Prince Harry's 40th Birthday May Be What Keeps His & Meghan's Hollywood Dreams Afloat

Since leaving their roles as working royals back in 2020, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex have made quite a change to their career trajectories. The pair signed Netflix and Spotify deals and have been working to make names for themselves that aren't associated with the royal family. As public figures that much of the world has a vested interest, the couple already had quite a leg up on most people when it came to building careers in Hollywood. Yet, Harry's recent birthday means that they have even more of an advantage: The Sussexes just scored a whopping $10 million. 

On September 15, Harry celebrated his 40th birthday. While this is a milestone birthday no matter who you are, it held a particularly special significance for Harry as the Duke was given a hefty inheritance. Queen Elizabeth II's mother and Harry's great-grandmother, The Queen Mother, died in 2002 at 101 years old. Her death came just shy of a decade after she created a trust fund for her great-grandchildren, which they would earn in parts: first on their 21st birthday and then on their 40th. A former royal aide explained to The Times that this plan "was a way in which the Queen Mother could set aside money for when her great-grandchildren were older and a way of passing a slice of her estate down in a tax-efficient way," adding, "It was a way in which some of her estate could be ring-fenced for them."

Both Prince Harry and William, Prince of Wales received inheritance from The Queen Mother. Yet, Harry's inheritance was reportedly larger than William's, since William was the heir to the throne. In the eyes of William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, Harry doesn't deserve it. In an interview with Closer, a source close to the royal family explained that "if it were up to [William,] Harry would not be getting this payday," adding, "William's pretty disgusted that once again Harry's going to be cashing out and taking millions back to his Montecito home without lifting a finger for it."

It's no surprise that William feels entitled to an inheritance that he didn't earn while believing that Harry is not. After all, the brothers have been embroiled in a feud that has only worsened thanks to Harry and Meghan Markle's distance from the royal family. However, Harry's strained dynamic with his family doesn't change the rules of trust fund that has been in place since he was just ten years old. According to Us Weekly, back in 2020, Harry told CBS that the money he received from his late mother, Princess Diana, was the only thing making his family's move to the U.S. possible. "I have what my mum left me and without that, we wouldn't have been able to do this," he explained. So, it's easy to assume that his new $10 million will be more than enough to fund their next step.