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Harry & Meghan Are now “Financially Independent”

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Updated on June 15, 2023

See more articles on:Meghan Markle, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II

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In announcing their decision to stand down as senior royals on social media in January, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry indicated that they would “work to become financially independent” from the royal family while “continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen.”

Their work on that has been completed. According to ABC News, the couple is done repaying British taxpayers for the renovations of Frogmore Cottage, which is still their official home in the United Kingdom.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, moved into the residence on the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2019, just in time for the birth of their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May. The couple’s official house, which was presented to them by Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was originally five different dwellings used by royal employees and had not been completely inhabited for some years. According to numbers revealed by the Royal Household, the renovations Prince Harry and Meghan undertook to make Frogmore Cottage into their family home cost British taxpayers 2.4 million pounds, or roughly $3 million.

The Duke and Duchess’ $3 million refund isn’t the only large contribution they’ve made recently in the sake of independence from the Royal family. The pair moved into a new $14 million home in Santa Barara’s Montecito district in July. It appears that Harry and Meghan’s new multi-year Netflix agreement is assisting them in staying on top of their money.

According to a source close to the Sussexes, Prince Charles used to assist them with “some ongoing living costs” when they came to the United States, but they no longer get any financial assistance after signing their multimillion-dollar Netflix agreement. In a statement released last week, Meghan and Harry stated that their engagement with the streaming site will focus on “creating content that informs but also gives hope”

In a statement at the time, Queen Elizabeth II remarked, “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives,” “It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.”

According to a source close to the couple, Harry and Meghan are no longer receiving financial assistance from The Prince of Wales, either privately or through Prince Charles’ private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, which is used to fund “the public, charitable and private activities of the Prince of Wales and his family.” They’re also refusing to receive any funds from the Sovereign Grant, the British government’s yearly taxpayer-funded payment to the monarchy to meet official costs. Since Harry and Meghan are no longer using their HRH titles and are no longer receiving government monies for royal duties, they are free to work for themselves.