The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family 11: 7 May - 31 Dec 2025

[pieve]

During this discussion, Meghan revealed that her podcast, broadcast on Lemonada Media, was currently on hiatus.
Here's what she said:
"I understand there's so much excitement and anticipation for a new season, but I need to focus on my business."

How can a podcast that doesn't chart anywhere, despite all the media coverage it's received, be considered a success?
All her podcasts were boring, and boring doesn't sell.
Meghan is out of touch.

 

[Hallo girl]

During this discussion, Meghan revealed that her podcast, broadcast on Lemonada Media, was currently on hiatus.
Here's what she said:
"I understand there's so much excitement and anticipation for a new season, but I need to focus on my business."

How can a podcast that doesn't chart anywhere, despite all the media coverage it's received, be considered a success?
All her podcasts were boring, and boring doesn't sell.
Meghan is out of touch.

Smoke and mirrors, what is the expression you can fool some of the people etc etc.

 

[RoyalNight]

Focus on what business? The one she’s just announced was put on hold?

They are really struggling to find an idea to make them the amount of money for the lifestyle they want.

 

[An Ard Ri]

During the most recent podcast the duchess revealed that she sometimes has little farmer's market stand at weekends and is assister by her 2 children!
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's unexpected weekend jobs revealed

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

It remains very very sad that Harry and Meghan have gone down this path. I, for one, still think that they could have done so much good for some many causes, had they remained 'working Royals.'
But I do not like the path they are taking - inane podcasts with word salad and no real meaning, nonsense speeches at various locations across the world about how the rest of us should live our lives, long trips abroad in private jets complaining about we who take 2 holiday flights a year - this really is not sustainable for them, nor can it last. I do not know where their future lies.

I agree that it’s very sad. And I also agree that (if Meghan’s personality had been different), they could have done so much good. But I think Meghan has proved that it would have been impossible for her to remain a working Royal. I think that any causes would be a means to an end - more publicity and focus on her. Can you imagine if they were still working royals? Meghan didn’t understand/didn’t want to accept her role as an accompanying player in the firm. They would have been more like the Edinburgh’s which she wouldn’t have liked or accepted at all.
They cannot keep staff even when they are hiring them themselves - think of the folks on their staff who jumped ship when they were still in the UK.

IMHO the RF dodged a bullet and should thank their lucky stars that HLM was so wise and did not agree to the half in half out plan that they wanted. They would have pulled down the monarchy, I fear. Charles or William would’ve had to step in and make some difficult decisions as the Sussexes are clearly not team players.

What is very sad is that Harry and his family are estranged but he made many choices that made that inevitable. As Diana said (paraphrasing), Harry isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

 

[shady lady]

During the most recent podcast the duchess revealed that she sometimes has little farmer's market stand at weekends and is assister by her 2 children!
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's unexpected weekend jobs revealed

What happened to concerns about privacy and security??? She really does make me laugh, she contradicts herself all the time.

She has become a joke.

Meanwhile, here's a nice article about the real Sussex, it was Sussex day earlier this week:

Sussex Day on 16 June celebrated through nature and tradition

Community celebrations have been organised across East and West Sussex to celebrate the counties.

www.bbc.co.uk

I doubt "the Sussexes" were even aware of it

 

[RoyalNight]

Good thing the kids can go to the farmer’s market where any random stranger can carry a gun in his pocket, but it’s too dangerous for them to fly on a private jet, switch to a bulletproof SUV escorted by the police and drive off to a massive palace protected 24/7 on an even bigger acreage.

 

[shady lady]

Good thing the kids can go to the farmer’s market where any random stranger can carry a gun in his pocket, but it’s too dangerous for them to fly on a private jet, switch to a bulletproof SUV escorted by the police and drive off to a massive palace protected 24/7 on an even bigger acreage.

Nothing she says IMO makes any sense. I think she is so desperate for attention, she will pretty much say or do anything. As @Royalist.in.NC says above, the BRF really did dodge a bullet.

 

[hereditarytitles]

I had my doubts about a farmer's market in Montecito, but it is existing. Isn't that careless to mention her and the kids going there to sell products? With that information being public paps might come or other people who have strange/dangerous ideas.

Montecito Farmers Market

 

[An Ard Ri]

I had my doubts about a farmer's market in Montecito, but it is existing. Isn't that careless to mention her and the kids going there to sell products? With that information being public paps might come or other people who have strange/dangerous ideas.

Montecito Farmers Market

Here's a little extra reading regarding the Sussex stand at the local market in Montecito
Meghan reveals Archie and Lili sell their homegrown fruit and veg

 

[Kronprinz]

Meghan and Harry timebomb with eye-watering bills laid bare as 'income dries up'

Royal expert Norman Baker tells the show: “There’s no doubt in my mind that Meghan and Harry’s income is going to decline in the future. It’s declining now. They’ve done the big hits that they could do. They’ve done the big Spotify event, they’ve done the big book, there is nothing else to come, nothing else to sell apart from themselves.”

You are looking at somewhere in the region of about £3 million a year to protect somebody who stays at home. As soon as they leave the residence, even if they go down to the shops, that could see that cost double or triple and go from £3m to £6m or £9m or £10m, conservatively. Security is not a fashion accessory, it's a need. You've got to address your needs versus your wants.”

 

[Kaye1850]

Meghan and Harry timebomb with eye-watering bills laid bare as 'income dries up'

But is this calculation with or without ‘farmers market’ income

 

[hereditarytitles]

As far as I know, the" Mirror" is a newspaper that is not always credible and thrives on speculative headlines. That's why I think this article is pure speculation. It's no surprise because we in the forum are also amazed at why Meghan launched this new campaign a few weeks ago.

Ultimately, it's about making money, and lots of it. Suddenly, they are willing to reveal very private matters to the public.

I will only believe that they really have financial worries when they decide to move to a less expensive house. Anyone who has achieved such a luxurious status naturally wants to keep it, and they will fight for it, even if it means suddenly disregarding all their previous principles regarding privacy, concerns about being hounded by reporters, and security concerns.

Perhaps my assumptions are wrong; we can only observe developments from the outside.

As I see it, Harry has no part in this. I hope he is still happy and content and enjoying his life in California.

 

[Marengo]

The article indeed quotes an ´expert´ who thinks they may have a lower income in the future than now, and that they may have money problems if they have not planned for this. Speculative indeed.

 

[pieve]

Why do none of these so called interviewers ask her these questions, why is she allowed to dictate what she is asked, even Oprah fell in to that trap.

Well said. It's true that the Sussexes' interviews are seriously lacking in " authenticity ".
Obviously, they're never asked questions that might unsettle them or force them to confront their contradictions.
Perhaps the couple is trying to prepare answers that suit them and doesn't want any awkward questions.
During Emma Grede's interview, Meghan looked up so often that I felt like the answers were plastered on the ceiling.

 

[carlota]

I think something that puts people off about them is their constant contradiction. They say they are concerned about security/ RF pulled security from them and therefore they don’t feel safe in Uk. Yet, they are happy to travel to Colombia or Nigeria (places that sadly aren’t top of the list for personal security), or volunteer the information that they sell in their local farmers market. They say they want to support the environment, yet jump on private jets like there’s no tomorrow. Meghan mentions how ‘relationships are everything’, yet they cut relationships with almost every single meaningful person in their lives (all of H’s family, and M’s dad/sister/etc). If they want to be judged as authentic, then we need to see alignment, and we don’t see any of that with the Sussexes.



The other thing that doesn’t sit well is M’s lack of any humility most of the time. Creating a podcast about entrepreneurial women, interviewing them and comparing her experience as someone who built a brand yesterday which we have no idea of its profitability or its unique selling point, to the women who created profitable businesses that solve a need. Her ‘I work so hard’ in a recent podcast wont be forgotten – specially when in said podcast she claimed to have the same nanny since the kids were born.



By her announcing she wont continue the podcast, I am sensing that she never hit the numbers of listeners they were hoping. Why would you otherwise build a partnership / have a deal with Lemonada if the intention was just to produce one podcast? The rate at which they seem to create businesses/ventures/foundations and at which they seem to lose interest in them is rather puzzling.

 

[shady lady]

Well said. It's true that the Sussexes' interviews are seriously lacking in " authenticity ".
Obviously, they're never asked questions that might unsettle them or force them to confront their contradictions.
Perhaps the couple is trying to prepare answers that suit them and doesn't want any awkward questions.
During Emma Grede's interview, Meghan looked up so often that I felt like the answers were plastered on the ceiling.

Perhaps they were!

On a serious note, it would be great to see them interviewed by someone who actually challenges them about the things they've said and done; needless to say it likely won't happen but...in the future if they were offered enough money, perhaps? It would be interesting to see them try and justify their behaviour and the upset it caused the BRF, particularly HLMTQ.

The only interview I've watched in full is the recent BBC one.

 

[Queen Claude]

Have the Netflix stores opened yet that were going to promote/ sell Meghans goods.

There are only two planned right now, one in Dallas and one in the Philadelphia suburbs. IRC, they are both scheduled to open later this year.

Was it officially stated that Meghan's products would be sold in the Netflix stores or was it conjecture?

ETA:
Would they see As Ever products? I can see the stores stocking With Love Meghan (WLM) merch, but then again (as far as I can tell) Netflix doesn't sell WLM through their online store.

Revisiting the above conversation, based on Meghan's comments on the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast, Netflix is much more connected to As Ever than I thought. That conversation starts at / around the 4:25 mark.

 

[Kronprinz]

Perhaps they were!

On a serious note, it would be great to see them interviewed by someone who actually challenges them about the things they've said and done; needless to say it likely won't happen but...in the future if they were offered enough money, perhaps? It would be interesting to see them try and justify their behaviour and the upset it caused the BRF, particularly HLMTQ.

The only interview I've watched in full is the recent BBC one.

Meghan would never allow that or put herself into that position.
I'm sure she requires to see the questions beforehand as all her reactions are pre-programmed. Otherwise it would be too dangerous.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The duchess has shared a new photo of herself in her garden ahead of the release of new 'seasonal drop' As Ever products,
Meghan Markle's 'Glastonbury' outfit just gave Kate Moss a run for her money

 

[shady lady]

Another "sold out in less than an hour" exercise? I thought she said the other day it was all on hold (please correct me if I'm wrong) because she didn't want to annoy her customers???

The media are probably the only people who are really interested, apart from her Sussex Squad acolytes elsewhere I suppose.

Never was such a big hoo ha made for so little!

 

[An Ard Ri]

The duchess released an new photo to mark the As Ever launch of new products on June 20th
Meghan Markle shares new photo as she launches new As Ever products

 

[zarat]

The title from Daily Mail concerning new reelase of Meghan's poducts is a joke I think .... Merchandise empire.... Since when 10 or 20 pots of some spread are uqual to commercial empire? Meghan Markle shares new photo as she launches new As Ever products

 

[Marengo]

The media are probably the only people who are really interested, apart from her Sussex Squad acolytes elsewhere I suppose.

I suppose so are we, as we here, as we would not be writing about it had we not found it interesting .

-
Emma Grede -who was a good and charismatic interviewer for this line of podcasts btw- asked her about that [sold out]. As a business woman she knows very well that marketing works that way. But Meghan simply responded that it was such a 'surprise'. So it seems the Duchess does not regard it as a marketing tool.

An odd moment in the Grede podcast was when Meghan was asked what she had learned or would differently - in other words asked to reflect on herself. The response was simply odd: that she wanted other people to be more honest about her.

Meghan also said she would discontinue her own podcast so she would not be 'spread thin' and could focus on her company. In general people don't stop projects that are a great success IMO.

 

[Kronprinz]

Meghan Markle 'expected a billionaire' and was left 'shocked' at one thing

As reported by The Daily Mail, Tom Quinn wrote in his book Yes, Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants: “Harry was deeply shocked at Meghan's reaction when she discovered, for example, that he was not personally hugely wealthy.”

It is also believed that Meghan was “shocked” to find Harry lived in a very humble-sized cottage on the Kensington Palace estate.

 

[shady lady]

I suppose so are we, as we here, as we would not be writing about it had we not found it interesting .

-
Emma Grede -who was a good and charismatic interviewer for this line of podcasts btw- asked her about that [sold out]. As a business woman she knows very well that marketing works that way. But Meghan simply responded that it was such a 'surprise'. So it seems the Duchess does not regard it as a marketing tool.

An odd moment in the Grede podcast was when Meghan was asked what she had learned or would differently - in other words asked to reflect on herself. The response was simply odd: that she wanted other people to be more honest about her.

Meghan also said she would discontinue her own podcast so she would not be 'spread thin' and could focus on her company. In general people don't stop projects that are a great success IMO.

Very true, I was thinking more in terms of people who actually want to buy it, but didn't make that clear

ETA I believe last time the items she sold was tested by some media organisations as well as influencers, etc.

 

[Emmily]

An odd moment in the Grede podcast was when Meghan was asked what she had learned or would differently - in other words asked to reflect on herself. The response was simply odd: that she wanted other people to be more honest about her.

In other words, she has learned nothing. No self-reflection, just continual finger pointing.

 

[Hallo girl]

Meghan Markle 'expected a billionaire' and was left 'shocked' at one thing

I think I recall Meghan saying something about the cottage in one of the interviews. She claimed one of her friends were shocked to see how they lived!!!! Or words to that effect. They couldn’t believe how small it was. Harry had no money and she had to buy furniture on her credit card.

 

[hereditarytitles]

This might be the article about Oprah Winfrey visiting them at Nottingham Cottage

Meghan Markle Says Oprah Was Surprised by the Size of Nottingham Cottage: 'No One Would Ever Believe It!'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recall Oprah Winfrey coming to Nottingham Cottage for tea in Harry & Meghan, streaming now in full on Netflix

people.com

IIRC William and Kate lived there for two years and never complained. To me it looks like a small romantic well maintained cottage with a compact garden. They must have known that they wouldn't live their for long. It sounds snobbish to make such a fuss about.

 

[TLLK]

This might be the article about Oprah Winfrey visiting them at Nottingham Cottage

Meghan Markle Says Oprah Was Surprised by the Size of Nottingham Cottage: 'No One Would Ever Believe It!'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recall Oprah Winfrey coming to Nottingham Cottage for tea in Harry & Meghan, streaming now in full on Netflix

people.com

IIRC William and Kate lived there for two years and never complained. To me it looks like a small romantic well maintained cottage with a compact garden. They must have known that they wouldn't live their for long. It sounds snobbish to make such a fuss about.

As far as I can tell, Nottingham Cottage has recently been considered a starter home for this generation of members of the BRF. I have read that the upstairs ceiling height is low in some parts because reportedly, Prince William at 6'3" was brushing his head against the ceiling in some spots.
Still the Sussexes should have realized that in time they were going to have a larger home available to them.