{
  "id": 2285534,
  "title": "What happened to Harry and Meghan's American dream?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/what-happened-to-harry-and-meghans-american-dream",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-21T02:57:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c935rk91vg5o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle abandoned their roles in the Royal Family to embrace an American lifestyle in California. Despite initial success in showbusiness, their Hollywood career proved fleeting and their return to the UK has elicited little response. Initially, they sought financial independence and the privacy to make their own choices. Meghan described this newfound freedom as liberating, while Harry viewed America as offering a degree of privacy and freedom absent in the UK. They settled in Montecito, a celebrity enclave, where they attracted lucrative deals with Spotify and Netflix. Yet, their ventures eventually faltered, with the couple's Netflix deal replaced by a less profitable arrangement and staff turnover within their production business. Harry's memoir, \"Spare,\" was a commercial success, yet the couple's projects generally failed to match the attention garnered by their documentary and memoir. Their recent departure from the US suggests a return to a life closer to the Royal Family, either to validate their status or to monetize their celebrity status.",
  "summary": "Harry and Meghan enjoyed some showbusiness success, but their Hollywood reign proved short-lived.",
  "key_points": [
    "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left Royal duties in 2020 for California.",
    "They found success in Hollywood but projects eventually faltered.",
    "Recent departure hints at a return to Royal Family's orbit."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}