Harry and Meghan May Have a Reason to Seek Royal Reconciliation—and It’s Not Their Kids
The motive, as claimed by experts, has more to do with business than family.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent efforts to soften tensions with the Royal Family may not be driven only by emotion and their kids but also by business realities. A royal author has suggested that the couple’s renewed interest in reconciliation comes as their relationship with Netflix appears to be losing steam.
After stepping back as senior working royals in 2020 and relocating to the United States, Harry and Markle secured a reported $100 million multi-year deal with Netflix. The agreement was widely seen as a cornerstone of their post-royal life, giving them a major platform to produce documentaries, series, and other content through their company, Archewell Productions. However, when the deal came up for renewal in 2025, Netflix opted for a more limited arrangement. While the platform extended its association with the Sussexes, it shifted to a scaled-back 'first-look' deal, giving Netflix the option to review any content they produce without committing to finance it.
Royal author Duncan Larcombe believes, per Express, that the shift has had a significant impact on the couple’s position. “If they go on to lose all of their Netflix deal, it’s going to come as a very bitter blow to them,” he said. “Largely, it’s been a success story for them personally since they stepped down as working royals. But if it means selling the family silver, you don’t want to get into a situation where you don’t make full money for it.”
Larcombe added that the Sussexes’ appeal may be wearing thin. “Effectively, they’ve sold themselves out, but they’ve run out of truth bombs,” he said. “If they’re not making headlines and, more importantly, if viewers are turning off in their droves, then companies like Netflix are ruthless, and they’re not going to carry them just because they’re the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
Recent performance data appears to support that view. Meghan’s lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, which aired for two seasons along with a holiday special, failed to make Netflix’s top 1,000 most-watched programs of 2025, according to the platform’s engagement report. While Netflix has not made any formal announcement, it has been suggested that the series is unlikely to return for a third season. Larcombe also pointed to a wider pattern. “They have to figure something out because the number of projects they’ve announced since they left the UK that have hit the ground and been a success is actually quite small,” he said.
He further claimed that Harry’s interest in repairing family ties may be linked to this reality. “Harry needs to reconcile with family as well because that’s where their Netflix deal comes from—it’s their access to the Royal Family,” Larcombe said. Despite the challenges, Harry and Meghan continue to pursue new projects. Over the weekend, the couple made an unexpected appearance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where they attended the premiere of Girl Scouts, a documentary guest-produced by Archewell Productions in collaboration with Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films.
The Sussexes were also seen on the red carpet, speaking with members of the film’s production team, signaling that they remain keen to stay visible in the documentary space.
