When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the Royal Family in a bid to create a life of financial independence back in 2020, many of their critics predicted that the duo could face a ‘crunch time’ when their status as ‘the golden couple of the moment’ would start to fade, while their LA lifestyle continued to be as luxurious as ever.

Now, after it was revealed last week that Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, have been ‘dropped’ by Netflix – who reportedly will not renew their $100 million deal when it expires in September – a source tells us that the couple could be facing dire straits if that don’t pull some cash in quick.

And within days of the unofficial announcement by Netflix insiders, it was reported that Meghan could now be set to go solo and has already launched negotiation talks in the hopes of landing another big-money deal with the streaming giant.

But there’s a catch, as our insider tells us that to prove her weight in the gold they’d be dropping into her bank account, bosses at Netflix are urging her to finally tell her personal truth about her time behind palace walls – a bombshell that could obliterate Harry’s chances of ever reuniting with his family.

The insider tells Closer, ‘The amount of money on the table if she were to agree to totally open up about her time inside the royal family is eye-popping. There’s talk that it could be as much as $100 million.

‘The problem is, if she wants to get that kind of sum she needs to spill all the gory details, which will of course infuriate the royals and ruin any chance of peace between them and Harry.’

Meghan’s dilemma comes at a crucial turning point for Harry’s relationship with his family, after we’ve reported on several occasions that this year could be incredibly poignant for the estranged Prince after extending several olive branches in a bid to make amends.

After representatives for the Sussexes were photographed meeting with the King Charles’ Communications Secretary a fortnight ago, it was reported last week that Harry has agreed to ‘deconflict’ his schedule as to not further overshadow any royal events.

This uncharacteristically cooperative move comes after coverage for Harry’s trip to Angola, following in the footsteps of Princess Diana, overshadowed the Queen’s 78th birthday.

It’s been over a year since Harry saw his dad, King Charles – last meeting for a very brief reunion following his cancer diagnosis last February, with the monarch dodging his estranged son during his two day trip to London in May, reportedly to ‘avoid the drama’.

However, it seems that Harry is still holding out hope of reuniting with his family, and now a source recently told us that he is currently planning another trip back to the UK to visit King Charles, with the hope that Prince William and Kate Middleton will also be willing to meet him face-to-face.

But the source says Meghan’s latest move has set any hope of peace talks on a knife edge.

They tell us, ‘Things are still very shaky with him and his father but they have made a little progress to the point where Harry is feeling hopeful.

‘If Meghan even starts talking to people about doing a deal it will get out and just that alone could torpedo any chance of moving forward with the King.’

While Meghan has perfected the art of using little but loaded words to share her ‘truth’ about her time within the Royal Family through several interviews and podcasts, it is widely believed that the Duchess has still coyly kept a lot of cards close to her chest, instead supporting Harry as he published his own scathing memoir, Spare, in 2023,

But after losing their $20 million deal with Spotify earlier that year, ending her ‘Confessions of a Female Founder’ podcast in June and now ‘mutually’ parting ways with Netflix, the source says Meghan’s own memoir could be the golden goose she and Harry need.

The insider says, ‘Meghan is incredibly secretive when it comes to any talk about her memoirs. But everyone knows it’s something she’s explored, and why wouldn’t she? She’s got a lot she wants to set straight about what’s been said and written. She probably has enough material for several books.

‘And they could genuinely use the cash. With their other deals collapsing or diminishing at best, there’s a real sense of urgency.And it’s not like Meghan could avoid those sensitive topics, a publisher isn’t going to let her get away with a sanitised version of her time in the palace so her book is going to be the equivalent of a nuclear bomb dropping on the royal family.’

Netflix bosses were also reportedly unwilling to ‘play second fiddle’ to Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle brand, after suspicions the Duchess-turned-Domestic goddess had used her series, With Love, Meghan, as a marketing tool to promote her line of products.

But with talks of a second series underway, which could reportedly be the first new show to air under her potential new deal, the source says Meghan knows that after the success of their 2021 docu-series, Harry & Meghan, she has to take the risk of ruining her relationship with the royals for Netflix to take the big bite she’s hoping for.

They tell us, ‘There are so many upsides, even beyond the money. It would be a great way to connect with her audience and further build her brand. That kind of cash flow is exactly what Meghan needs and she knows what they want and what she has to do.

‘Then she’d be able to keep her business growing with no worries or outside investment. Her payday wouldn’t be contingent on any future projects, the way the Netflix deal was, which is a huge plus too.’

However, the insider says Meghan’s plan has become a ‘nightmare’ for Harry, and he knows full well that any tell-all, whether it be a memoir or another Netflix docu-series could prove to be a wrecking ball to any chance of reconciliation with the royals.

‘For Harry, this whole situation is a nightmare and it would be a disaster for everything he’s trying to achieve as far as rebuilding peace with his family,’ the source says.

‘He has so many regrets about Spare. If he could take it all back again he’d have done his book in a very different way.There are some days he even says he probably should have held off and done it down the road when he’d cooled off more because as time passes some of those sentiments have changed.’

They continue, ‘Unfortunately it’s not a topic that can be totally put to bed. Because at some point Meghan will want to tell her story, she’s always been a person that likes to share. And whether it happens soon or down the line, when William is King, it will be chaos and will no doubt shatter any bridges Harry’s built with the royals.’