Royals

Meghan Markle confused with generating ‘headlines vs audience’ with Cookie Queens

Meghan Markle ‘Cookie Queen’s’ failure at the box office analysed by expert

Published August 19, 2026
Meghan Markle confused with generating ‘headlines vs audience’ with Cookie Queens
Meghan Markle confused with generating ‘headlines vs audience’ with Cookie Queens

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s recent documentary about Girl Scouts has come under discussion.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have produced ‘Cookie Queens’ under the banner of Archewell Productions, are reminded of their box office failure.

PR expert Mayah Riyaz said: "I would be careful about viewing the box office result as a straightforward verdict on Harry and Meghan themselves. Cookie Queens is a niche documentary about Girl Scouts and their cookie-selling competition, so it was never going to have the natural commercial pull of a major mainstream film. It also had a relatively limited theatrical release, so making a direct comparison with a conventional blockbuster is difficult.”

“I do think there is a bigger PR issue here,” she said. “Harry and Meghan have built a huge amount of their profile around being talked about, but there is an important difference between generating headlines and generating audiences."

She continued: “Their names can still dominate the news cycle, but that does not necessarily mean people will spend money or time consuming every project they attach themselves to. In fact, I think the irony is that the less controversial the project becomes, the harder it can be for them to generate genuine curiosity.”

Eleen Bukhari
Eleen Bukhari is a London-based journalist and MSc graduate from Brunel University with over five years of experience. Specialising in the British Royal Family and global entertainment, she provides expert analysis of monarchy traditions, celebrity culture, and the evolving media narratives surrounding the world’s most high-profile figures.