Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s scheduled 12-month review following their split from the royal family has been cancelled, according to one royal expert.
Speaking to True Royalty TV’s Royal Beat, Vanity Fair correspondent Katie Nicholl said that while the Duke, 36, and the Duchess of Sussex, 39, are being observed closely about the commercial deals they’re making, nothing they have done so far suggests the planned one-year review needs to go ahead.
While Covid restrictions have grounded Prince Harry at the $14 million mansion in Los Angeles that the couple share with their 19-month-old son Archie, it’s unlikely there will now even be a face-to-face Zoom call to discuss their commercial affairs with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William.
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Two mega deals and no planned review: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who announced plans to leave the royal family a year ago, are unlikely to face a planned review of ‘Megxit’ by the royal family, claims royal expert Katie Nicholl (The couple pictured on a video call in October)
However, the Queen, is thought to still have to make the thorny decision on whether her grandson can keep his military title (Pictured: the Queen at Windsor Castle in December)
In the year since the dramatic split, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have put ink to paper on a deal with Netflix thought to be worth around £100million and also have a lucrative podcast deal with Spotify, worth up to £30million, in the bag, with private speaking engagements also swelling the coffers.
The Cambridges and the Sussexes are still set to reunite this summer when a new statue of their late mother Princess Diana is set to be unveiled in the gardens of Kensington Palace on July 1st.
The statue was commissioned by Princes William and Harry in 2017 to commemorate 20 years since their mother’s death in 1997 and to recognise her ‘positive impact’.
Nicholl told the online broadcaster: ‘My understanding from the Sussexes camp is that there has been communication with the Queen, Prince Charles and with William as well. The general feeling is that this [current situation] is working.’
Royal expert Katie Nicholl told True Royalty TV’s Royal Beat that ‘there has been communication with the Queen, Prince Charles and with William as well’ (The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pictured at Cardiff Castle in December)
The Cambridges and the Sussexes are set to reunite on July 1st to unveil a Diana statue that was commissioned to mark her 60th birthday. The statue will be placed in the garden of Kensington Palace (The Sussexes pictured at Los Angeles National Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday on November 8)
She added: ‘This isn’t to say that people are not watching closely what these deals are, what the couple are doing and what these projects are going to be.
But there is not this need to have this review one year on.’
However, the Queen is still yet to confirm whether Prince Harry should keep his military title, Nicholl said.
‘The one thing that is outstanding is the issue of his [Prince Harry’s] military title and I am told that it will be the Queen that ultimately makes that decision.’
In September 2019, Harry and Meghan signed their biggest deal, agreeing to become producers for Netflix, making documentaries and children’s series in their roles and even possibly appearing on camera themselves.
The couple were widely criticised for the deal in particular, given Netflix’s portrayal of the royal family in The Crown.
The Royal Beat is available on True Royalty TV from Saturday 16th January
HOW HARRY AND MEGHAN HAVE EMULATED BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA’S POST WHITE HOUSE MONEY-MAKING DEALS
SPOTIFY
Harry and Meghan’s deal with Spotify is the latest they’ve undertaken that’s similar to Barack and Michelle Obama.
Earlier this year, Michelle launched The Michelle Obama Podcast and had her husband on as one of her first guests.
Neither Michelle nor Spotify released details of the deal but it’s likely to rival that of Joe Rogan, Spotify’s most lucrative podcaster, who makes $100million out of his multi-year deal.
In announcing her podcast deal in July, Michelle said: ‘My hope is that this series can be a place to explore meaningful topics together and sort through so many of the questions we’re all trying to answer in our own lives.
‘Perhaps most of all, I hope this podcast will help listeners open up new conversations—and hard conversations—with the people who matter most to them. That’s how we can build more understanding and empathy for one another.’
In announcing their podcast deal on Tuesday, Meghan and Harry said: ‘What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction.
‘With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.’
NETFLIX
Harry and Meghan, much to the criticism of many, signed a deal to serve as producers. They’ll make documentaries and children’s series in their roles and may even appear on camera themselves. Again, no details of how much they are set to make from it have been made public.
They were widely criticized for the Netflix deal in particular, given Netflix’s portrayal of the royal family in The Crown. Among the reasons the pair claimed they quit royal life was to live more privately and without what they perceived to be press intrusion. Critics blasted them for taking money from Netflix for their producer deal when The Crown takes such a deep dive into Harry’s family’s life.
It’s similar to the Obamas’ Netflix deal that was announced in 2018.
At the time, Michelle said in a statement: ‘Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others.
‘Netflix’s unparalleled service is a natural fit for the kinds of stories we want to share, and we look forward to starting this exciting new partnership.’
In announcing their Netflix deal, Harry and Meghan said: ‘Our lives, both independent of each other and as a couple, have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit, of courage, resilience and the need for connection.
‘Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens.’
One of Barack and Michelle’s documentaries – Factory – won an Oscar.
PRIVATE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
After Barack Obama left office, one of the ways he made money immediately was through private speaking engagements.
In 2017, one speech to a private equity group paid him $400,000.
Harry and Meghan have also made money through speeches. Among their first was one at a JP Morgan conference in Miami in February.
Again, no details of the deal have been made public.
In February, Harry and Meghan were the keynote speakers at a JP Morgan summit at the 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami
That is one revenue stream they don’t talk about. At the Miami event, Harry and Meghan were introduced by Meghan’s friend Gayle King, who is also friends with Oprah (who plugged Meghan’s new investment, a $28 instant oat-milk latte brand).
Page Six quoted an anonymous source at the time who said: ‘Harry spoke about mental health and how he has been in therapy for the past few years to try to overcome the trauma of losing his mother because he wants to protect his family.
‘He does not want Meghan and their son Archie to go through what he did as a child.’
AND WHAT THEY’VE NOT DONE…
BIOGRAPHIES
Michelle has made millions from her autobiography, Becoming, where she talks at length about her life before Barack became president and what happened afterwards.
Neither Harry nor Meghan has written a book about their public life.
One has been written about them – Finding Freedom – but the pair have said on record that they did not contribute to it.
Michelle has made millions from her autobiography, Becoming, where she talks at length about her life before Barack became president and what happened afterwards. Neither Harry nor Meghan has written a book about their public life. One has been written about them – Finding Freedom – but the pair have said on record that they did not contribute to it.
ON-CAMERA DOCUMENTARIES
Michelle was interviewed for Becoming, a documentary to accompany her book and her speaking tour, that became a Netflix documentary.
Harry and Meghan have not appeared in any on-camera work. They were interviewed by ITV before they left royal life but that was in 2019.
This post was first published on DailyMail.