Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are living a different life to that of the Royal Family since stepping down from their duties in 2020 and have forged their own career paths, on their own terms, in California. From talks of a Spotify deal to the tune of £22million, to a book deal worth £15milllion with Penguin Random House, which would later release Prince Harry’s Spare. To a five-year Netflix deal through their Archewell company saw the release of Harry & Meghan (2022), Live to Lead (2022), Heart of Invictus (2023), Polo (2024) and the duchess’ lifestyle show With Love, Meghan (2025). While it was previously reported last month that their £75million Netflix was officially “dead” it has now been claimed that the second series of With Love, Meghan will be the first show to air under the renewed agreement with the streaming powerhouse and it is due for release this autumn. The Sussexes are reportedly in talks to draw up another five-year deal with Netflix but only time will tell if their latest efforts will be realised.
While this latest debacle may seem like another headache for the Sussex brand the potential end of their Netflix deal is not as terrible as royalists will have you believe. The Sussexes have done exactly what they had initally set out to do.
Let’s go back in time, to 2020.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the nation when they announced they intended to “step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family”. The couple wanted to become financially independent, while still showing their commitment to the royal family.
While I won’t get into the minutiae details of having one foot in royal duties and the other in Hollywood, it can not be denied the Sussexes branched out and cultivated something for themselves.
Meghan has continued to show her determination with her lifestyle brand As Ever offering a collection of products from jam to wine. And why should she stop there?
She could further branch out into creating her own clothing brand to homeware.
The duchess is even believed to have monetised her Instagram account for her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, and uses affiliate links to earn commissions on purchases made through her posts and stories, reports the New York Post. She is also reportedly earning £800,000 per post on her new account, according to The Sun.
While Meghan remains firmly content in the celebrity space, royalists have noted that Prince Harry has repositioned himself with projects in-line with that of a working royal.
For instance, his recent walk through the Angola landmine sites for charity the Halo Trust was likened to the charity work of his late mother, Princess Diana.
The Sussexes have more to offer the public outside of Netflix shows and like they say, all good things must come to an end at some point. They could now use this opportunity to pivot away from streaming and Meghan can focus on building a lasting brand, while Harry can get back to the charity work that he loves most.
There have also been reports suggesting Harry is doing all he can to get back in the good graces of the royal family and, specifically, his father, King Charles III.
It began with a “peace summit” meeting arranged between Buckingham Palace’s communication team and Harry and Meghan’s in-house advisor Meredith Maines.
So while the Netflix deal might be over, there is still more to come from Harry and Meghan. And that might even include a reconciliation for Prince Harry and King Charles. That can only be a good thing.