Prince Harry and Meghan have been living in Montecito, California, USA, since stepping down as working royals in 2020. The couple are raising their two young children, Prince Archie, 5 and Princess Lilibet, 3.
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One of the couple’s main goals in leaving the Royal Family was to be financially independent and to be free to live their lives how they see fit. German royal correspondent, Ulrike Grunewald has spent the past year working on a documentary about the couple and whether or not they have achieved their goal.
The documentary, entitled Harry: The Lost Prince aired on Tuesday, December 3 and features comments made by the couple’s Montecito neighbours and much more.
Who is Ulrike Grunewald?
As reported by Daily Mail, Ulrike Grunewald has been working as a royal correspondent since 1987. She also presents the long-running German news and current affairs show, Heute-Journal (Today-Journal). Moreover, Grunewald accompanied then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their visit to Germany.
As mentioned above, Grunewald has spent the past year working on a documentary about Prince Harry and Meghan. The documentary is 45 minutes long and analyses whether the couple has achieved the goal they set for themselves when they moved to the US: ‘finding freedom’ and launching themselves as a financially independent, globally influential entity.
To get as much information as possible, Ulrike Grunewald travelled to Montecito. While there, she tried to interview the couple, but was not successful. Instead she spoked to their friends and neighbours.
Speaking with Daily Mail about her documentary and whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex achieved their goal, Grunewald is a firm believer that they haven’t.
Ulrike Grunewald believes Prince Harry and Meghan haven’t achieved their goal
According to Ulrike Grunewald, Prince Harry and Meghan have yet to achieve their goals of ‘finding freedom’ and launching themselves as a financially independent, globally influential entity.
Speaking to Daily Mail, she said that the couple ‘set the bar very high’ and have ‘not lived up to this image at all’.
Harry and Meghan have set the bar very high. They want to be global benefactors who bring about tangible change. So far, they have not lived up to this image at all.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s social life
She also claims that the couple has ‘isolated’ themselves in their celebrity neighbourhood as they ‘rarely’ take part in activities.
The cultural life is very lively, but everything often takes place in closed circles and Harry and Meghan rarely take part in these activities. They seem to have isolated themselves a lot.
As previously mentioned, Grunewald travelled to Montecito. While there, she spoke to Richard Mineards, Harry and Meghan’s neighbour. According to Mineards, the couple are rarely seen in town and if they are spotted, security is always with them.
Sometimes you will see her at the farmers’ market or with a dog but generally you don’t see her and you just don’t see much of him. It’s a shame. This is a lovely place.
Mineards believes that Meghan isn’t an asset to the Montecito community and ‘doesn't really go out or get involved’.
I personally don't think that Meghan is an asset to our community… She doesn't really go out or get involved with the community. Harry has to a certain extent, because he's quite jolly… but Meghan doesn't seem to get seen anywhere… And you don't see him either.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s work life
Moreover, Ulrike Grunewald dives into the couple’s work for the documentary. One of Ulrike’s main focus points is Harry and Meghan’s charity, Archewell Foundation.
The charity was launched in 2020 but according to Grunewald, the charity is ‘ineffectively’ organised. She adds that Archewell’s donations have been decreasing each year (the 2024 figures will likely be released soon).
What surprised me most was how ineffectively Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation is organised. The amount of donations has fallen drastically in one year: from 13 million dollars in 2021 to two million dollars declared in 2022/23.
The award-winning filmmaker also talks about The Invictus Games in her documentary, as it is a charity project the Duke of Sussex is very passionate about.
Grunewald explains to Daily Mail, that one of the main questions concerning such a big event like The Invictus Games, is ‘how is an event like this organised and who pays for it?’
She adds that at first when the games were held in Düsseldorf last year, it was well received. However, when it was later revealed it had cost German taxpayers a massive 40 million euros, damage was done.
She believes that Prince Harry is ‘little more than a figurehead’ for the games.
Grunewald’s documentary spoke with Newsweek’s royal reporter Jack Royston, who agreed that an event such as the Invictus Games requires a substantial sum of money. He cited the example of Birmingham, which hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and was ‘almost bankrupted’ after.
Nonetheless, he adds that the Invictus Games is ‘genuine and authentic’.
I believe that Invictus is genuine and authentic work. Harry is completely devoted to it.
Ulrike Grunewald believes Prince Harry and Meghan ‘have come down to earth’
Ulrike Grunewald also analysed Prince Harry and Meghan’s strategies since they left The Firm. She explains that originally, they started out as a ‘power duo’. Indeed, at the start of their independent life, the couple were barely seen apart.
However, more recently, Prince Harry has been going on more solo trips as they haven't been able to ‘create a functioning image together. She claims that this means the couple has ‘come down to earth’.
She told Daily Mail:
During the year that we worked on this film, a change of strategy was recognisable in Harry and Meghan. They started out as a power duo in their new life in California.
Now they mainly appear separately, as they were unable to create a functioning image together. They have come down to earth.
Ulrike highlights the couple’s wavering popularity, saying that recently, it has been decreasing. Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe told Mirror that the release of this new documentary will likely be a ‘major blow’ for the couple, even if it isn’t televised in the US.
I think any documentary that continues the criticism of Harry and Meghan's modus operandi is going to be damaging.
It's in Germany so it's probably not going to make a big storm over in the US. But it's still a major blow for a couple who have seen their popularity plummet like a stone falling in a well since they left the UK.
Read more:
Prince Harry and Meghan dealing with unending rumours of divorce, here's the truth
Will Prince Harry and Meghan leave the US due to Trump’s win? An expert weighs in
Meghan Markle's new brand American Riviera Orchard is already being criticised
Sources used:
Daily Mail: ‘Ineffective. They don't seem credible. Why so little work?' Damning verdict on Harry and Meghan by the German documentary-maker who went to Montecito to uncover the truth about the couple’
Mirror: ‘Harry and Meghan bombshells in new documentary from bad neighbours to 'corruption' claims’
Mirror: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan Markle documentary is 'major blow as popularity plummets like a stone'
