As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prepare to take up residency again in the U.K. six years after giving up their royal roles, Markle will be serving up her fashion influence and continue running her brand, As Ever.
While millions around the globe are chiming in about what their surprise decision could mean to the modern monarchy, others speculated about how commercial prospects may have played into their decision to relocate with their two children Archie, 7, and Lillibet, 5. Much has happened since Princess Diana and King Charles III's younger son lost his honorary military and royal patronage appointments in 2021.
The prince spelled out his many grievances with his kin in his memoir "Spare," and the pair sounded off in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry has also openly criticized his home country for not providing his family of four with security. As for how that will be handled in a few weeks upon their return, Prime Minister Andy Burnham described that as "a private matter."
Although King Charles III and Queen Camilla were reunited with Harry's two children earlier this month at the monarch's private country estate Highgrove House, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were not there. The strained relations between Harry and his brother continue to be scrutinized on social media and in traditional media.
David Haigh, founder and chief executive officer of the independent brand evaluation consultancy firm Brand Finance, said, "My take is they clearly haven't succeeded in America like they thought they would."
Acknowledging how Harry and Markle each have critics and loyalists, Haigh said that Harry is "much more highly regarded in the U.K. than Markle is. And the dynamic will shift much more in his favor."
To that point, the latest YouGov public opinion poll of Harry gives him a 27 percent popularity ranking and Markle an 18 percent rating. But Markle has a track record for boosting designers' sales by wearing their label. She sported 16 Australian labels during a trip Down Under in April. That resulted in a total of $51.6 million in media impact value over a four-day stretch, according to Launchmetrics.
Carolina Herrera, Heidi Merrick, Dior, Valentino, Mackage, Emilia Wickstead, Victoria Beard, Reformation, Jason Wu and Anine Bing are among the many brands that 45-year-old Markle has rotated into her wardrobe. In addition to launching the lifestyle brand As Ever in the spring of last year, the former "Suits" actress and her husband were the executive producers for the documentary "Cookie Queens" about American Girl Scouts' cookie selling.
Meghan Markle at the Balenciaga spring 2026 show.
Last month, she earned an Emmy nomination for her Netflix lifestyle series "With Love, Meghan." In September 2020, the husband-and-wife team's Archewell Productions secured a multiyear deal with Netflix, which was reportedly in the $60 million to $100 million range.
With the couple maintaining their homes in Montecito,
While millions around the globe are chiming in about what their surprise decision could mean to the modern monarchy, others speculated about how commercial prospects may have played into their decision to relocate with their two children Archie, 7, and Lillibet, 5. Much has happened since Princess Diana and King Charles III's younger son lost his honorary military and royal patronage appointments in 2021.
The prince spelled out his many grievances with his kin in his memoir "Spare," and the pair sounded off in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry has also openly criticized his home country for not providing his family of four with security. As for how that will be handled in a few weeks upon their return, Prime Minister Andy Burnham described that as "a private matter."
Although King Charles III and Queen Camilla were reunited with Harry's two children earlier this month at the monarch's private country estate Highgrove House, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were not there. The strained relations between Harry and his brother continue to be scrutinized on social media and in traditional media.
David Haigh, founder and chief executive officer of the independent brand evaluation consultancy firm Brand Finance, said, "My take is they clearly haven't succeeded in America like they thought they would."
Acknowledging how Harry and Markle each have critics and loyalists, Haigh said that Harry is "much more highly regarded in the U.K. than Markle is. And the dynamic will shift much more in his favor."
To that point, the latest YouGov public opinion poll of Harry gives him a 27 percent popularity ranking and Markle an 18 percent rating. But Markle has a track record for boosting designers' sales by wearing their label. She sported 16 Australian labels during a trip Down Under in April. That resulted in a total of $51.6 million in media impact value over a four-day stretch, according to Launchmetrics.
Carolina Herrera, Heidi Merrick, Dior, Valentino, Mackage, Emilia Wickstead, Victoria Beard, Reformation, Jason Wu and Anine Bing are among the many brands that 45-year-old Markle has rotated into her wardrobe. In addition to launching the lifestyle brand As Ever in the spring of last year, the former "Suits" actress and her husband were the executive producers for the documentary "Cookie Queens" about American Girl Scouts' cookie selling.
Meghan Markle at the Balenciaga spring 2026 show.
Last month, she earned an Emmy nomination for her Netflix lifestyle series "With Love, Meghan." In September 2020, the husband-and-wife team's Archewell Productions secured a multiyear deal with Netflix, which was reportedly in the $60 million to $100 million range.
With the couple maintaining their homes in Montecito,
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