PEAS IN A POD
Rebel royals Harry & Meghan take to web
The deals keep coming for the duke and duchess.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who worked toward financial independence after dramatically pulling back from Britain’s royal family, are now set to become hosts of a Spotify podcast.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will pump out a series of narrative podcasts beginning with a holiday special this month, Spotify said Tuesday.
The Swedish streaming music giant said it reached a multiyear agreement with the runaway royals and their new audio production company, Archwell Audio. On Tuesday, an Archwell Audio channel had already appeared on Spotify’s app.
“The duke and duchess of Sussex may live in California but the power of their voices rests in their status as citizens of the world,” Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content officer, said in a statement.
“That they are embracing the extraordinary capacity of podcasts on Spotify while also seeking to elevate underrepresented voices is a testament to their appreciation for the potential of audio storytelling.”
Both Spotify and the press office for the duke and duchess of Sussex declined to comment on the terms of the agreement.
The announcement follows Harry, 36, and Markle, 39, inking a major deal with Netflix in September. Under that agreement, the couple will produce content ranging from documentaries to kids shows,
Netflix said.
Days after the Netflix deal, it was publicly confirmed that the prince and Markle had successfully weaned themselves off the crown’s coffers.
But the Spotify deal marks the latest expansion of their budding media empire.
The pair said they were launching their audio venture to help people connect as a deeply difficult year draws to a close.
“So many people have been through so much pain this year, experiencing loss — a huge amount of uncertainty,” Harry said in a two-minute teaser on Spotify. “But it feels worth acknowledging that 2020 has connected us in ways we could have never imagined through endless acts of compassion and kindness.”
After bailing from Buckingham Palace and surrendering their highest titles in January, the couple spent some time in Canada before settling in Southern California with their 1-year-old tot, Archie.
Harry and Markle created a small stir — particularly in Britain — when they urged Americans to vote in the polarizing presidential election, but they have otherwise kept a largely low profile since moving to the U.S. In the spring, they quietly delivered meals to the chronically ill in Los Angeles.
When they split from the royal family, the couple pointed to the blinding media spotlight as the force behind Megxit.
Spotify said a complete podcast series is expected in 2021. A release date for the holiday special wasn’t immediately set.