Royal Commentator Labels Harry and Meghan ‘One-Hit Wonders’ Outside of Royal Gossip
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing fresh criticism as their latest creative project tanks at box office.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a dream run the moment they stepped out of palace grounds in 2020. Their explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey was everywhere, dominating global media, and their tell-all Netflix docuseries quickly followed, becoming the platform’s biggest documentary debut ever in late 2022. Just when it seemed the royal gossip tank might run empty, Harry dropped his sensational memoir, Spare, in 2023. All three projects continue to make waves even today, but the sore point is that any creative endeavor beyond royal drama has not reaped a similar result.
The most recent example is Cookie Queens, a documentary that Harry and Markle were executive producers of. Although the film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, it struggled to draw audiences during its theatrical release. As British journalist Eleanor Mills wrote for The Telegraph, “The Sussex-produced documentary got beaten at the box office last weekend by a cat-video compilation, CatVideoFest 2026—the lowest form of entertainment in life.”
Cookie Queens unfortunately met the same fate as Polo, Live to Lead, and Heart of Invictus. Although With Love, Meghan carried some hope, the lifestyle series was eventually cancelled. “I’m afraid Cookie Queens is just the latest proof that when it comes to creating films or TV that people want to watch, the Sussexes are talentless, unless, of course, they are pulling back the royal curtain and talking about their very favorite subject—themselves!" Mills added.
Fresh off her summer family vacation in Europe, Markle immersed herself in promoting Cookie Queens, taking part in videos, speaking at events, and hosting special screenings. The project aligned closely with her background, given that much of her childhood was shaped by her time as a Girl Scout. Mills also noted how naturally the documentary fit the Duchess's brand, writing, “I can see how Netflix might have thought it could be a documentary—kind of spelling bee with an enormous captive audience (millions of girls and their mothers). Meghan is big on how she was a Girl Scout and how her mother ran the troop (tick). She also hosted a podcast where she talked to other female entrepreneurs (tick). So Cookie Queens was no doubt pitched as being totally within Meghan’s wheelhouse.”
Unfortunately, the sentimental quotient may not have been enough. The film cashed in an estimated $338k USD on its opening weekend. And Mills didn’t mince her words while offering a blunt assessment of what she believes the couple should do next: “The Sussexes should stick to groceries (it worked for the King with his Duchy Originals) and accept that, when it comes to telly, they are a one-hit wonder: their own soap opera is the only one anyone wants to watch.” However, Harry and Markle’s Archewell Productions still has more projects in the pipeline, and the hope remains that they will fare better than the ventures that came before.
