Prince William, 43, has long been at odds with his brother, Prince Harry, 41, and Meghan Markle, 44, particularly over their use of HRH titles in private letters, which the 2020 Sandringham agreement forbade. In April 2025, reports said William was angered when Meghan shared a letter from a Ukrainian official addressing her as 'Your Royal Highness'.
Insiders speculated William might strip them of their HRH and possibly Sussex titles when he becomes king to prevent future issues. The intense sibling rivalry has made such a move seem unnecessary, as their own actions have already damaged their reputations, highlighting a surprising twist: in this case, failure is the harshest punishment.
As of December 2025, the Archewell Foundation has been restructured as Archewell Philanthropies under a fiscal sponsor model. Announced on Dec. 19, the move allows Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, to expand family philanthropy, though it led to three junior admin redundancies described as 'inevitable'. Sources say Prince William, who once considered a clean break from his brother's American ventures, has now stepped back, letting the Sussexes' self-inflicted setbacks take their toll.
It's a story of squandered glamour, where what could have been a billion-pound empire has crumbled into irrelevance, leaving Harry and Meghan scrambling in Hollywood's shadows. Netflix extended their deal over summer 2025 but notably snubbed stocking Meghan's As Ever products in its shop, despite promises to integrate the lifestyle brand, amid reports of declining viewership.
Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Titles Deemed Worthless
'William no longer has any intention to strip them of the Sussex title because, not because he's being kind, but the title's worthless,' royal insider Rob Shuter reveals on Maureen Callahan's The Nerve podcast. 'The Sussex brand now doesn't mean anything. They're not going to get any more deals. It's over'.
'What would you do if you were a Sussex? What could I do with that brand? Pretty much nothing,' Shuter stressed. The couple's high-profile Netflix deal ended after delivering precious little, while Meghan's As Ever food brand fizzled despite leaning hard on their royal cachet. Both ventures hawked the Sussex name relentlessly, yet yielded no lasting commercial wins.
Harry and Meghan bolted from royal duties in January 2020, chasing financial independence in California. Early days sparkled: Harry pocketed about $1 million for a speech to Miami bankers in February that year, and they signed with the elite Harry Walker Agency for blockbuster speaking gigs. Then came the jackpot deals — Netflix and Spotify — that promised the world but imploded spectacularly.
Spotify's podcaster Bill Simmons branded them 'f------ grifters' after their pact collapsed in 2023, following three years of delays and just 12 episodes of Meghan's Archetypes podcast, which needed extra staff to scrape together. Netflix axed their five-year exclusive in August after only the 2022 Harry & Meghan docuseries struck gold — by slinging palace dirt — while other projects vanished into limbo.
Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Ignoring Sussexes Proves Cruel Genius
'My sources tell me, and I think this is really, really smart, is that if he strips them, he'll just look like a petty brother. He'll look petty. If he doesn't strip them and ignores them, that's actually more cruel,' Shuter dished on why William has shelved his reported plan to yank the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles upon ascending the throne.
'It's worthless. What is that brand worth? And that's their own fault,' he continued. 'This is a billion-dollar brand. This is a brand that potentially could have been enormous, and they've squandered it'.
The effects go far beyond the deal sheets. People in Hollywood say that Harry and Meghan have burned too many bridges with their string of flops, making the Sussex label toxic. No new projects come up, and invitations stop coming. What began as a flurry of media attention — grievance books, tell-all interviews and Oprah sit-downs — has faded to embers, turning off the very industry they were trying to win over.
Rumours in October 2025 said that William was trying to take away Archie and Lilibet's prince and princess titles through an executive order because King Charles was sick. However, Shuter's analysis from December is still the best because the Sussexes don't pose a 'strategic threat'.
It's a moving watch for the public. People all over the world know how it feels to have brothers who don't talk to each other. William's self-control keeps him from being called 'petty', but market forces are slowly destroying Harry's and Meghan's dreams. Supporters see smart restraint, while critics see cold calculation. The brothers' fight shows how strong the monarchy is, even when they are in exile.
Shuter said: 'So, I think that they don't need William to come along and cut them. They've done it themselves'. 'What's that expression, Give them enough rope to hang themselves. I think this is a perfect example. And they've hung themselves. And the Sussex brand, too'.
The loss of life hurts the most. Harry and Meghan gave up following palace rules in exchange for privacy, but people still analyse everything they do. Archewell has a lot of staff turnover, which makes friendships break down. William, who has three young heirs, needs to keep the crown steady while people are watching.
This isn't just gossip from the tabloids; it's a warning about how fame can fade, even for a duke. Because Charles is still focused on his health until late 2025 and there is no public reconciliation, the Sussexes' life in California is becoming more and more isolated as they follow the 'grey rock' strategy of ignoring them.
The Sussex saga is still going on as 2025 comes to a close and King Charles's health is in the news. Will silence fix the broken family, or make it worse? One thing is certain: in the court of public opinion, being irrelevant hurts more than any order.
