Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been tipped to take steps to rebuild and strengthen their brand. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a string of public appearances in recent weeks and freshened up their online outlook by launching a new website gathering both their charitable and profitable ventures.
But the California-based royals still have steps to take if their aim is to rebrand and carry on as entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry.
Lynn Carratt from Press Box PR believes Meghan and Harry “will also be on the outlook for new commercial deals” as their multi-year partnership with steaming platform Netflix is believed to be expiring in 2025.
Speaking to the Mirror about a possible new deal with another entertainment giant, Ms Carratt noted the Duchess may want to try and get a project close to her heart over the line.
She said: “If they sign a deal with Paramount/Disney in 2025, I think Meghan will likely want to revisit her passion project, the animated series ‘Pearl’, which Netflix canned before production even started.”
In July 2021, a statement by the production arms of the Sussexes – Archewell Productions – announced the Duchess would be one of the executive producers of an animated series called Pearl.
But, nearly one year later, Netflix announced Pearl was among the animated series axed due to a wider cost-cutting exercise undertaken amid a dip in subscribers.
Meghan and Harry may also want to move more into producing more films and TV series if they have some success with the rumoured adaptation of the book Meet Me At The Lake.
The pair have so far released three non-fiction products for Netflix. While the biographical docu-series Harry & Meghan focused on their love story and struggles with the press and the Palace, Heart of Invictus showcased athletes taking part in the Invictus Games and the initiative itself, launched by the Duke in 2014.
The Duke and Duchess also released Live to Lead, a series of interviews with high-profile personalities.
The Sussexes, Ms Carratt also added, “should continue their rebranding”, noting how “they need to be seen at the right events, associate themselves with the right brands and charities and start to build bridges with the Royal Family”.
While relations between the California-based royals and senior members of the Firm in the UK are still strained, Harry travelled to Britain last month to see King Charles in the wake of his cancer diagnosis.
In an interview with Good Morning America broadcast a few days later, the Duke signalled he is still open to reconciling and rebuilding the bond, as he said he has more trips scheduled that would take him through Britain, so he is planning to “stop in and see my family as much as I can”.
When asked whether the King’s illness could help reunify his family, Harry said he was “sure”, before reflecting on what he has seen firsthand among the families of Invictus athletes.
He said: “Throughout all of these families, I see it on a day-to-day basis, again, the strength of the family unit coming together. So, yeah, I think any illness, any sickness, brings families together. I see it time and time again, and that makes me very happy.”
