Prince Harry is said to be facing a growing cash crisis in California, with insiders claiming in late May that he has quietly turned to King Charles for help while Prince William allegedly dismisses his younger brother as 'self-serving.' The claims, reported by Closer, say the Duke of Sussex has been speaking to his father from the United States as he tries to plug funding gaps.
Harry and Meghan Markle have spent the past four years building a new life in Montecito after stepping down as senior royals in 2020. The move was pitched as a fresh start and a route to financial independence, bringing with it lucrative media deals, including the couple's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and the 2022 Netflix series Harry & Meghan. Recent coverage, however, has suggested that some of those commercial arrangements have cooled or run their course just as the royal family at home has been hit by serious health concerns.
Prince Harry Cash Crisis And Invictus Concerns
At the centre of the reported cash pressure is the Invictus Games, the veterans' sporting event Harry founded and continues to champion. July will mark one year until the next Games, due to be held in Birmingham in 2027, and Harry is expected to travel to the UK for the milestone. Behind the scenes, though, Closer says the charity has run into trouble.
Last week, shortly after Harry and Meghan returned from a tour of Australia, it emerged that government funding had been cut for Invictus Australia. The chief executive called the move 'shocking,' leaving organisers searching for replacement backers. Days later, Melloney Poole, the vice-chair of the Invictus Games, stepped down, adding to the pressure at a sensitive moment.
According to an unnamed insider quoted by Closer, the setbacks have left Harry under urgent pressure to raise money. 'Harry and Charles are in touch, they are even having long conversations, and Harry is very transparent with his father about how tough things have been,' the source said. 'Harry really needs to find a big chunk of money to bail out Invictus right now, he needs his father's help.'
The same source linked the Invictus strain to the Sussexes' personal finances. They claimed the couple's Montecito lifestyle, including payments on their large home, costs somewhere between $3 million and $6 million a year. 'The monthly expenses are massive and, as everyone knows, nearly all their deals have fallen apart,' the insider alleged. Those figures have not been confirmed publicly by the couple, so they should be treated cautiously.
Hollywood Cool And A Return To Royal Roots
The broader backdrop to the Prince Harry cash crisis story is a noticeable shift in mood around the Sussexes in Hollywood. In 2024, the royal family went through what some commentators described as an 'annus horribilis,' with King Charles, now 77, and the Princess of Wales, 44, both announcing cancer diagnoses. Against that deeply personal backdrop, what once looked like Harry and Meghan's bold break from royal life has started to look, in some American circles, like an unresolved family feud.
Their standing in entertainment also appears less secure than it once was. In March, reports suggested Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos had unfollowed Meghan and her lifestyle brand on social media shortly after the streamer cut ties with her As Ever project. Although the three were later photographed together, suggesting the relationship remains cordial, one source told Closer that Harry and Meghan are becoming 'radioactive' in parts of Hollywood.
That cooling market may help explain why Harry is now, in the magazine's telling, edging back towards his royal roots. 'As soon as Harry went against his family, everyone loyal to Charles turned their backs, and that included most of the people he knows,' the insider said. They added that a simple public show of support from the King could do a great deal for the couple's standing.
Publicly, Harry and Meghan have always said their departure from royal duties was about independence. But the same source suggested Harry is now less interested in a direct cash handout than in symbolic backing. 'He's not asking for a cash payout, as helpful as that would be, all he's asking for is a little bit of public support,' they claimed, adding that Charles's introductions could still 'open lots of doors.'
William's Alleged Fury
Any public support from the King would be politically difficult inside the palace. Closer's source says Charles has continued speaking to his younger son and has even signalled a wish to see grandchildren Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, in Britain soon, but other senior royals are said to be far less forgiving.
The insider claimed Harry sees any gesture of support as the beginning of what he believes he and Meghan are owed for the way they were treated as working royals. 'He appreciates that his father has essentially given him carte blanche to do these royal-style tours, but he doesn't feel that is far enough when it comes to the reparations he feels he's owed by his family and the Firm,' the source said.
According to Closer, that view has not gone down well. Courtiers who had cautiously welcomed the thaw in relations are said to be pushing back, while 'the entire Firm' is described as appalled by the suggestion that the family owes him anything. The strongest reaction reportedly comes from Prince William.
The Prince of Wales is widely believed to oppose any formal return to royal life for his brother, and the latest reports suggest this episode has hardened that position. 'William, of course, has had the most vocal reaction, and he's now going around telling everyone this is just more proof he was right all along to brand Harry's visit as nothing but a cover for a more manipulative and self-serving mission,' the insider claimed.
Harry, meanwhile, is said to be stunned. The source told Closer he sees approaching his father as a 'last resort' rather than a scheme, and 'refuses to believe his dad would be that cold' as to leave him and Invictus without support, even if his brother might.
None of the royals named has commented publicly on the reported cash crisis, the Invictus funding concerns or William's alleged jibe. Until they do, much of what is being said remains the view of unnamed sources and should be taken cautiously.
