SUSSEX TO BE THEM: Was 2023 the worst year yet for Harry and Meghan?

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From poorly received projects and axed entertainment deals to an eviction and a high-profile court case against a British tabloid, 2023 has not been kind to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

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It wasn’t all bad, but if 2020 was a roller-coaster ride for the couple, 2023 saw the royals fall pretty far.

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Let’s go back to the beginning of the year and see where the problems started.

JANUARY

Harry published his memoir, Spare, which became the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all-time, with 1.43 million copies sold during its first day on sale in the U.K., the U.S. and Canada.

That sounds like a good thing, but the controversial tell-all was under fire from the get-go with Harry’s frank account of his life story called into question, particularly the breakdown of relationships between him and the royal family and a physical attack from big brother Prince William.

FEBRUARY

Harry and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage, their home away from home in the U.K. that the late queen gifted to them.

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Considering they live full time in California and won’t make the trip across the pond until their publicly funded security detail is reinstated, the couple getting the boot wasn’t a total shock.

That same month, South Park lampooned Harry and Meghan with all kinds of jokes referencing events from the last few years.

MARCH

Harry and Meghan were not included in King Charles’ coronation procession following his crowning at Westminster Abbey. The couple was invited to the May ceremony, but merely as spectators.

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APRIL

Buckingham Palace confirmed that only Harry would be attending Charles’ coronation, while his better half opted to stay stateside with their children, Lilibet and Archie, whose birthday happened to be on the same date as his grandfather’s big day.

MAY

Harry attended Charles’ crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey – where he watched from the third row along with the other non-working royals and their spouses – before booking it and immediately heading back to California for his son’s birthday.

JUNE

Three months after they were told Frogmore Cottage would no longer be theirs, the couple officially moved out.

More memorably, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were dropped from their $20-million Spotify contract after producing only 12 episodes of Meghan’s Archetypes podcast.

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The podcast was widely panned by critics and a top executive at the platform branded the pair “f—ing grifters.”

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JULY

If you remember vividly where you were the day Princess Diana died in 1997, then even the couple’s biggest haters had to feel some sympathy, particularly for Harry, when he and Meghan were chased down by paparazzi.

Following an event in New York City, the couple’s spokesperson said they were trailed by “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” for more than two hours.

However, while police confirmed the couple was indeed being followed, it was described by them as merely “challenging.”

NOVEMBER

Harry and Meghan were savagely roasted by an adult animated series once again.

This time, it was Family Guy that took aim at the couple, who were depicted as do-nothings as the millions from Netflix come pouring in.

To make matters worse, Meghan will face a trial next year after her half-sister accused her of defamation.

The case was thrown out in March; however, a new complaint was filed and the trial will take place in November 2024.

DECEMBER

Entertainment industry bible The Hollywood Reporter declared “whiny” Harry and Meghan among their “biggest losers” of 2023. Ouch.

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