It began with such high hopes.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Hollywood in 2020, flush with a multimillion-dollar Netflix deal and a promise that the duo, scorned by the royal family, would make a slew of inspirational programming.

Two years later, “Harry & Meghan” the Netflix six-part docuseries on the couple’s departure from Britain, generated 23.4 million views in its initial release, immediately topping the company’s charts as the most watched ever for the first four days of a documentary. In total, the program has garnered 70 million views since its debut.

Nothing else Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, ever made for the service — whether it was “Live to Lead,” a seven-episode interview show with world leaders, or “Polo,” a docuseries about the sport — reached such heights.

In 2025, the Netflix deal was not renewed. A similarly lofty agreement at Spotify also fell short of expectations.

And as Americans asked this week why the couple was leaving their West Coast idyll, Hollywood observers pointed to one of the most enduring themes in the history of Southern California: show business aspirations that failed.

“There has always been this aura here, this magical thinking,” said Leo Braudy, a Los Angeles cultural historian and the author of “The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History.” “Everybody thinks, ‘I’m beautiful,’ or ‘I’m handsome.’ Everybody thinks, ‘If those people can make it in Hollywood, so can I.’”

But most people don’t make it, he said, and throughout history, even otherwise wealthy and powerful people have mistakenly imagined that success in other fields would automatically translate to show business glory.

“If there was an easy path to success in show business,” Mr. Braudy said, “there would be a lot fewer flops in Hollywood.”

The Duke and Duchess made waves this week on both sides of the Atlantic after people familiar with the decision confirmed that they were returning to England.

Six years ago, the couple, after clashing with the royal family, had exiled themselves to California, where the duchess had grown up and once had an acting career in Los Angeles.

Settling into a sprawling estate in the wealthy enclave of Montecito, Calif., the couple raised two children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5.

But they now have enrolled their children in school in Britain and timed the move to coincide with the start of classes next month, according to sources who spoke to The New York Times.

It is unclear whether they will launch new business ventures or where they will live in Britain. (They were told to vacate their official residence on the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2023, the couple’s press secretary said at the time.)

A representative for the couple on Friday framed their departure from California as a short-term move.

“On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer, Harry and Meghan have decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn,” the representative said in a statement. “They are excited to have their children spend more time in the country that’s such an important part of their family’s story.”

The royal couple’s fortunes began contracting when Netflix did not renew their overall deal last year.

In its place, the streaming giant established a much less generous pact, which still exists, whereby they would be paid only if they produced a show or a film Netflix was interested in airing. (The streaming giant still pays for office space at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood for the couple’s company, Archewell Productions.)

Separately, Netflix constructed a joint business deal with Meghan for “As Ever,” her nascent lifestyle brand which drafted off her television show, “With Love, Meghan.” An accompanying endeavor would sell products like a $28 orange blossom honey and a $14 apricot spread.

Netflix manufactured those products through its consumer product group in a revenue-sharing deal.

But the show didn’t perform up to Netflix’s standards: The first season attracted 6.1 million views, the second season earned 2.3 million views and the Christmas special had 2.6 million views.

Netflix decided to not greenlight any new seasons and ended the brand endeavor in March. Now all consumer goods are handled by Meghan’s own company. (The $12 blackberry jam is still available on the website.)

The duo’s foray into podcasts didn’t go as planned, either.

In 2020, they signed a $20 million deal with Spotify. But they only produced one season of “Archetypes,” in which Meghan hosted and interviewed guests such as Serena Williams and Paris Hilton.

Harry never made anything, despite workshopping ideas with the company for a year. (One idea, said one person close to the couple, was taste-testing hot chocolate around the country.)

It is unclear whether they were paid the full amount of the three-year deal, considering they only made one 12-episode season. A representative for the couple declined to comment. Spotify also declined to comment.

In 2023, Jeremy Zimmer, then the head of United Talent Agency, sat for an interview at the Cannes Lion marketing festival with Semafor, a digital news site, just one week after the Spotify deal fizzled and defined the problem: “Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent. And, you know, just because you’re famous doesn’t make you great at something.”

Bill Simmons, a Spotify executive and prominent podcaster, was more blunt. He called the couple “grifters,” using an expletive, in a 2023 podcast after the Spotify deal fell apart.

Meghan’s most recent project, “Cookie Queens,” a documentary about the Girl Scouts and their cookie sale ambitions that she executive produced, was not a huge hit at the box office. (“CatVideoFest 2026,” a film that compiled the best cat videos on the internet, out grossed hers.)

Yet, according to Howard Cohen, the distributor of the movie through his Roadside Attractions company, the movie will ultimately be a success.

Released on only 446 screens, the film is nearing $1 million at the box office and will be available to rent through streaming on Sept. 8. With documentaries struggling in theaters, the movie is, in fact, the highest-grossing noncelebrity documentary to be released so far this year.

Meghan’s appearance at both Sundance, where it initially debuted, and at screenings in Los Angeles and Ojai helped buoy those numbers, Mr. Cohen said in an interview.

Meghan will also appear in the Amazon Prime movie “Close Personal Friends” that is set to be released on the streaming service next spring. The film stars Brie Larsen and Lily Collins and is set in Santa Barbara. Meghan plays herself in a cameo.

The duchess is also in early talks to appear in the third season of the Netflix crime series “The Gentlemen.” Should the deal come to fruition, Meghan would film the role in Britain. (The second season has yet to air and Netflix has yet to greenlight a third.)

At least one Hollywood veteran was upbeat about their return to Britain.

“My first thought was, smart play!” said Spencer Pratt, the reality television star who ran unsuccessfully for Los Angeles mayor this year. “Show business in the U.K. is booming, unlike here.”

He said his wife, Heidi Montag, a reality television star who was a fan of Meghan’s lifestyle show, “got all emotional” this week at the possibility that Prince Harry might be reconciling with the royal family.

In Britain, he said, the couple could take advantage of local tax breaks for film and television production, which are more generous than those in California, and use their own “palaces and castles” as backdrops.

“From a business perspective, I think they have more potential to make content for Netflix or Paramount Plus or whoever from England,” he added. “I personally would already watch a season of, like, ‘With Love, Meghan and Harry: Back to the Pond.’”

How the couple’s new life in Britain will affect their show business prospects is uncertain. Like many whose Hollywood dreams fall short, Harry and Meghan are moving away but have not ruled out a return.

A representative of Harry and Meghan said the couple’s businesses are continuing unchanged. And they will still have a toehold in the United States, as they are keeping their $14.5 million home in Montecito.