever.

“We’re seeing a more confident and assertive Meghan, because she’s back home. In LA she has her friends, her mum Doria... this is her world. They’ll return to the UK to visit but, without a doubt, America is their home now. They’ll never go back to living in the UK. This is their life now, and it’s forever.”

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TV pundit Lizzie Cundy partied with former pal Meghan Markle in 2016, and then attended the Global Gift Gala bash with her, where Victoria Beckham was also present.

She says, “When I first met Meghan, she was a little-known actress from Suits, but she clearly had aspirations to be a big star. She was in awe of all the A-list celebs around her at the Global Gift Gala in London, and when Victoria Beckham walked on to the stage, Meghan got up and was whooping and cheering, so excited to see Posh in the flesh. It was a proper girl crush.

“But now Meghan’s reached a whole new level of fame and she’s obviously shaping herself and Harry into a power brand to far surpass Victoria and David Beckham! She wants to enter the Billionaire’s Club and, having met her, I can definitely see her going down the lifestyle guru route like Gwyneth Paltrow with Goop. Meghan is very spiritual – she confided that she believed the universe would deliver her the right man! She also loves yoga, meditation, cooking and has a quirky sense of humour. Like Gwyneth, I can see her making vagina-scented candles and giving her undercarriage a good old steam!

“She’s a dominating personality, so Harry will have to follow suit with whatever she wants; she wears the trousers. I think she’ll use her and Harry’s power brand to also shape a career in politics; she’s already made it clear that she’d like to emulate the Obamas.

“The Sussexes have walked away from the royals in the UK to become Hollywood royalty in the US, and with Meghan as the driving force, nothing will stop them!”

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