Prince Harry, Meghan Markle ‘no longer need’ royal status for business

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer keen to associate themselves to the royal family as they work on establishing their own brand in Hollywood.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their senior royal roles back in 2020 and moved to United States to raise their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 2.

Now that they have grown their celebrity status, they no longer need their royal connections, opined Clive Irving, a royal author and expert, to Express US.

“Harry and Meghan’s celebrity [status] used to rest on the former’s connection to the Royal Family,” he told the outlet. “But they’ve now been celebrities in their own right for so long that they don’t need to trade on that anymore. That’s no longer part of their lives.”

The couple recently showcased their star power when they appeared at Kevin Costner’s star-studded One805 charity fundraiser on Friday at the Yellowstone actor’s luxurious estate.

One805 is an organisation that was established in 2018 and provides financial aid and mental health support for first responders in Santa Barbara County.

Apart from the Sussexes, who presented Costner with an honorary award at the event, the guest Oprah Winfrey and Adam Levine were there among others.

The expert surmised that it is unlikely that Meghan will be seen during royal engagements as she does not want to be seen in the same frame as Prince William and Kate Middleton, especially now when she no longer need to “trade” on their royal status.