Hollywood flops: How Harry and Meghan’s ‘Sussex Inc’ dream soured

The world’s most famous royal couple arrived in America to a flurry of megabucks deals and media partnerships, writes Samuel Fishwick. But just three years on, amid a slew of high profile snubs and big deal flops, their ‘Sussex Inc’ brand power is slowly coming apart at the seams...

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When Harry met Meghan, the world saw Sussex Inc coming. Their wedding alone – a beautiful biracial American actress from downtown Los Angeles marrying the world’s favourite boy prince, like a 21st Century fairytale come to life – generated an estimated £1bn for the UK economy (including an additional £300 million in travel and accommodation spent by foreign tourists and £50 million spent on merchandise such as coins, dish cloths and clothing).

Just 18 months later they gave up their royal titles and moved to America, where the question wasn’t how much they’d make, but how quickly they’d outearn the Queen.

Now, the fall of their California media empire threaten to be as dramatic as its awesome rise, with a fallout more toxic than Megxit and a sting in the tail just as painful as Harry’s bust-up with William. “F*** them, the grifters,” said Spotify executive Bill Simmons as the streaming giant pulled the plug on their reported $20m (£15m) deal to produce podcasts last week after two-and-a-half years.