- I would distance myself from anyone who would throw their own family under the bus for money.
Let alone sell his own Mother’s funeral out.
I don’t think he realises how thoroughly he is burning his bridges and for what ? He doesn’t need more money surely.*
Ok so here is where I have some sympathy for them.
Their estimated net worth pre-exit was £35m.
It sounds a lot - well it is a lot - but not in the context of their plans to re-locate to the US.
It's also worth bearing in mind that it's highly unlikely that the bulk of this wealth was in liquid form and easily accessible.
As a working royal H didn't need it. He was entitled to grace and favour homes, £250k a year roughly from the sovereign grant, his security cost paid by the taxpayer and a £2m a year allowance from the Duchy of Cornwall to fund the expenses and living costs of being a working royal. So his wealth was highly likely placed in long term investments.
When they announced their split they said they'd forgo the grant, pay back Frogmore renovations but keep the free security and Duchy Money.
The thing they hasn't counted on/thought through (because they did a fait accompli rather than thrash out the details in private) was that security provision in the US would have been prohibitively expensive and The Met (not the RF) made clear they would not be providing it under those circumstances (titles being irrelevant in how they assess security requirements - risk is the key criteria - and their ability to provide it effectively and at and an appropriate cost).
In addition Charles made clear that the DoC allowance was there to finance the expenses of being a working royal - not just "pocket money" to spend as they saw fit. Fundamentally if they weren't doing the job they were not entitled to it.
Now of course at this point they could have revised their plans and agree to step down but remain in the U.K. were security could have been maintained and live at Frogmore.
However they didn't want that - so they had to find a find a way to not only pay for Frogmore but also accommodation and security - not "in time as they established financial independence" but very quickly before they officially stepped down because £35m, even if they could access it wasn't going to last very long after you've spent half of it on a new secure home and are self funding £1m a year 24h security plus other living expenses.
I think from the OW interview that both of them feel very aggrieved/angry that their demands weren't met.
So they start negotiating with Netflix/Spotify - who frankly will know they need the money.
Whilst much has been made of the value of the deals £100/25m respectively what's not clear is the terms.
We've frankly no idea how much pressure is being put on the pair of them to provide "compelling" viewing and "share" exclusive insights into royal life but you don't that sort of money for nothing.
Fundamentally I fear that whilst they may well have "found freedom" from one "gilded cage" they've simply traded it for another.
The only difference is that the people with the keys are no longer the "men in grey suits" of the "The Firm"/royal protocol/tradition but corporate sharks and cut throat corporate greed.