Prince Harry’s short-term success in 2023 has left him and Meghan Markle on the brink as the couple continue to scramble for more work.
Today marks exactly one year since the Duke of Sussex released his explosive autobiography Spare.
The book contained a plethora of scathing attacks on senior members of the Royal Family with Harry’s brother Prince William and his stepmother Queen Camilla receiving the heaviest criticism.
Spare was a huge success in terms of sales.
Today marks exactly one year since the Duke of Sussex released his explosive autobiography Spare.
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Figures released last week showed Prince Harry’s memoir was the best-selling book across the UK in 2023.
The Duke of Sussex’s book sold more than 700,000 copies last year, 180,000 copies more than the book in second place, according to data obtained by The Bookseller.
However, despite the success of his autobiography, Meghan and Harry have suffered repercussions from Spare.
Shortly after the book was released, it was announced that King Charles had asked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate their Royal Family residence Frogmore Cottage.
Despite the success of his autobiography, Meghan and Harry have suffered repercussions from Spare.
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King Charles is thought to have decided to evict the couple following Harry’s ruthless attacks on Queen Camilla in Spare.
Following the eviction, Prince Harry later suffered the humiliation of having his request to stay in a room in Windsor Castle rejected by the Royal Family during a visit in September 2023.
While Meghan Markle has not travelled to the UK since September 2022, Harry made several trips back last year and now has no fixed place to stay when he returns to his home country.
Another repercussion of Spare was that it continued to align the Sussex brand with attacking the Royal Family.
King Charles is thought to have decided to evict the couple following Harry’s ruthless attacks on Queen Camilla in Spare.
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Prince Harry undertook interviews in both the UK and the US to promote the book ahead of its release and used both to fire shots at the monarchy.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now caught in a situation where they want to move their brand away from the Royal Family but their most successful content is based around their heavy criticism of the Firm.
Additionally, Meghan and Harry’s projects that do not discuss their connection to the Royal Family have flopped.
The Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast for Spotify, which explored the history of stereotypes against women, failed to impress and her deal with the streaming giant was cancelled.
Meghan and Harry’s projects that do not discuss their connection to the Royal Family have flopped.
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The Duke of Sussex’s Netflix series Heart of Invictus, which followed the stories of athletes competing at the 2022 Invictus Games, also failed to come close to the streaming success that the self-titled Harry & Meghan documentary achieved.
During an episode of the record-breaking documentary which was released just a month before Spare, Meghan compared having to curtsy to the late Queen Elizabeth II to “medieval times” in a moment many viewers felt was disrespectful.
The couple are now struggling to secure new opportunities and projects in 2024, with the Duchess of Sussex failing to land a luxury brand deal.
It is yet to be seen how 2024 will turn out for Harry and Meghan but what is clear is the short-term gain of Spare has turned into a long-term pain for the couple.
