The Duke and Duchess of Sussex face annual costs running into millions of pounds as they resettle in the United Kingdom, with no financial assistance from the King to offset expenses spanning three international properties, round-the-clock private security, children’s school fees, and private jet travel.
The couple’s return also coincides with a potential £34.5million legal bill stemming from their failed privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, with an estimated £18million shortfall beyond their insurance coverage.
The King has indicated there will be no money for Harry on his return, as he is no longer a working royal and has separate commercial interests. The Sussexes will instead rely on their entertainment deals, paid public appearances, and Meghan’s lifestyle brand.
The couple are expected to settle in the Cotswolds. Jonathan Bramwell of Bramwell Prime Property Search said a six-to-seven-bedroom house with staff quarters and sufficient acreage for privacy in the north Cotswolds would cost at least £10million, while southern properties might exceed £7.5million.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex face annual costs running into millions of pounds as they resettle in the United Kingdom
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PA
The Sussexes will keep their nine-bedroom Montecito mansion in California, where annual costs are estimated at up to $600,000 (£443,000), comprising mortgage payments of roughly $450,792 (£332,000) and a tax bill of approximately $149,668 (£110,000).
Their £6.3million property in Portugal’s Costa Terra resort, purchased in 2023, will also be retained.
Travel between the three homes will add further expense. The couple flew to the UK on a Bombardier Global Express chartered from Planet Nine Private Air, reportedly costing around $12,000 (£8,860) per hour of flight time.
Private security represents one of the highest ongoing costs. John Moore, managing director of Westminster Security, estimated a minimum of £3million annually, recommending at least four bodyguards and two vehicles with security chauffeurs.
People walk through Lower Slaughter, a village in the Cotswolds
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REUTERS
“Depending on many other variables, such as international travel and public events, it could well go up to £5million,” he told the Times.
The Duke of Sussex lost his automatic entitlement to armed police protection when he stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and subsequently lost a legal challenge against that decision.
He wrote to the home secretary within the past month seeking an update on a fresh risk assessment, GB News understands.
Separately, Harry and six fellow claimants must pay an initial £9.54million to Associated Newspapers Limited following their failed privacy case.
Meghan Markle’s Netflix show With Love, Meghan secured a nomination at the Daytime Emmy Awards
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NETFLIXMr Justice Nicklin ruled that indemnity costs could push the total to £34.5million, against insurance cover of £16.2million.
The Sussexes’ primary revenue stream is a renewed “first look” deal with Netflix, signed after their original multi-year agreement expired.
The initial contract was understood to be worth less than the reported $100million (£75million) figure. A separate Spotify deal, estimated at $25million (£18million), was terminated in June 2023 after a single podcast series, with the couple reportedly failing to meet productivity benchmarks.
Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever sells wine, jam, candles and other products, though its profitability remains undisclosed.
She has also held preliminary discussions with director Guy Ritchie about a potential role in Netflix’s The Gentlemen, though nothing has been confirmed.
Harry inherited a share of Princess Diana’s estate, reportedly worth roughly £21million before tax, and his memoir Spare sold millions of copies.
The couple have also earned fees from speaking engagements internationally.