When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and traded Frogmore Cottage for the sun-drenched expanse of Montecito, it was billed as the ultimate modern reinvention. Armed with a multi-million-dollar Netflix partnership, a lucrative Spotify podcast deal, and a burning desire for financial independence and privacy, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex set out to build a Hollywood empire. For a time, the strategy paid off. Yet, fame and visibility in the cutthroat landscape of Southern California do not always equate to long-term commercial stability.

As the couple recently packed up their lives to pivot back toward the UK, questions linger over whether the much-hyped "American Dream" has quietly run its course.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK just a few days ago with their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. In September, the kids might begin school in Britain. The family has no intention of relocating to a royal residence. Rather, they allegedly intend to establish a private residence in the United Kingdom. 

They will also retain their property in Portugal and their $29 million Montecito mansion. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not return to their royal duties as a result of this relocation. They will carry on with their independent endeavors and continue to be private people.   

After relocating to California, the Sussexes entered the US entertainment scene, which attracted a lot of attention from around the world and presented numerous financial prospects. According to a source who spoke to Radar Online, the pair first thought their royal position would enable them to launch a profitable entertainment venture and break away from the monarchy.

"When Harry and Meghan first arrived in California, there was a genuine belief that they could translate their royal profile into something enormous in entertainment and become completely self-sufficient on their own terms," the insider said. 

Analyzing the couple's trajectory over the years, the insider noted that while they initially commanded extraordinary deals, unprecedented access to Hollywood figures, and intense global attention, the landscape has shifted dramatically over the past six years. From this perspective, the grand ambitions of their American chapter have effectively unraveled, leaving their initial vision behind.

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The insider also delved deep into the failed projects and the Hollywood dream, whisking away little by little from the Sussexes.

According to an insider, while certain projects centered directly on Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, or their experiences within the royal family performed well, numerous other ideas were ultimately canceled, quietly phased out, or failed to achieve their anticipated impact. The source noted that several major partnerships had ended and the initial rush of Hollywood enthusiasm had visibly faded.

The insider added that the American dream the couple initially pursued had already suffered significant setbacks before any decisions were made regarding Britain. While California provided freedom, financial independence, and distance from the monarchy, the source observed that it ultimately failed to deliver the entirely new life and enduring media empire they once seemed determined to build.

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Do you think the Sussexes can still reclaim their US dream? Do let us know.