Harry and Meghan’s celebrity status is beginning to wilt, say Hollywood insiders

Harry’s attendance at the coronation is essential if ‘Brand Sussex’ is to continue to thrive
Sami Quadri16 April 2023

Harry and Meghan’s celebrity status is starting to wilt and their popularity is on the decline in the United States, Hollywood insiders say.

The Palace ended months of speculation this week by confirming that the Duke of Sussex will attend the King’s coronation on May 6.

However, his wife Meghan and the couple's two children will remain at their home in California.

It will be the first time Harry has been with his family since his tell-all memoir and six-part docu-series stunned the royals.

A Netflix insider told the Mail on Sunday that there was a “palpable sigh of relief” after Harry’s attendance was confirmed.

“Harry is going back for all the right reasons but there was a palpable sigh of relief among those of us involved in the business because Brand Sussex relies on Harry being seen with his family,” the source said.

“At the end of the day it is all about proximity to the King.”

A senior executive at Walt Disney Studios added: “They are at a turning point because they've done the Netflix series and Harry's done his book. You could argue the bloom is starting to fade from the rose. What is their currency? Their main selling point is their link to the Royal Family.

“Harry has to be there [at the Coronation]. In America, this is all part of the narrative. Harry has to go back and he's either embraced, which is wonderful, or he's not – which will keep the narrative going.

“The story has to keep evolving because that is what builds the brand and brings the offers in.”

They said there is a “danger” that the pair are “becoming irrelevant”.

“Americans care about the Royal Family. We've always been fascinated by the Royals. Harry is Diana's son, nothing will ever change that.

“But the American public needs to see he's still part of the family because his family and their drama is what we're interested in,” he said.

The coronation will mark the first time Prince Harry has been seen in public with his family since his explosive memoir, Spare, was published at the start of this year.

In the book, Harry criticised Charles's parenting, said the King was jealous of Meghan and the Princess of Wales. He also accused William of physically attacking him and branded Camilla “dangerous”.

Harry and Meghan were asked earlier this year to vacate their UK home, Frogmore Cottage, in a move sanctioned by the King.

It is unclear what the arrangements will be for Harry's security while he is in London.

Meghan will not be the first wife of a close royal to miss a coronation.

Wallis Simpson, the wife of Edward VIII, who abdicated to become the Duke of Windsor, missed the 1936 coronation of her husband's successor, King George VI.

It was deemed inappropriate for a former king to be present at the new monarch's crowning, so the couple were not invited the event.

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