What happened to Harry and Meghan's American dream?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly ending their time in California to return to the UK. The couple, who moved to the US in 2020 seeking privacy and independence, faced a mix of professional success and shifting public interest during their Hollywood tenure.
Why it matters
The couple's high-profile move and subsequent return highlight the complexities of celebrity branding and the challenges of maintaining a public-facing 'American dream' while navigating royal scrutiny.
Figure caption, Watch: How Harry and Meghan are ending their 'American dream'
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit working for the Royal Family in 2020 and moved to California, they brought something even Hollywood can't manufacture: royalty.
But while Harry and Meghan enjoyed some success in showbusiness, their Hollywood reign proved short-lived and California has greeted news of their departure back to the UK with a shrug.
In pursuing their American dream, they said they were seeking more than financial independence.
In their 2021 blockbuster interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan described the freedom to make her own choices as "liberating".
Harry later said America offered his family a degree of privacy and freedom they "undoubtedly wouldn't be able" to enjoy in the UK - and that it was the life his mother, Diana, would have wanted for him.
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