Prince Harry’s eyeing up a hair transplant – any tips, Wayne Rooney?
The Sussexes face backlash for first ‘paid gig’
Having made the monumental decision to leave the royal family, we had thought that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would lie low for a while. But last week, the pair made their first public appearance together since “Megxit”. And it wasn’t just any old ribbon-cutting – the couple accepted an invitation to speak at a summit hosted by leading financial services firm JP Morgan Chase in Miami, Florida. It is thought that the couple may have earned around £400k for the appearance, which took place at South Beach’s glitzy 1 Hotel. Meghan is said to have spoken about her “love for her husband”, before introducing Harry to the stage, where he spoke about mental health and using therapy to deal with the grief of losing his mother.
It may be an understatement to say some royal fans were outraged by the notion that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were already making money off their not-so-royal-any-more status. PR guru Mark Borkowski said, “The worry is, how many of these type of gigs are there going to be? How often can Harry play the card about his mental health? For JP Morgan, it’s an extraordinary ‘get’. They clearly have the money to afford them, but Harry and Meghan need to avoid being perceived as tacky.”
One online commenter wrote, “Didn’t take long for them to start cashing in on their name”, while another said they were, “commercialising an institution that didn’t belong to them”.
And our insider tells us Meghan is already lining up Harry’s next “emotional” speech. “Meghan is really proud
of Harry for being so open about his mental health struggles, and thinks it’s the key to them getting support from the public,” we’re told. “But she’s also excited for them to build a base in Los Angeles, and all the money they are making right now is helping them with those plans.” Prince Harry is rumoured to have discussed working with another finance firm – Goldman Sachs – in a multi-million pound deal. However, the pair reportedly turned down the chance to present the Best Picture award at the Oscars. “There is definitely a feeling that Meghan needs to be reined-in slightly, with all the plans that she has for them both in their new celebrity careers. It was Meghan who was pushing for them to appear at the Oscars, but Harry’s advisors put their foot down and said it was much too soon for them to be making an appearance at a televised, celeb event.”
Continuing their starry visit to the US, the couple reportedly had dinner with J-LO and Alex Rodriguez. Jennifer was overheard giving the couple and baby Archie an open invitation to their Miami house.
Our insider tells us, “They clicked immediately as a foursome, and have talked and texted plenty of times since. J-lo’s been a great sounding board about practical matters, as well as emotional issues whenever Meghan’s needed to vent. She’s promised to be available 24/7 to Meghan, like she is for all her friends.”
With their earning power said to be “unlimited” and A-listers lining up to be pals, it’s no wonder that our source says, “It’s validated their decision to ditch the monarchy and pursue this exciting new life.” n
‘Harry and Meghan need to avoid seeming tacky’