Prince Harry and Meghan Markle famously stepped back from royal duties on 8 January 2020, and since then their lives have changed drastically.
Five years on, this is what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are up to now.
Their family has grown
The Sussex clan became a family of four on 4 June 2021 when they welcomed their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor into the world.
“Lili” was born in Santa Barbara, California, and she was named after her grandmother, Princess Diana, and great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Her arrival was announced in a statement by her parents.
“On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili,” Harry and Meghan wrote in a statement on their Archewell website. “She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have chosen to keep their children’s lives very private, and we’ve only been given a handful of pictures and quotes about Lilibet and her older brother Archie over the years.
In 2022, Harry revealed on Today that he greatly enjoys fatherhood.
“I love it. I love every part of it. I’ve always wanted to be a dad,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to have my own kids, and now I’ve got two little people who I’m responsible for.”
They live in Montecito, California
A big part of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back as senior working royals was their decision to relocate to the United States.
In 2020, the couple left their British residence, Frogmore Cottage, and moved into a 16-bedroom estate in Montecito, California.
The property cost them a whopping AU$21 million, and Meghan has described their home as “calm and healing.”
The Duchess told The Cut, “We did everything we could to get this house. Because you walk in and go … Joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free.”
They have created and released multiple Netflix projects
One of their biggest moves in the last five years was their nine-figure Netflix deal.
They partnered with the streaming giant in 2020 and have since released multiple projects including their six-part docuseries Harry & Meghan, which was released in 2022.
Additionally, the Sussexes also released Live to Lead in 2022, Heart of Invictus in 2023, Polo in 2024, and With Love, Meghan will premiere in January 2025.
They also reportedly bought the screen rights to Carley Fortune’s novel Meet Me at the Lake, and are also allegedly set to create an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations.
“Our lives, both independent of each other and as a couple, have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience and the need for connection,” Harry and Meghan said in a statement after the Netflix deal was announced.
“Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.”
The couple also had deals with Penguin Books and Spotify, the former of which published Prince Harry’s memoir Spare and Meghan’s children’s book The Bench.
Meanwhile, Meghan released her successful podcast Archetypes with Spotify in 2022.
They have embarked on various business ventures
Aside from their numerous business deals and collaborations, the Duke and Duchess have also created their own professional projects.
For example, Prince Harry released his own documentary in 2021, The Me You Can’t See, with Oprah Winfrey. He also started a coaching platform called BetterUp which is aimed at helping people improve their mental fitness. He currently serves as Chief Impact Officer for the organisation.
As for Meghan, she signed with a talent agency in 2023, prompting speculation that she could be returning to acting. She has also taken on a solo podcast deal with Lemonada, and is launching her own lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
It has also been reported that Meghan has invested in a variety of companies including Clevr Blends, Cesta Collective and Highbrow Hippie.
Sources told People that Harry is focusing more on philanthropic projects, while Meghan is exploring more entrepreneurial and commercial ventures.
“An entrepreneurial and enterprise focus is going to be more the Duchess’s priority and the Duke will continue to champion his not-for-profit patronages,” a friend told the publication. “But there will be joint efforts around those cause-driven areas of work.”
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