A ‘fundraising campaign’ set up to help Prince Harry and Meghan pay the £11million mortgage on their California home has been closed after raising just £78.64.
The GoFundMe page was set up by Anastasia Hanson, 56, from California, two days after the couple’s bombshell Oprah interview and titled ‘Harry and Meghan $5 Donation to Buy Home (£3.61)’.
Organiser Ms Hanson wrote on the page that the ‘jobless’ Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been going through a ‘very rough time’ after having funding for their security and lifestyle pulled by the Royal family, The Sun reports.
The page, which is believed to have been a joke, has since been removed from the website after raising just £78.64 for the cause.
Speaking during their interview with Oprah, aired last Sunday in the U.S, Prince Harry revealed that the couple had been ‘cut off financially’ after they stepped down from Royal life abandoning up to £8.4million of funding and services.
A fundraising campaign set up to help Prince Harry and Meghan pay the £11million mortgage on their California home has been closed after raising just £78.64
The couple had been receiving a combined pot to help them fulfil their roles before they activated Megxit last year.
It included an estimated £1m protection detail as well as money from Prince Charles and the Queen for a role in public life.
The couple purchased their nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion in the exclusive neighbourhood of Montecito, California, last year – it is now thought to have tripled in value, worth an estimated £30million.
Ms Hanson, who lives just 25 minutes away from the couple in Ventura and insisted the page was not a joke, told The Sun: ‘I like to help people and help them in any way I can. That gives me happiness. If you needed a home, I’d do the same for you. It’s a good deed.’
Speaking during their interview with Oprah, aired last Sunday in the U.S, Prince Harry revealed that the couple had been ‘literally cut off’
The page has since been removed from the website. MailOnline has contacted GoFundMe for comment
The organiser said she was aware that Harry and Meghan had signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify, thought to be worth £71million and £18million respectively.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey during their primetime interview that they ‘had no plan’ to ink multi-million-dollar deals with the ‘streamers’ when they first quit the royal family.
But Harry said they were forced to find ways of making money when the royal family cut him off and took away his security.
He told Oprah: ‘I’ve got what my mum left me, and without that, we would not have been able to do this.
‘During COVID, the suggestion by a friend was, “What about streamers?”‘ Harry continued, while Meghan added: ‘We genuinely hadn’t thought about it before.’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $14.7million home in Santa Barbara, California, is seen above
The home was built in 2003. The estate has sweeping lawns, tiered rose gardens, tall Italian cypress trees, blooming lavender, century old olive trees, a tennis court, tea house, children’s cottage and a pool
‘We hadn’t thought about it,’ Harry continued. ‘So, there were all sorts of different options. And look, from my perspective, all I needed was enough money to be able to pay for security to keep my family safe.’
Harry, 36, and his brother William inherited £21million from their mother Diana. The money was held in trust until they turned 25.
Harry also received a smaller figure from the Queen Mother’s will after she died in 2002, putting his total inheritance assets at around £23million, the Times estimates.
The GoFundMe page read: ‘I am raising funds to pay off the mortgage for the Montecito, California home of Harry and Meghan. When they came to the USA they were without jobs and with limited funds.
‘They’ve stated that they’ve had a very rough time, so this fundraiser is a way to give help, compassion, and love by paying their home loan in full. I personally relate to mental health, racial equality, diversity, and inclusivity.
‘They both support these issues as well. Together, they can help bring healing and restoration to the whole world.’
MailOnline has contacted GoFundMe for comment.