Speculation of a reconciliation between Prince Harry and King Charles is growing amid reports that the duke and his wife, Meghan Markle, will not be renewing their $100 million deal with Netflix.
Royal experts suggest financial pressures may be prompting the Montecito-based couple to reconnect with the monarchy.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan’s underperforming Netflix projects and past loss of their Spotify deal raise questions about sustaining their lifestyle without royal support or new lucrative deals.
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Royal Expert Links Prince Harry’s Reunion Talks To Expiring Netflix Deal
A Royal expert has weighed in on the growing speculation surrounding potential reconciliation talks between Prince Harry and King Charles, offering a theory that ties the rumored peace efforts to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s fading Netflix deal.
Recent sightings of senior aides from both camps meeting in London have fueled rumors that discussions are underway to mend the strained relationship.
Speaking on The Sun‘s “Royal Exclusive” show, author and royal commentator Robert Jobson suggested that the timing may not be coincidental.
According to Jobson, with Harry and Meghan’s multi-million-dollar Netflix contract reportedly approaching its end, the couple may be seeking renewed financial support from the monarchy.
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“Well, the deal was always set at about $100 million, wasn’t it?” he explained, noting that much of the money was tied to specific production obligations. “And the talk of that figure sort of blew a lot of people’s minds, but I think that was for productions and things that they’re supposed to have done.”
He added, “Where does it leave them? Probably with a bit of a bowl out, looking for some handouts. Maybe that’s why they were over with their staff, they were over here having discussions with the King. I don’t know.”
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Royal Experts Question How Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Will Fund Lavish Lifestyle After Losing Major Deals
Jobson continued his commentary by highlighting the financial challenges the Sussexes may now be facing.
“The reality is in the past they got support from the King and the late Queen, and they said they were going to go and make their way,” Jobson noted. “They’ve lost Spotify, they’ve lost Netflix. They can’t rely on the spare money forever, can they?”
Also weighing in during the segment was Sky News’ Royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills, who raised similar concerns about the couple’s future income.
With their Netflix contract set to expire in September, Mills questioned how they plan to maintain their costly lifestyle.
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“It’s just fascinating,” she remarked. “They have this very expensive lifestyle. They have to pay for their security and pay for that big mansion. How do you kind of keep the money coming in?”
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Meghan Markle’s Independence May Pave Way For Harry’s Reconciliation With King Charles, Says Royal Expert
Meanwhile, one royal expert believes that any reunion between Harry and Charles is unlikely to fully reintegrate him into the royal fold.
According to royal historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop, it could be Meghan’s focus on building her own independent career that’s prompting Harry to revisit family ties.
In an interview with The Mirror, Dunlop suggested that Meghan appears content far from palace life, and that could be opening the door for Harry to reconnect.
“Love her or loathe her, Meghan has found her happy place and it has nothing to do with the Royal Family,” Dunlop said. “As Ever, raspberry jam, beige ensembles, and over-emotive podcasts might not be your thing, but they are working for California’s Princess.”
She added that Meghan’s self-sufficiency could actually help ease tensions between Harry and his father: “And before any bilious naysayers butt in, this is good news for a future rapprochement between Harry and the King. The two men have a chance to work things through. And surely everybody wants that?”
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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Netflix Deal To End Amid Poor Viewership
Recently, reports surfaced indicating that Netflix has opted not to renew its multi-year partnership with Harry and Meghan, which is set to expire in the coming months.
The original deal, signed in September 2020, was estimated to be worth around $100 million and aimed to produce a range of content for the streaming giant.
Throughout their collaboration, the Sussexes released three key projects: their docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” Meghan’s lifestyle show “With Love, Meghan,” and a documentary centered on Harry’s passion for polo, simply titled “Polo.”
However, despite the high-profile nature of the partnership, the couple’s projects reportedly underperformed.
“With Love, Meghan” placed 383rd in Netflix’s viewership rankings, while “Polo” fell even further, landing in 3,436th place with only around 500,000 views.
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Netflix Execs Feel ‘They’ve Got All They Can’ From The Sussexes, Source Claims
Harry and Meghan’s decision to pursue deals with streaming platforms was addressed by the prince during the couple’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
At the time, he revealed that financial independence became urgent after the Royal Family cut them off, leaving them to cover their own security expenses.
That was “never part of the plan,” Harry said of their commercial ventures. “That was suggested by somebody else by the point where my family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us.”
Now sources claim Netflix is done with the couple as “they’ve got all they can” from the Montecito-based royals.
“They’re not unhappy with how things turned out — they got those initial hits, and produced one of the most talked-about shows of all time,” a source told The Sun. “The content got weaker from there on, but, frankly, for £20million a year, anything was better than nothing.”
