Prince Harry and, especially, Meghan Markle have another disappointing project on their hands. Cookie Queens, a documentary directed by Alysa Nahmias and produced by the Duchess of Sussex, has been widely described as a box-office flop.
The film premiered at Sundance in January 2026, where it attracted considerable attention, and was later acquired for U.S. distribution by Roadside Attractions. It opened in American theaters on August 7, 2026, with initial talk suggesting it could become a success.
Then came the numbers. Despite its festival buzz and the involvement of Harry and Meghan, the film opened to roughly $327,797 over its first weekend from 446 theaters, an average of about $735 per location.
And that was not the only indignity. British media outlets gleefully noted that Cookie Queens was even beaten at the box office by CatVideoFest 2026, a 71-minute compilation of viral cat videos. The feline feature earned about $569,000 despite playing in only 255 theaters.
Now royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, host of the YouTube channel Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered, has some advice for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex: disappear, at least professionally, for a while.
“If I had the opportunity, I would tell them to disappear professionally for a period of time, dramatically reduce the number of announcements and press releases, and identify one project that genuinely generates interest, surrounded by experienced professionals who know how to execute it,” she told Page Six.
“Reputations can be repaired, but I don’t think it will happen through another rebrand or another glossy PR campaign, so I would recommend the opposite. Less talking, fewer announcements and more doing. Success is one of the most effective reputation-management strategies in Hollywood. Create something people cannot ignore, and suddenly the conversation changes.”
Harry and Meghan have already endured a number of professional setbacks since stepping back from royal duties in January 2020. Their Netflix deal produced mixed results, while Spotify publicly expressed disappointment after Meghan’s much-hyped podcast ambitions failed to develop as expected.
Schofield argues that the couple’s broader problem is an attempt to establish themselves in too many areas at once. “When you try to establish authority in every field simultaneously, you can end up establishing authority in none of them,” she said.
“Choose one area, become good at it and allow success to rebuild your credibility. They need to stop treating their fame and status as the product and start creating products strong enough to succeed without their fame and status.”
(Photo: Jonathan Brady-Pool/Getty Images)
Schofield also advised the couple to “get off the stage” and stop trying to control every decision surrounding the projects in which they are involved, instead allowing experienced professionals to run them.
She also believes Harry and Meghan need to find projects that have nothing to do with their grievances or disputes with the royal family. “There are only so many times you can tell the public why you left the royal family,” she said.
“If they want a long-term career in entertainment, they need to prove that people are interested in their taste, their ideas and the stories they tell even when the monarchy is not the focus.”
For what it is worth, we have been saying that for years.