Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been dealt a crushing blow after explosive new evidence emerged that appears to completely undermine her claims of living in poverty. The revelations come just months after Meghan pinned a deeply personal letter decrying the financial problems she and Prince Harry have faced since stepping back from royal duties.
But before we continue, please subscribe and turn on the notification bell for more updates. The letter, published in the bombshell Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, painted a bleak picture of the couple’s post-Mexit finances, with Meghan describing the constant worry over bills and their inability to pay rent. However, newly unearthed records show that in the very same month that Meghan was lamenting her supposed money troubles, she and Harry were living it up in a sprawling $14.7 million mansion in the heart of ultra-exclusive Montecito, California.
The 18,000 square-foot property, which boasts nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms, is situated on over 5 acres of prime real estate and features a private wine cellar, theater, spa, tennis court, and its own private gym. The shocking discrepancy between Meghan’s public claims of financial hardship and the couple’s extravagant living arrangements has left royal watchers and the public alike crying foul. Many are now accusing the Duchess of Sussex of outright lying in her poverty letter in a brazen attempt to generate sympathy and garner support for the Sussexes’ lucrative media deals.
“This is a stunning revelation that completely undermines Meghan’s entire narrative,” said royal commentator Penelope Thornton. “How can she claim to be struggling to make ends meet and unable to pay the rent when she’s residing in a multi-million-dollar palace? It’s simply not credible, and I think it’s going to severely damage the couple’s credibility and standing with the public.”
The new evidence comes on the heels of a series of PR missteps and controversies that have plagued the Sussexes in recent months. From Harry’s tell-all memoir being panned as self-indulgent and out of touch to the couple’s much-maligned decision to accept a prestigious award from the RFK Foundation despite their well-documented history of ethical lapses, the Sussexes have found themselves facing a steady drumbeat of negative publicity. And now, with Meghan’s claims of financial hardship exposed as potentially false, the couple’s carefully curated image as noble downtrodden underdogs appears to be unraveling at the seams.
“This is a real gut punch for Harry and Meghan,” said royal biographer Lady Colin Campbell. “They’ve built so much of their public persona and justification for their lucrative media deals around this narrative of them being victimized and struggling to make ends meet. But if it turns out that was all just a cynical ploy for sympathy and cash, I think that’s going to be a very hard thing for them to come back from.”
The revelations have also reignited long-standing questions about the Sussexes’ financial arrangements and just how they are able to maintain their lavish lifestyle despite stepping down as working royals. The couple has continued to command astronomical sums for media appearances, book deals, and various other commercial ventures. However, with Meghan’s poverty letter now cast into doubt, many are wondering whether the Sussexes may have been exaggerating or even outright fabricating the extent of their financial hardships in order to justify their profiteering.
“I think a lot of people are going to start looking much more skeptically at the Sussexes’ claims about their finances and just how much they’re really struggling,” said royal correspondent Emily Andrews. “If Meghan is willing to lie about being unable to pay the rent, what else might they be economizing with the truth?”
The revelations come at a particularly precarious time for the Sussexes, who are said to be hemorrhaging money and struggling to secure lucrative new deals in the wake of the tepid reception to Harry’s memoir and the couple’s various other projects. With their Netflix docuseries failing to move the needle and Harry’s upcoming memoir, Spare, already facing backlash, the couple’s future endeavors are under intense scrutiny.
