When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on 19 May 2018, the pair's already substantial net worths combined for something much larger. Harry accumulated most of his money through inheritance from his late mother, Princess Diana, and a trust fund that was established by his late great-grandmother, The Queen Mother. Meanwhile, Meghan made millions through her acting career, with Suits netting her a small fortune.
And while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step down as working royals in 2020 lost them the money they used to receive from the royal family, they have gone on to make deals with other institutions including Netflix, which likely more than makes up for that loss.
The royal couple are reportedly worth $120 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, with both being worth $60 million individually. But how did the royal couple accrue their fortune? Read on to find out everything you need to know...
Inheritance
Harry managed to acquire quite the fortune through money that was left for him by the late Princess Diana and Queen Mother. Both Harry and Prince William were the inheritors of the majority of Diana's estate, after her tragic death in 1997. This is believed to have totaled around £13 million ($16.5 million). The brothers are also thought to have received her jewellery collection.
Harry has also benefitted from a trust fund set up by the late Queen Mother to benefit her great-grandchildren. At the age of 21, William and Harry split £6 million of this fund between themselves, with Harry getting a more handsome sum due to William's future destiny of becoming King. The royal brothers are also due to split a further £8 million from the trust fund when they turn 40, but given the tensions in the royal family, it's unclear how much Harry will benefit from this.
Previous careers
Both Harry and Meghan had found work before becoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with Harry receiving a salary from his time in the army, with Forbes reporting that the royal had an annual income between $50,000 and $53,000 during his active service days.
Meghan, meanwhile, starred in over 100 episodes and seven seasons of Suits and made an impressive salary during her time on the show, and was already a millionaire when she met her husband. According to reports, she received around $50,000 per episode. Her annual pay cheque is estimated to have come in around $450,000, including her brand endorsements.
Meghan also appeared in several films, including Get Him to the Greek and Horrible Bosses. Her role in Remember Me earned her $187,000, while The Candidate earned her $171,000. The Duchess also released a clothing line for Reitmans which quickly sold out. As a result, her net worth in 2017 was valued at around $5 million, or £3.9 million.
Business ventures
Seeing as Meghan has retired from acting, Harry has retired from the army, and both have retired from royal life, you may find yourself wondering where they get their impressive fortune from now - beyond their savings. The answer lies mostly in the new work which the pair have taken on since moving to their $14.7 Montecito home.
For example, Prince Harry's memoir Spare sold over 1.4 million copies on its release day, and reportedly made the Prince several million in advance before it was even written. In September 2020, the couple signed a $100 million contract for five years with Netflix too.
Less than three months later, Harry and Meghan also signed a contact with Spotify for three years. There were conflicting reports about how much this contract was worth, but it appears it was in the realm of $15-25 million. The deal came to an end in 2023.
In December 2022, Harry and Meghan's first Netflix project, their docuseries Harry & Meghan, was released. They also narrated the Netflix documentary series Live to Lead which released on December 31. Another docuseries, Heart of Invictus was released in the summer alongside other series, and two new projects are on the way. One of these projects will be presented by Meghan as she celebrates the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship, while the other will lift the lid on the professional polo scene, something which Prince Harry is passionate about and still plays.
Alongside these projects, Meghan's production company has picked up the production rights for Carly Lake's Meet Me by the Lake.
On top of this, in March, Meghan confirmed that she would be launching her own lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. Some commentators have speculated that the brand could start earning Meghan a seven-figure sum within a year.