Strange Things Everyone Ignores About Harry & Meghan's Projects Since Leaving The Royal Family

Ever since Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their royal duties, traveled across the pond, and set up their family in the United States, it seems the pair have been busier than ever. The couple have worked tirelessly to build up their brand while also raising their Sussex children out of the spotlight. They've become Hollywood power players spearheading multi-million dollar deals with different media giants, including Meghan's upcoming new Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan."

As Harry and Meghan have navigated the waters of show business and entrepreneurship, they've also pointed their attention toward philanthropic endeavors, with an eye on improving lives, helping the future and cultivating different communities. This has been achieved through their charitable Archewell Foundation, outreach to numerous different non-profit groups, and Harry's passion project, the Invictus Games.

However, their efforts — both charitable and profitable — haven't been without their own fair share of controversy and drama that many people seem to have overlooked. While the cute couple is frequently facing speculation regarding their marriage, some strange dramas and supposed financial inconsistencies have largely flown under the radar when it comes to the projects they've undertaken since ducking out of the royal family.

In September 2024, the Daily Mail ran an article claiming that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation had received two donations totaling over $6 million in 2022 and 2023, but that they had failed to report millions from either of those donations on their taxes. The report claimed that the supposedly missing money had raised questions regarding where the money had gone and what it had been used for.

However, the same article admitted that it was possible that the money would appear in the next tax return filing, and that nothing illegal had happened. As it turns out, this is exactly what had happened. As reported by People in December 2024, the timing of the grants and when the money was actually received by the organization meant the money was declared on a later tax filing.

The filing also revealed some specifics of how the foundation actually spends the money it receives. Of the $5.3 million it raised in 2023, just over $1 million went to operational costs — including event organization, promotional efforts, and legal fees — while nearly $1 million went to salary costs. Notably, however, neither Harry nor Meghan take home any money for their efforts with the organization.

Typically speaking, drama over charitable foundations and paperwork discrepancies don't rise to the level of public attention that would cause California Governor Gavin Newsom to address them at a press conference. However, since that charity is run by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (in California), the governor decided to step up to bat for the famous couple and their philanthropic organization.

In May 2024, Page Six reported that California Attorney General Rob Bonta had sent a letter to The Archewell Foundation declaring it was delinquent for not having paid its registration dues, and could no longer operate as a charity in California. It was soon discovered, however, that the issue was a technical oversight, and Newsom himself tried to get the press to understand the issue at hand.

"Archewell Foundation — run by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry — do extraordinary work, particularly [for] women and girls, but notably around mental health," Newsom said at a press conference days after the initial report (via Vanity Fair). "I just want folks to know, not only are they in compliance, it was a technical paperwork issue that was wildly overhyped ... it was a very typical, technical issue around paperwork that persists for so many others as well." However, other charities typically don't see the governor personally address their technical issues and bad press to reporters.

Toward the end of 2020, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's audio production company, Archewell Audio, signed a jaw-dropping $20 million deal with Spotify to produce podcasts for the streaming platform. Meghan stepped up to host a podcast called "Archetypes," which featured celebs guests including Jameela Jamil, Pamela Adlon, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Candace Bushnell, and Andy Cohen, among many others. The podcast itself was a critical success and even earned a Pop Podcast award at the People's Choice Awards in 2022.

Despite bringing in big ratings and a great deal of acclaim, the show didn't earn Spotify nearly as much as the company had hoped. Additionally, it was basically the only show Archewell Audio created for Spotify. As the Wall Street Journal reported in June 2023, Spotify ended up nixing the massive deal as Archewell Audio had failed to meet "productivity benchmarks," a source told the publication, and therefore they would not be receiving the entirety of their initial $20 million agreement.

"The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify," a rep for the Duchess of Sussex told WSJ at the time. "Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform." Eventually, the "Archetypes" podcast did get picked up by Lemonada Media, for significantly less than their high-profile Spotify deal.

Prince Harry rocked the royal family's world in 2023, when he released his memoir "Spare," which did not paint a flattering portrait of the monarchy, including his own immediate family members. In 2024, author Robert Hardman released a paperback edition of his book, "The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy," which featured an interview with an unnamed "senior constitutional expert and adviser to the family." The royal advisor fact-checked Prince Harry on several inaccuracies in his memoirs, including Harry's claim that he was studying at Eton College in 2002 when he learned of the queen mother's death.

Despite his vivid recollections of the time of day and the weather when he received the call, Hardman explained that "Harry was actually in Switzerland, skiing with his father and brother, when all three received the news." It's a small but supposedly recurring instance of memories being either incorrect or misleading in Harry's tome of recollections.

Additional doubt over the memoirs was raised over what Harry wrote in his book about his past drug use, including the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms and cocaine. In 2024, the Heritage Foundation attempted to sue the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to get them to release Harry's visa records. It was argued in court that Harry's book "isn't sworn testimony or proof," and it was suggested that his recollections could have been exaggerated for publicity. Prince Harry has not commented on the veracity of his memoirs.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced a slew of tabloid reports questioning the strength of their marriage and speculation regarding an impending divorce. In large part, the rumors stem from the fact that Harry and Meghan have been doing a lot of solo work recently, putting effort into their own individual endeavors instead of their joint projects.

While Prince Harry himself has jokingly addressed the divorce rumors and laughed them off, others have speculated that it has been a calculated effort by Harry and Meghan to build their own separate brands. PR expert Ed Coram James opined to GB News in October 2024 that the pair are trying to get away from a tarnished reputation as a couple that ignites controversy. "For years they have become synonymous with one another ... when combined, the Sussexes' brand is, from a PR perspective, toxic," James said. "But, when separate, they have a genuine chance of creating an entirely separate brand, with completely different labels."