Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make millions — but don’t like to spend their own cash, multiple sources tell Page Six
Their latest free gift, Page Six has learned, was a private jet flying them to Vancouver, Canada for a three-day trip to promote the launch of the 2025 Invictus Games for wounded service personnel.
The couple landed in Vancouver Tuesday on a 10-seat Bombardier Challenger 605 chartered from a local private aviation company. Page Six is told they were “guests” on the flight.
One source who has worked with the duo told Page Six: “They certainly don’t like to spend their own money,” and another well-placed insider added: “It’s always other people’s money.”
The couple does tend to fly private with pals — ostensibly, as Harry has said, for security reasons — and often make use of their rich friends’ homes.
The Canadian trip is the latest use of someone else’s jet by the couple, who were unavailable for comment.
Last October, they flew by private jet to NYC for a conference on the perils of social media for kids, and then on to a quick vacation on the Caribbean island of Canouan. It’s not known who paid for that trip.
In November, they flew to Vegas for a Katy Perry concert on board Texan oil heir Michael Herd’s plane, with his wife, billionaire and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, along with A-listers Cameron Diaz, her husband Benji Madden and Zoe Saldana.
And in January, the couple joined Paramount CEO Brian Robbins and his fashion designer wife Tracy in Jamaica for the premiere of Bob Marley biopic “One Love,” traveling by private jet.
When in Los Angeles for work and meetings, they often stay at make-up millionaire Victoria Jackson’s home, we understand.
Their notorious claim to have been in a scary paparazzi chase last May was when they were staying at a private home on the Upper East Side, and they have also stayed at lawyer Barry Bloom’s NYC apartment while visiting the UN.
And after quitting royal duties, they stayed at movie mogul Tyler Perry’s $18 million LA home when they first moved to the US.
They also plotted their escape from the royal family at Russian oligarch Yuri Milner’s lavish Canadian retreat on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, over Christmas and New Year 2019.
The Duke and Duchess were banned from taking freebies when they were working royals — but Page Six told how she turned a set of diamonds gifted to Harry from the Middle East into a pinky ring and earrings.
Markle has also worn clothing from the Staud range run by Sarah Staudinger, the wife of WME boss Ari Emmanuel, who is now the one-time “Suits” star’s Hollywood agent. Markle wore the clothing at an LA Lakers game, although it’s unknown whether she paid for the items.
“She certainly has the Hollywood mentality, ‘If I wear your brand, it will increase sales,’” said the well-placed insider.
And with the advent of their new Sussex.com website this week, one palace source said, “Basically, it’s ‘Look at us… don’t forget we’re royal above everything else.’”
Cash has long been a source of concern for the couple. Acclaimed royal writer Valentine Low revealed in his book “Courtiers” that during an official tour of Australia and Fiji in 2018, Markle told staffers, “I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this.’”
Harry infamously told Oprah Winfrey that if was not for his mother, Princess Diana’s inheritance, they would have not been able to make their move to the US.
“I’ve got what my mum left me, and without that we would not have been able to do this,” Harry said, referring to his half share of her 1997 estate.
She left about $10m each to him and Prince William, which was invested for them and would have been worth far more when he gained it at the age of 30, in 2014.
But in reality he was also given a “substantial” check by his father, then Prince Charles, when he left the UK. It is unknown if he has also received a legacy from his beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, or his grandfather Prince Philip.
And when they quit royal duties, the couple quickly made multi-million dollar deals with podcast platform Spotify and streamer Netflix, and bought a $14.6 million estate in Montecito, with a $9.5 million mortgage.
Shortly after that, Harry signed a $20 million deal with Penguin Random House for his memoir, which was the best-selling book of 2023 on Amazon, and two further books.
Although they lost their Spotify deal last summer — with Spotify exec Bill Simmons dubbing them “f—ing grifters” — their Netflix deal is still going strong, we’re told, despite rumors to the contrary.
Markle is working on new projects for the streamer and Harry’s Africa documentary is still quietly in the works, Page Six is told.
Markle also announced Tuesday her first deal struck since signing with Emanuel: a new podcast deal with Lemonada Media.
Under the deal, Lemonada will distribute the first season of Markle’s “Archetypes” series for all audio platforms, starting this spring, and develop a new, as-yet-untitled original podcast series hosted by Markle.
However, another source who has worked with the couple mused: “Lemonada is a small company, there’s no way this is a big money deal.
“This is probably more a production deal to try and fix the grifter narrative.”
