According to a royal biographer, Meghan Markle may have received a £500,000 advance for her children’s book.
Although the financial details of the Duchess of Sussex’s contract have not been revealed, Angela Levin told the Sun that “there are rumors that she was offered a £500,000 advance,” which is close to $695,400.
The writer of Harry: Conversations With The Prince said, “We don’t know whether Meghan got an advance yet, but there are rumours that she was offered [a] £500,000 advance.”
“The book is being sold for £12.99. That’s not extortionate but I’m not quite sure who will read it.
“Little children I don’t think will read that, maybe it will be people who just want to know what she’s up to now.”
Ms Levin has mentioned that the Duchess’s planned usage of the rumored advance is unknown.
“But we don’t know, even if she has been offered this massive advance, whether she will give any money away to charity or whether she will keep it for herself,” Levin said.
She said of the Sussexes’ current financially independent life in a vast home in California, “They’ve got a lot of expenses, what with their guards and big house and 16 bathrooms to look after.”
Meghan, 39, wrote her children’s book The Bench after writing a poem for Archie, who will turn two next month, for Harry’s first Father’s Day.
A image of the book was uploaded to the internet yesterday, ahead of its June 8 release.
Meghan’s pen name is “Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex” on the front cover.
Ms Levin called the usage of Meghan’s title “laughable” given her desire to sever off links with the royal family.
“The fact that she wants to cling on to her royal title and the book is written by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is laughable,” said Prince Harry’s biographer.
“Because they wanted to get away from the Royal Family, they hated the Royal Family – they felt trapped.
“They didn’t like it, they wanted freedom and they’ve got freedom. You can’t have everything you want like that.”
Most people with a royal title, according to the author, will not use it while signing off on a novel.
“You don’t use your royal position to make commercial gain,” she said.
“Not many people sign a book with their titles, it’s just ridiculous.
“They write their name and people should know who they are – they don’t add ‘Duchess of this and that’ after it.”
Meghan will also be the narrator for Random House Children’s Books’ audiobook of The Bench.
Her book is the newest in a long line of projects for the pair following their relocation to the United States.
They reached a $130 million Netflix deal, and a docuseries about the Invictus Games is in the works.
And when Harry appeared solo at a COVID-19 concert on Monday night, he received a standing ovation, with US fans declaring that “he belongs to us now.”
