Prince Harry has recently come under fire for allegedly severing ties with the royal family in pursuit of financial gain. Royal commentator Daniela Elser made this claim in her latest piece for News.com.au, where she criticized the Duke of Sussex for prioritizing money over maintaining connections with his family.
In her article, Elser compared Harry’s current financial situation to that of his cousins, noting that he “is not doing particularly well” by royal standards. She referenced Zara Tindall, who, like Harry, is also wealthy but earned her fortune through work. Tindall is reportedly worth nearly £44 million ($58.4 million), a wealth she accumulated through her efforts, Elser pointed out.
This led Elser to question whether Prince Harry, after allegedly burning bridges between Montecito and Clarence House, has ended up in a less favorable financial position than his relatives. “Could [Harry] – having burned every bridge between Montecito and Clarence House with an untold number of jerry cans of petrol and bile in return for some nice round dollar figures – have ended up … a comparatively poor cousin?” she asked.
Elser further pondered whether Harry had sacrificed his old life only to find himself in financial circumstances similar to other relatives who remain warmly welcomed at Buckingham Palace. Reflecting on this, she remarked, “People talk about deals with the devil, but who knew he was such a stingy bastard?”
Despite significant earnings from high-profile deals, including his Netflix and Spotify contracts, the sale of his memoir Spare, and the payout from Penguin Random House, Elser suggested Harry’s financial success is still modest compared to his cousins. His estimated total wealth from these ventures is around $71 million.
While acknowledging Harry’s considerable earnings, Elser highlighted that it may not be as impressive when compared to other royals. “Not bad for a man who has no tertiary qualifications and had only ever worked for his Gan Gan before pitching up in the US to supersize his bank account,” she concluded.
Elser’s remarks underscore the tension between Prince Harry’s new life in the U.S. and the royal family he left behind, raising questions about the long-term cost of his choices.