Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘Don't Need the Royal Family to Succeed’
EXCLUSIVE: Harry and Meghan's Hollywood ventures are succeeding, according to one commentator
A prominent royal commentator told the Royal Observer that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry do not necessarily need royal links to succeed commercially. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to step back as senior working members of the Royal Family in 2020. Their bombshell announcement led to an ‘unprecedented’ meeting of several family members in January that year, which was dubbed the ‘Sandringham Summit’.
Later, Buckingham Palace announced the agreement that the pair would step away from their full-time roles and would not use their Royal Highness styles by Spring. Since then, the duo has spoken out about their time in the Firm on numerous occasions. This includes the interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix docuseries titled Harry and Meghan, and Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir, Spare.
Since relocating to the US, critics have repeatedly accused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of continuing to profit from their royal connections, despite the agreement at Sandringham. However, royal commentator Afua Hagan claimed the pair do not need to capitalize on their titles going forward.
“I don't think commercially they need the royal family,” she told The Royal Observer. “There is a school of thought that says that their Hollywood adventures have not necessarily gone the way they've planned. But Meghan's As Ever range is still hugely successful. It’s still bringing out new products, whether it's a jam or a wine or a candlestick. Her show that she had on Netflix was [Daytime] Emmy nominated. She's doing really well in her brand and with what she does.”
I think that they don't necessarily need the royal links to further their careers.
Hagan also claimed that Prince Harry is more than happy focusing on his own ventures and paying close attention to his philanthropic causes. “Prince Harry, on the other hand, is furthering the companies he's working with, especially furthering the Invictus Games, and managing to do that without royal links,” she told me. She added, “Megan was [recently] on MasterChef Australia, and the line that came out of that was her saying that, you know, just call me Meghan; she doesn't have to be Duchess. So, I think that they don't necessarily need the royal links to further their careers.”
The expert also pointed to further projects from the couple which she believes demonstrate they do not need royal links to further their personal careers. She exclusively told The Royal Observer: “Cookie Queens is something that Archewell Productions has been working on. [It’s a] really sweet, wholesome documentary. I don't really think they need the royal links to be able to do the things that they want to do.”
While Hagan believes the pair do not necessarily need their connections to the institution, she argues that a reconciliation between Harry and his father could offer more on a personal level. However, she explained that Harry and Markle want to rebuild their links to the UK and spend more time with The King on a personal level.
“They'll gain the personal ties [from a reconciliation],” Hagan stated. “Hopefully, they'll be in a situation where Harry can come to Britain if he feels he wants to. “Meghan can come to Britain; the children can come to Britain. They can visit Princess Diana's grave, they can visit the King and Queen; they can visit with other relatives.”She added: “I think that's something that they would really want when it comes to the royal family, the monarchy, especially King Charles.”
