Prince Harry will soon become 'the bloke in the corner at parties' as celebrity status fades, royal expert says
Prince Harry will soon become "the bloke in the corner who used to be in the royal family" at parties, royal expert Stephen Bates has claimed. Bates, the author of 'Royalty Inc: Britain's Best-Known Brand', said that the "celebrity status" of Harry and Meghan and their "brand Sussex" will not take them very far in the future, reports state.
Bates added that the Sussexes will continue to be answerable to the royal family, however, they will not be able to profit from their affiliation to it, he told The Guardian.
"Their association, via their name, is chiefly what they have," he said. "All this stuff about huge marketing opportunities, and people talking up 'their brand' and how much it will earn them… Obviously their celebrity will carry them so far – but in a year or two's time, what are they going to do?"
On January 8, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had announced that they would step back as senior members of the royal family and work to become financially independent. This move could see the couple splitting their time between the UK and Canada.
Reports state that Meghan and Harry want to model themselves on the Obamas, who have signed a deal with Netflix. The Daily Mail reported sources as claiming that the Sussexes hope to make a fortune with their own film and television production company, giving voiceovers and producing documentaries on "worthy" issues like climate change and mental health.
Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos, in a statement at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, had said that he would like to work with the Sussexes, saying: "Who wouldn’t be interested? Yes, sure."
Meghan reportedly has already signed a voiceover deal with Disney in return for a donation to an elephant charity. Footage had emerged last week of Harry pointing out his wife's talents to the Chief Executive of Disney Robert Iger during the European premiere of 'The Lion King' in July. Meanwhile, Harry has collaborated on an Apple TV series on mental health with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who is a friend of the couple.
"Obama wasn't a hereditary president – or worse, a hereditary president's younger brother," Bates told the outlet. "I can see a lot of parties with Harry standing in the corner and people saying, 'There's the bloke who used to be in the royal family'."
Bates also talked about Prince Andrew, referring to the royals who surround themselves with wealthy celebrity friends. "Prince Andrew is an awful warning in this, because he lost his purpose in life," the author said.