A second tell-all for Harry and Meghan? Our royal editor wonders if a financial crisis could mean more secrets

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have an extremely expensive life. Their annual cost of living in America is estimated to be around £5 million a year, when mortgage repayments for their Montecito mansion, security, staff and estate maintenance are added up.

Meanwhile, it's suggested Meghan's As Ever lifestyle range is in trouble, being given away for free at Netflix headquarters after a huge unsold stockpile was revealed in January, despite the gifting period over Christmas and New Year.

Prince Harry has spent millions on court cases - the bill for his failed attempt to get the Home Office to pay for his security in the UK was estimated at £1.5 million. And the ongoing court case in London’s High Court against the publishers of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday is estimated to run to £38 million in costs.

Although the Sussexes netted a deal with Netflix thought to be worth £74 million, they were let go last year. With their costs soaring, would Harry now be tempted (or forced) to write Spare 2?

Spare by Prince Harry - £11.33 (was £28) from Amazon

For the first time, Prince Harry told his own story with the bombshell memoir that explored everything from losing his mum, Princess Diana, serving in the military, and everything he faced with Meghan Markle before choosing to leave life as a working royal.

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After all, his initial biography netted him a cool £16 million as part of a potential four-book deal with Penguin Random House. It did sell extremely well - royalties were reportedly around £4 to £5 million.

But given that the Sussexes have spent roughly £30 million, so far, funding their lives in America, I could foresee the necessity of another big deal. Particularly after Meghan's cookery and lifestyle show was dropped after just two series.

She had high hopes that her As Ever brand would include the Netflix show, cookery books, a podcast and a lifestyle range (everything imaginable has been patented, from garden tools to tableware to pet accessories) - much like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

But in the end, she has been left with her online sales of jam, candles, wine, and her famous flower sprinkles.

There has long been debate about how well the brand is selling. Meghan, perhaps conveniently, has never released any sales data, but has said that the first two 'drops' of fruit spread sold out last year.

But then, in January, the As Ever website accidentally revealed the unsold stock totals, which added up to £16.3 million ($21.7 million). This included a staggering £900,000 ($1.2 million) worth of edible (and much-derided) flower sprinkles.

Although the issue has now been resolved, the website briefly displayed inventory that included approximately 220,000 jars of jam, 30,000 jars of honey, almost 90,000 candles, 80,000 tins of flower sprinkles and roughly 70,000 bottles of wine, including Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and brut sparkling wine.

It was also revealed in a snarky piece by the New York Post that countless products were 'being given away for free' to Netflix employees at the company’s LA headquarters. This and the overstock, along with the fact that Meghan currently only sells her products in the US and not worldwide, suggests that her As Ever sales are not going to put even a tiny dent in the Sussex costs.

The couple seemingly have no media deals left - after they were dumped by Spotify and branded 'grifters' by one of the top executives - despite the gloss applied by Team Sussex that this allows them to do other things (Meghan has reportedly starred as herself in an upcoming Amazon MGM film).

And although the Sussexes have cut costs by letting several of their Archewell staff go and effectively shutting the charity arm of their organisation, the couple’s super-rich Californian lifestyle does not come cheap.

Indeed, they are said to have mortgage payments of around £350,000 a year, while staffing costs come to an estimated £180,000 and estate maintenance upwards of £75,000.

That’s even before their private security, which would likely cost £1.5 million to £2.25 million, property taxes of approximately £110,000 and private school fees of more than £70,000.

Yet Sussex supporters maintain that As Ever is set for global expansion - hence the huge overstock as it prepares to meet future demand.

"While it’s normal for a business not to talk about sales data, I think it’s fair to say that the glitch that led to this data being revealed points to a business that isn’t just successful - it’s flying, literally off the shelf," one told People magazine.

Meanwhile, Harry’s paying job with coaching company BetterUp, and his fees from speaking at conferences with sustainable tourism firm Travalyst, don’t pay enough to cover the couple’s costs, and he seems most passionate when he is undertaking his charitable endeavours.

But trips to meet with World Health Organisation teams in Jordan, which the couple visited last month, are hardly going to fill the Sussex coffers.

Maybe it’s time for another book, Harry... But he knows that if he does write another, he can kiss goodbye forever to family reconciliation.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.