The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who sensationally stepped down from their roles as senior working members of the Royal Family this year, have moved to California with their one-year-old son Archie Harrison. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have stated their desire to become financially independent from the Firm, striking an exclusive deal with streaming giant Netflix to do so.
Prince Harry has since come under scrutiny after Netflix series The Crown depicted his mother and father’s relationship in its latest series.
Commenting on the backlash with guest Olivia Utley, talkRADIO host Mike Graham argued the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had got themselves into trouble.
He said: “Meghan and Harry are in a bit of trouble with this over the fact Harry has said nothing about the way in which his mother and father have been portrayed in this series.”
Journalist Ms Utley replied: “He has got himself into some hot water.
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“He has got this deal with Netflix so he can’t really say anything.”
The commentator went on to claim the Duke of Sussex would find himself in similar situations going forwards due to “massive conflicts of interest”.
She said: “Netflix is where their next paycheck is coming from.
“Prince Harry is going to find himself in situations like this surely over and over again.
“How could he have just run off to Hollywood and not realised there are going to be huge consequences?
The pair also joked about the possibility of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle getting involved directly with The Crown.
Ms Utley said: “I don’t know what the plan is for the rest of The Crown. Surely we will just be barreling through right up to the present day and they have then got huge problems with Harry. I think it would be a dream come true if Harry and Meghan played themselves.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to use their new Netflix platform to promote causes close to their heart, such as social injustice and diversity.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has said Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal will likely not be affected by The Crown. Mr Fitzwilliams accused series four of the show of being “so nasty” – but has also said it makes use of “dramatic licence”.
Of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plans with the Netflix deal, he told Express.co.uk: “I confidently predict, this goes as well when their non-profit foundation Archewell is launched, the issues of diversity, gender equality, environment and mental health. I think all of these will be issues they will champion.”
Mr Fitzwilliams claimed the combination of the Netflix deal and speaking arrangements sets the royal couple up for financial success. He said: “All of this will mean that they will have the money, they already have the profile. Where will this lead to in the future? I suspect it will lead to an extremely high global profile.”
