Palace expert:
Amid bombshell news that the famous couple have launched a production company and landed a multi-million Netflix contract, royal expert Duncan Larcombe reveals he fears bridges may have been burned for good
“Harry and Meghan’s TV deal could eclipse the royals – the Queen’s very concerned!”
Just 12 months ago, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were working royals and solid members of the royal family – but a year on, and the couple have not only upped sticks to LA, they’ve landed themselves a multimillion pound deal with global streaming giant Netflix to launch a series of TV shows.
Harry, 35, and Meghan, 39, revealed last week that they had founded a production company and signed a whopping £112m deal with Netflix to release documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming.
While Netflix said it was “incredibly proud” the couple had chosen them as their “creative home”, Harry and Meghan said in a statement, “Our lives, both independent of each other and as a couple, have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit, of courage, resilience and the need for connection. Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.”
The news was met with a mixed response from fans. While one wrote, “I can’t wait to see what they create – good on them,” others questioned the couple’s intention and qualifications, writing “Neither are TV producers – how is this going to work?” And, “There will be more preaching, no doubt!”
In a further twist, it also emerged that Netflix are planning to air a controversial musical about Harry’s late mother Princess Diana on the platform, which features fictional scenes where the Queen calls Diana a “tart” and vulgar arguments between Diana and his father Prince Charles.
The news comes after last year’s dramatic “Megxit”, which saw the couple turn their backs on their lives as senior royals and relocate to LA with their 18-month-year-old son Archie.
SEVERING TIES
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe says the latest development will come as a huge blow to the royal family, including Harry’s brother William, with whom he’s rumoured to have had a falling out, as it’s a sign the pair have no plans to rejoin the family. Duncan says, “This could be, by far, the biggest royal sellout in history. The couple have gone from being full-time working royals to producers in Hollywood. This is the strongest indication they have zero intention to return to the royal fold. This kind of alignment with a huge TV organisation just goes so against what the royal brand stands for and what royal work has been in the past. It would never be allowed.
“I’ve heard the Queen was very concerned over the news – and I imagine other members of the royals will be livid, too. She’d never close the door on Harry as a grandmother, but I believe this will sever ties in terms of them returning as working royals.
The Netflix deal poses a huge danger of eclipsing the work the royals do. While Prince William and Kate go to the opening of a school, Harry and Meghan may be on the sofa with the Obamas, or visiting a war zone. I believe it really is a sign he’s turning his back on the royal family. If it’s a big success, which it may well be, then it could be to the detriment of his family. If it’s a flop, he may have damaged the brand he’s trying to build with Meghan – and risk wrecking the royal family brand.”
When the pair announced their departure from the royal family in January this year, Harry seemed to hint that the press intrusion and lack of privacy was a contributing factor in them stepping back.
Harry said at the time that he wanted “a more peaceful life” and called the media “a powerful force” – while Meghan later launched a lawsuit against the Mail On Sunday for a breach of privacy. But Duncan says the couple’s new deal will only expose them further and points out that while actress Meghan – who previously starred in legal drama Suits – may be in her element in the TV industry, Harry may feel thrown in at the deep end.
FISH OUT OF WATER
He says, “It’s at odds with the couple’s claims for wanting a more low-key life. Having your names associated with something like Netflix opens you up to all sorts of scrutiny. If Harry wanted more privacy, living in LA and having Netflix as your employer isn’t going to give you that. This is a big step and a giant risk for Harry – he’s doing something he knows nothing about and is so far removed from his previous royal work. He is a fish out of water in the TV world – this is Meghan’s territory, and some could argue this is what she wanted all along.”
THIS IS THE STRONGEST INDICATION THEY HAVE ZERO INTENTION TO RETURN TO THE ROYAL FOLD