Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s New Netflix Deal Sparks Fresh 'Concern' For Royals: Author
Shortly after reports emerged that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's five-year Netflix deal had been axed, the pair announced a new multi-year agreement on August 11. The deal extends their September 2020 partnership with the streaming giant and grants Netflix exclusive rights to their projects and ideas before any other streaming platform. Commenting on the same, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed that the royal family would be 'concerned' about the renewal, as they reportedly 'don’t trust' the Sussexes, given their history of airing grievances publicly.
Under the new partnership, Markle announced the launch of the second season of her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Discussing how the royal family might feel about the renewed deal, Fitzwilliams told the Daily Express, "This will concern the royal family as they don’t trust the Sussexes and they did it (a damaging series) before. It is sadly all too clear that, however deplorable it is, it would be very lucrative." The expert was referring to the 2022 Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, in which the Sussexes made bombshell allegations of having faced racism and bullying within the royal fold.
The royal expert further argued that Harry and Markle will, meanwhile, welcome the new Netflix deal for 'as far as it goes,' but it would be 'far less than the original.' He explained, "Bela Bajaria, Netflix's Content Officer, whilst praising the Sussexes, laid special emphasis on how popular 'Harry and Meghan,' their kiss and tell series where they gave viewers a unique glimpse into their personal lives and also attacked the royal family, was." He continued, "Let's just hope, as things seem so uncertain for them, that they aren't planning another such series!" At the moment, the Sussexes are believed to have no plans to release a documentary as scathing as Harry & Meghan. Instead, Markle is expected to continue working on her With Love, Meghan.
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According to PEOPLE, the Duchess of Sussex released a statement announcing the renewal of her Netflix deal with Archewell Productions. It read, "We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand. My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally and celebrates our shared vision." Her lifestyle brand, As ever, developed in partnership with the streaming giant, will continue expanding into new product categories.
Shortly after the statement, Markle announced that the second season of her cooking show will premiere later this month, followed by a holiday special in December. As for the royal family’s distrust, reports suggest that the recent 'peace summit' between Harry’s aides and those of King Charles could help ease tensions. However, Prince William reportedly wants nothing to do with his estranged brother, while Charles may focus on repairing his fractured relationship with Harry amid growing concerns over his health.