Meghan Markle is “basically the breadwinner” in the Sussex family — and funds are “tight,” sources tell Page Six.
The Duchess of Sussex is focusing on growing her “As Ever” lifestyle range after recently parting ways with partner Netflix, those who know her say, while husband Prince Harry is mainly focused on his philanthropy work, which is noble, but doesn’t bring in much cash.
“Money is tight,” said a source in the know, as another told us that Markle and her husband, Prince Family, need at least $6 million a year for operating expenses in the billionaire enclave of Montecito, California.
As Page Six revealed, the couple spends about $3 million of that on private security for the family, which includes children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 4. They also have to make mortgage payments on their $15m mansion.
However, Meghan has a coterie of wealthy and powerful female friends, all of whom are on board to help her boost her finances.
Indeed, a video Markle posted on Instagram Monday to promote “As Ever,” featuring the mom-of-two eating a strawberry and wistfully staring out of the window, while wearing a $63,000 diamond necklace, which was liked by Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Markle’s close pal, IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima.
We told how Kern Lima flew Markle to the G9 Ventures Summer Summit, hosted by investor Amy Griffin, in the Hamptons in July 2024, ahead of Markle’s business launch.
Last month, Markle, 44, joined AI-powered fashion discovery platform OneOff as both an investor and a featured participant, whose personal “exclusive edits” will be available to browse and buy.
She joins other investors and featured celebrities like Suki Waterhouse, Emma Chamberlain, Kate Hudson, and Shay Mitchell on the platform.
This enables fans to shop her wardrobe, including outfits from her recent Australia tour. The move, which earns her a percentage from sales, drew criticism for potentially prioritizing profits over her philanthropic work.
More than two dozen products from the Aussie tour sold out, according to Markle sources, with OneOff cofounder and chief executive officer Emir Talu telling WWD: “OneOff surpassed 1-plus million views of outfits on the site in the first three days since Meghan launched her page on the platform.”
While in Australia, she also hosted a girls weekend, where guests paid up to $3,199 to attend the Her Best Life Retreat in Coogee, Sydney — despite only staying for two hours.
Netflix and Markle severed their “As Ever” partnership in April after we revealed her tie-in show, ‘With Love, Meghan” was not returning for a third season. Markle sources let it be known that she had been left to “carry the whole thing by herself” — much to the annoyance of Netflix staffers.
There have also been rumors Markle has been speaking to Hollywood bigwigs to start acting again. Sources this week even said the former “Suits” star, who made a cameo appearance in the upcoming movie “Close Personal Friends,” was looking for a steady role on a TV show, but this was roundly denied by Sussex insiders.
Page Six has reached out to reps for the Sussexes for comment.
Harry, 41, meanwhile, was paid for a speaking engagement at Melbourne’s InterEdge Summit during the faux-royal Australian visit.
But his passion projects are his Invictus Games project for wounded soldiers and his philanthropy work. Harry also joined Silicon Valley mental-health start up, BetterUp, in 2021 as Chief Impact Officer, earning a rumored $1 million annual salary.
He’s still listed on their website, and sources confirmed he still works there. However, in August 2024, the Daily Beast reported that according to some staffers, Harry’s duties with the company were nebulous, and one former employee told the outlet that the prince’s day-to-day responsibilities included “zero things.”
The report came amid tumultuous times for the company, which had laid off approximately 16% of its workforce after, according to two of the outlet’s sources, the company failed to meet last year’s revenue projections. Moreover, the company faced a “revolt” by the coaches who are contractors after modifying their pay.
Harry, meanwhile, hopes to bring his family back to the UK in July for a one-year countdown celebration for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, if the government signs off on providing their security while in his home country.
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