‘He’s Desperate for Cash’: Prince Harry Torched as ‘Grief Grifter’ Over Paid Princess Diana MasterClass
Prince Harry is getting backlash for talking about Princess Diana’s death in a paid MasterClass. Harry’s course, Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss, came out on October 8. He sits down with neuroscientist Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, a University of Arizona professor who studies grief.
Harry was 12 when Diana died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. Now, he has opened up again about how the loss affected him. “I felt like I had to be sad and I had to be emotionally numb in order to prove to her that I missed her,” Harry said. He also spoke about how he struggled to cry after losing his mother.
“I didn’t cry when I was told my mom died, only at her burial, and then not again for nearly two decades,” he said. The Duke shared a similar account during his 2023 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper. He explained, “I’m a prince for God’s sake, but I was still grieving and didn’t have any place to put those feelings.”
Harry has talked about Diana’s death many times before as well. However, according to journalist Tom Sykes, Harry’s office confirmed he was paid for the course. The exact amount hasn’t been revealed. On The Royalist, Sykes cited unnamed industry insiders who claimed celebrities may receive $100,000 upfront.
They may also receive 30% of royalties from online course sales. But there’s no proof Harry received either amount. Still, according to RadarOnline, some critics aren’t happy about him discussing Diana’s death in another paid project.
They’ve also compared him with Prince William, who has mostly kept his grief private since appearing in a documentary marking 20 years since Diana’s death in 2017. “More evidence that Harry and Meghan are broke,” one X user wrote while discussing the course’s subscription fees. Another added, “This just proves he’s desperate for cash!”
A third user went further, writing, “Prince Harry is a student of grief. Because he’s the only person who has lost a parent? How much longer is he going to dine out on his mother’s death? I can’t imagine how frustrating this is for Prince William. He lost his mother too, yet Harry acts like he owns grief. Grifter. He’s a Grief Grifter. His and everyone else’s.”
Another user noted, “They are so poor that they are selling classes now!” The Sussexes returned to the U.K. in late August after six years in California. Their Hollywood ventures have faced setbacks, including Spotify ending its deal with Archewell Audio in 2023.
The outlet claimed their dream of building a billion-dollar empire had fallen apart. However, Netflix announced a new multi-year deal with Archewell Productions in August 2025. Since returning to Britain, Harry has attended several charity events.
RadarOnline also questioned whether he has a steady income, but it didn’t provide financial records to back up that claim. As for royal duties, King Charles III hasn’t brought Harry and Markle back as working royals. The couple stepped down from their senior royal roles in 2020 and remain private citizens.
