As Netflix’s chief content officer said, “who wouldn’t be interested” in working with the Sussexes?
The duke and duchess are stepping down from royal duties in the spring and will “no longer formally represent the Queen”, giving them the freedom to pursue their own independence – and lucrative contracts.
Netflix and Disney are already being linked to the couple, while Prince Harry and wife Meghan have made clear in a statement that anything they do in future “will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty”.
A deal with Netflix would see them following in the footsteps of their friends Barack and Michelle Obama.
The streaming giant has already made its interest clear, with content chief Ted Sarandos sayingtelling PA news agency: “Who wouldn’t be interested? Yes, sure.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest the Duchess has already signed a voiceover deal with Disney in return for a donation to an elephant charity.
And a video emerged last week showing Harry highlighting his wife’s talents to Disney chief executive, Robert Iger, during the European premiere of The Lion King last July. He said: “You do know she does voiceovers?” Mr Iger replied: “I did not know that,” and the Duke went on to say: “You seem surprised. She’s really interested.”
The duke and duchess, who are expected to spend much of their time living in Canada, had wanted to remain working royals, although not prominent members, and become financially independent – a dual role many commentators said was fraught with problems.
READ MORE: Netflix chief confirms interest in deal with Harry and Meghan
But, in a statement issued after Royal Family talks concluded, the Sussexes announced they would stop carrying out royal duties from the spring, no longer use HRH and wish to repay the taxpayers’ millions spent on their Berkshire home.
The couple 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.
Earning money independently and
still remaining active members of the monarchy would have been problematic, and has caused issues for royals who have tried to straddle the two positions in the past.
Whatever path the couple now decide to pursue, commentators believe they will be highly sought after, particularly with the duchess’s combination of royalty and Hollywood glamour.
Some predict she could be asked to write a memoir, or work with organisations involved in topics she is passionate about, such as women’s empowerment.
For Prince Harry, it has been predicted the lecture circuit would give him a chance to share his experience of travelling the world, while his time in the military means he is no stranger to leading others.
Mark Thompson, chief executive of
the New York Times and a former BBC director general, said he believed the couple’s new life could be managed, especially if “you’re not saying stuff, you’re not doing the kind of things that the paparazzi and celebrity hounds
find interesting, you begin to have a quieter life” .
“There are plenty of cases of big movie stars who have done that,” he told yesterday’s Andrew Marr Show. They could hide, and have a better chance of living a quiet life compared with “spending the entire time inside the royal system”, he said. “ I kind of believe that could work for them.”
The Queen issued an emotional statement on the agreement, saying she recognised the “challenges” they had faced over the past year, adding: “I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan will not use HRH titles or get royal funds - palace
“It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”
The couple’s spokeswoman issued a statement on their behalf saying: “As agreed in this new arrangement, they understand they are required to step back from royal duties, including official military appointments. They will no longer receive public funds for royal duties.
“With the Queen’s blessing, the Sussexes will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations.
“While they can no longer formally represent the Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do
will continue to uphold the values of
Her Majesty.”
All the new arrangements are due to come into effect in the spring, and will
be reviewed by Buckingham Palace
in a year.
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