May 19, 2018: Fairy tale wedding, 29 million watching, global beloved.
January 8, 2020: "Megxit"—quit royal duties, shocked the world.
March 7, 2021: Oprah interview, racism allegations, destroyed family ties.
September 8, 2022: Queen Elizabeth dies, Harry barely made it, wasn't told.
January 10, 2023: Spare memoir, every family secret revealed.
2024: Living in California, $100M+ in deals, never speaking to family.
This is how Prince Harry went from beloved royal to Hollywood celebrity—and lost his entire family in the process.
The Golden Boy (1984-2016)
Born September 15, 1984
Full name: Henry Charles Albert David
Parents: Prince Charles, Princess Diana
Brother: Prince William (2 years older)
Line of succession: Third (after Charles, William)
Childhood: Kensington Palace, global attention
The Tragedy (1997)
August 31, 1997: Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash
Harry's age: 12 years old
The funeral: Walked behind mother's coffin, world watching
The trauma: Never properly processed
Public sympathy: Enormous
The damage: Lifelong
The Wild Years (2002-2012)
Ages 18-28: Partying, scandals
2002: Caught smoking marijuana
2005: Nazi costume at party (huge scandal)
2012: Naked photos in Vegas
Public: Forgave him ("He's grieving Diana")
The pattern: Acting out, no consequences
Military Service (2005-2015)
Sandhurst: Royal Military Academy
Afghanistan: Two tours
Role: Apache helicopter pilot
Respect: Earned genuine admiration
The change: Gave him purpose
Reputation: Rehabilitated
The Charming Prince (2012-2016)
Invictus Games: Founded 2014 (wounded veterans)
Royal duties: Performing well
Public image: Beloved, Diana's son
Status: Most popular royal after Queen
Dating: Various, nothing serious
Age by 2016: 31, expected to settle down
Meeting Meghan (2016-2018)
July 2016: The Blind Date
Setup: Mutual friend
Location: London
Meghan's background:
- American actress
- Suits TV show
- Age: 35 (3 years older)
- Divorced (first marriage 2011-2013)
- Biracial (Black mother, white father)
First date: Hit it off immediately
Her knowledge: Didn't know much about royals
His appeal: She was independent, different
The Secret Romance (July-October 2016)
Kept private: 4 months
Her visits: Toronto to London
His visits: London to Toronto
Paparazzi: Eventually caught them
October 2016: News breaks
November 2016: The Statement
Unprecedented: Harry released statement defending her
Content: Condemned racist media coverage
Examples: "Straight Outta Compton" headlines about her
Racial abuse: Explicit
His protection: First public acknowledgment
Problem: Showed his hand—he was serious
The Relationship Goes Public (2017)
First appearance: Invictus Games Toronto (September 2017)
Photos: Holding hands
Reception: Media frenzy
Meeting the family: Done privately
Queen's approval: Reportedly given
William's concern: "Too fast" (they'd known each other 1 year)
November 27, 2017: Engagement
Announcement: Official
Ring: Diana's diamonds
Interview: BBC, seemed happy
Wedding date: Set for May 2018
Public reaction: Mixed
British press: Some racist undertones
American press: Fairy tale
May 19, 2018: The Wedding
Location: Windsor Castle
Attendance: 600 guests, 29 million TV viewers
Her family: Father didn't attend (paparazzi scandal)
Drama: Already starting
The ceremony: Beautiful
Global: Beloved
Cost: £32 million (mostly security)
Status: Duke and Duchess of Sussex
The Honeymoon Period (May-December 2018)
Royal tours: Australia, New Zealand
Pregnancy: Announced October 2018
Public: Still warm
Media: Starting to turn
The complaints: She was "difficult"
Staff: Reportedly leaving
Kate comparison: Constant
The Cracks Show (2019)
May 6, 2019: Archie Born
Name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
Announcement: Private (broke protocol)
No title: They declined
Photos: Limited
Christening: Private
Media: Angry about secrecy
Her explanation: "Privacy for our son"
The Media War
Coverage: Increasingly negative
Claims:
- Meghan "Duchess Difficult"
- Staff bullying
- Kate made her cry (later disputed)
Her response: Friends defending in press
Anonymous sources: Palace staff
The pattern: Leak, attack, defend
October 2019: The Documentary
ITV documentary: An African Journey
Her quote: "Not many people have asked if I'm OK"
Tone: Struggling
Public: Sympathetic
Also revealed: Suing Mail on Sunday
Lawsuit: Over published private letter to father
The breaking point: Approaching
January 8, 2020: Megxit
The Instagram Post
Announcement: Via Instagram
Content: "Stepping back as senior royals"
Plan:
- Part-time royals
- Financial independence
- Split time UK/North America
Problem: Didn't tell the family first
Queen's reaction: "Disappointed"
William's reaction: "Furious"
Charles's reaction: "Hurt"
The crisis: Constitutional
The Sandringham Summit (January 13, 2020)
Attendees: Queen, Charles, William, Harry
Meghan: On phone from Canada
Outcome: Hard Megxit
Decision: Can't be part-time royals
Lose:
- HRH titles (kept but can't use)
- Royal duties
- Security funding
- Patronages
Keep:
- Duke/Duchess titles
- Freedom
Effective: March 31, 2020
March 31, 2020: Final Royal Engagement
Event: Commonwealth Day service
Tension: Visible between families
Kate and William: Barely acknowledged them
The photo: Awkward
Last time: As working royals
Move: To California (via Canada)
Life in California (2020-Present)
The Montecito Mansion
Purchase: August 2020
Price: $14.65 million
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Size: 18,000 sq ft, 7 beds, 16 baths
Mortgage: $10 million
Cost: Need to make money
June 4, 2021: Lilibet Born
Daughter: Lilibet Diana
Name significance: Queen's nickname
Controversy: Did they ask permission to use name?
Palace: Declined to comment
Relationship: Already terrible
The Oprah Interview (March 7, 2021)
The Bombshells
Racism allegation:
- Someone in royal family asked about Archie's skin color
- "How dark will the baby be?"
- Wouldn't name who
Meghan's mental health:
- Suicidal while pregnant
- Asked for help
- Palace said no
Kate made her cry:
- Over flower girl dresses
- Meghan cried, not Kate (reversed story)
Cut off financially:
- Charles stopped funding them
- Security removed
- Forced to make money
Archie's title:
- Denied prince title
- Changed protocols
The Impact
Viewership: 50 million globally
Public response: Divided
UK: Largely didn't believe her
US: Largely supported her
The family: Humiliated publicly
William's response: "We're not racist"
Queen's response: "Recollections may vary"
Relationship: Destroyed
The Money Deals
Netflix Deal (September 2020)
Amount: $100 million (reported)
Content: Documentaries, series, children's programming
Released:
- Heart of Invictus (2022)
- Harry & Meghan (2022) - docuseries about themselves
Criticism: Trading on royal connection
Spotify Deal (December 2020)
Amount: $25 million (reported)
Content: Podcasts
Released: Archetypes (Meghan's show)
Ended: 2023 (mutual termination)
Spotify exec: Called them "grifters"
Harry's show: Never materialized
Speaking Engagements
Rate: $1 million per speech
Topics: Mental health, journalism
Clients: Corporate events, summits
Criticism: Hypocritical (privacy vs publicity)
September 8, 2022: The Queen Dies
The Day
Announcement: Queen's health failing
Family: Rushed to Balmoral
Harry: In UK coincidentally
Invited: Initially yes, then rescinded
Security: Became issue
His arrival: After she died
Not told: Until public announcement
The funeral: September 19, 2022
Attended: Yes, but at distance
William: No interaction
Charles: Barely
The rift: On global display
January 10, 2023: Spare Published
The Memoir
Title: Spare (spare heir)
Content: Every family secret
Revelations:
- Physical fight with William
- Killed 25 Taliban (controversial)
- Lost virginity details
- Drug use specifics
- Camilla "villain"
Sales: 1.4 million copies (first day)
Earnings: $20+ million
The damage: Irreparable
The William Fight
Claim: William physically attacked him
Location: Nottingham Cottage
Reason: Argument about Meghan
Details: Grabbed collar, ripped necklace, pushed him
William's response: No comment
Public: Shocked
The Family Response
Palace: No comment
William: Silence
Charles: Hurt
The message: They're done
Invitations: Pulled
The Current Situation (2024)
Coronation (May 6, 2023)
Harry: Attended alone
Meghan: Stayed in California
Seating: Far from family
Duration: Arrived, left immediately after
No balcony: Not invited
The statement: He's out
The Children
Archie: 5 years old (2024)
Lilibet: 3 years old
Met Queen: Lilibet once (briefly, Platinum Jubilee)
Met Charles: Rarely
Met cousins: Almost never
Growing up: As Americans
Royal connection: Minimal
The Lawsuits
UK Home Office: Over security funding (ongoing)
Various media: Privacy invasions
Cost: Millions in legal fees
Obsession: Security for family
UK stance: Not our problem
The Brand
Archewell: Their foundation
Projects: Documentaries, podcasts, speeches
Criticism: Traded privacy for money
Public image: Divided
US fans: Still support
UK fans: Largely turned
The Numbers
Wedding cost: £32 million
Montecito house: $14.65 million
Netflix deal: $100 million
Spotify deal: $25 million (ended)
Spare earnings: $20+ million
Speaking fees: $1 million each
Estimated net worth: $60 million
Lost: Royal funding, security, family
What They Gave Up
HRH titles: Can't use
Royal duties: All gone
Security: No longer funded
UK homes: Evicted from Frogmore Cottage (June 2023)
Family: Completely estranged
William: Not speaking
Charles: Barely speaking
Future role: None
What They Gained
Freedom: From royal life
Money: $100M+ in deals
California: New life
Privacy: From UK media (not really)
Platform: To tell their story
Each other: Still together
The Lesson
You can:
- Marry into royalty
- Have fairy tale wedding
- Live in palace
But if you:
- Attack family publicly
- Accuse them of racism
- Write tell-all book
- Monetize royal connection
You lose:
- The family
- The security
- The respect
- The relationship
From beloved prince to Hollywood celebrity.
From third in line to California exile.
From $40M royal to $100M deals.
From family member to enemy.
That's Harry and Meghan.
Who chose money and freedom.
Over family and duty.
And can never go back.
