Queen all smiles despite Sussexes’ Royal split
Netflix ‘interested’ in future projects
HER BROAD smile belied the heartache that has consumed her in recent weeks, but the Queen appeared relaxed and at ease as she made her first appearance since the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be walking away from the Royal Family.
Wearing a grey houndstooth checked dress and matching coat with a grey hat, the monarch smiled as she arrived yesterday at the church in Hillington close to her estate.
Onlookers said the Queen, 93, appeared in high spirits despite Harry and Meghan’s decision.
In a statement issued on Saturday evening after the Royal Family’s talks concluded, the Sussexes announced they will stop carrying out Royal duties from the spring, no longer use the title HRH and will repay the taxpayers’ millions of pounds which have been spent on their Berkshire home, Frogmore Cottage.
Harry and Meghan said in their statement, issued on their behalf by Buckingham Palace, that under the agreement they understood they were “required” to step back from Royal duties.
The announcement marks the conclusion of talks about their future with senior members of the family and Royal aides.
The deal was dubbed a hard “Megxit” by the media and a source claimed “you can’t be half in and half out”.
Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, branded the decision to split from the Royal Family “disappointing” and “embarrassing”. Speaking in Mexico for a documentary for Channel 5, Mr Markle said:
“It’s disappointing because she actually got every girl’s dream, every young girl wanted to become a princess and she got that.”
THE DUKE and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to walk away from the monarchy has prompted rising speculation over the lucrative deals which they could sign as they chose to pursue their own personal freedom ahead of their Royal duties.
Harry and Meghan had wanted to remain as working Royals, although not prominent members, and become financially independent – a dual role many commentators said was fraught with problems.
But in a statement issued on Saturday evening after the conclusion of intense talks over the past week, the Sussexes announced that they will stop carrying out Royal duties from the spring, no longer use HRH and will repay the taxpayers’ millions spent renovating their home, Frogmore Cottage.
Harry and Meghan said in their statement, issued on their behalf by Buckingham Palace, that under the agreement they understood they were “required” to step back from Royal duties.
Yesterday, the first indications began to emerge as to the opportunities which would be available to the Sussexes, as well as more evidence of just how long they have been planning to end their close association with the monarchy.
Their decision means Harry and Meghan are free to strike lucrative contracts and experts have speculated they could soon follow in the footsteps of their friends, Barack and Michelle Obama, who agreed a production deal with Netflix to make TV and film projects.
Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, confirmed yesterday that the online streaming giant would be interested in working with the soon-to-be former Royals.
Speaking at an event in Los Angeles, he told reporters: “Who
If anyone needs extra voiceover work, we can make ourselves available.
Alleged comment by the Duke of Sussex at the premiere of Disney’s Lion King.
wouldn’t be interested? Yes, sure.”
More video footage has emerged of the Duke of Sussex talking about his wife’s ability to do voiceover work.
The Mail on Sunday published a video of Harry at the premiere of Disney’s Lion King in London in July praising Meghan’s ability and her joking about “pitching” for work.
The new footage shows the Duke and Duchess talking to the film’s director Jon Favreau as well as one of its stars, Beyoncé, and her rapper husband, Jay-Z.
In the footage Harry tells them: “Next time, if anyone needs any extra voiceover work, we can make ourselves available.”
Meghan then added: “That’s really why we’re here – to pitch.”
The couple have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and the UK, and the Duchess is in the Commonwealth country with their eight-month-old son, Archie, where the Sussexes spent six weeks over the festive period.
The move was agreed by the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge following the Sussexes’ unprecedented statement released earlier this month saying they wanted to step back as senior Royals, after admitting they had struggled with intense media scrutiny.
It is understood the couple will now spend the majority of their time in Canada, with Harry expected to join his wife at some point this week. The couple keep the style of HRH – His or Her Royal Highness – but the statement issued on their behalf said it will no longer be used from the spring, “as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family”.