Meghan Markle Will Likely Focus on Showbiz Projects While Prince Harry Will Likely Lean Towards More Humanitarian Work Going Forward, Sources Say

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in March 2020 under an umbrella together

(Image credit: Getty)

published 2 July 2023

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, like so many of us, are at a turning point in their lives and careers. Fresh off of the end of their $20 million deal with Spotify—which ended last month after less than three years and only one piece of content, Meghan’s “Archetypes”—the two are apparently preparing for big moves and looking to tell their side of the story.

“They were basically fired by Spotify, which is embarrassing, but Harry and Meghan are now fighting back by telling their side of the story,” a source said, per OK. “Yes, they’ve made mistakes, but they have big plans for their next endeavor.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving an awards ceremony

As ever, the couple have many irons in the fire: Their ongoing Netflix deal, which produced the mega hit Harry & Meghan late last year and will produce Harry’s Heart of Invictus next month, as well as other rumored projects; their reportedly ongoing deal with Penguin Random House, which saw the success of Spare, Harry’s memoir, earlier this year; Meghan’s signing with powerhouse talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) and the deals that is sure to produce; and many other rumored deals and projects and undertakings. Perhaps their most lucrative—at least at this juncture—is still the Netflix deal, which, like Spotify, was also inked in 2020.

“Netflix was pleased to sign Harry and Meghan and is looking for some great ideas going forward,” an insider said. “But the remainder of the deal relies on them producing those good ideas. The deal’s continually under review which is normal for ones of this magnitude.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the RFK Awards

In addition to the forthcoming Heart of Invictus, other content ideas include a Great Expectations-inspired show and a documentary about Africa helmed by Harry.

Though there is always room to right the ship, Hollywood insiders say that Harry and Meghan’s reputation has taken a hit. “Practically everyone in Hollywood is talking about how Harry and Meghan’s empire is crumbling,” a source said. OK reports that, as they move forward, Harry and Meghan are eager to pick up the pieces of their reputation and soldier on.

As they go forward professionally, The Daily Express reports that Meghan is more interested in the showbiz, celebrity side of things, while Harry is more interested in charitable, humanitarian work. “How long before Harry turns his back on the show business life, for which he is obviously ill-suited and seems entirely uncomfortable with?” asked journalist Alison Boshoff.

Boshoff said of the two “as she races towards bigger and more lucrative media ventures, her husband’s concerns are centered on the environment and mental health.”

It will no doubt be interesting to see what the couple, individually and collectively, do next.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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