In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the UK to settle in a Montecito mansion. It was a fresh beginning for the couple as they left their roya
In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the UK to settle in a Montecito mansion. It was a fresh beginning for the couple as they left their royal obligations behind. In the absence of lavish ceremonies and official visits, the parents of Archie and Lilibet began piling up other sorts of projects: the Duke of Sussex set about writing his memoir, Spare, while the Duchess created her own line of food and entertaining products called As Ever. They also struck a reportedly $100 million deal with Netflix to create content, which has resulted in five series so far: the documentaries Heart of Invictus, Live to Lead, Polo, and Harry & Meghan, as well as the Duchess’s lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, released in March 2025 and renewed for a season 2.
That agreement expires this autumn, raising several questions about the couple’s audiovisual future. Early this month, Page Six revealed that Netflix is primarily interested now in “first look ” deals, as opposed to overall exclusive contracts—meaning that if Harry and Meghan do sign another contract with the company, it could be for a lot less money. British tabloid The Sun paints a more dire picture, alleging that Duke and Duchess’s multi-million-dollar deal may not be renewed at all. (Vanity Fair has reached out to Netflix for comment.)
These revelations came shortly after Netflix published viewing figures covering the first half of 2025. According to the release, With Love, Meghan, ranks 389th among the streamer’s most-watched content, earning 5.3 million views between January and June. The Prince’s documentary, Polo, released in December 2024, was watched by just 500,000 viewers this year, occupying 3442nd place. Viewers showed a lot more interest in Meghan’s ancient show, Suits, in which she starred as paralegal Rachel Zane from 2011 to 2017. Its first four seasons occupy places between 157st and 384th in the rankings.
But Harry & Meghan, released in 2022, remains the most-watched documentary series on the platform to this day. “Netflix were clever in that they got a hell of a lot of viewers for the first documentary series, and knew, realistically, it would prove the zenith of content from the Montecito pair,” a source told The Sun. “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. The content got weaker from there on but, frankly, for £20million a year, anything was better than nothing. There’s no animosity from either side.”
There may be financial risk associated with the potential loss of the couple’s Netflix deal. Earlier this month, tabloids claimed that the couple had downsized their team to save money. Since moving to the United States, Prince William’s brother and Kate Middleton’s sister-in-law have been financially independent from the royal family, and the expenses have come hefty and rapid—including the purchase of their home in Montecito for a reported $14.65 million. But that’s not all. “They also foot the bill for their staff in communications alongside their personal office, the Archewell Foundation, production, as well as employees at their estate in Montecito, CA,” Page Six wrote July 5.
Although Netflix may be parting ways with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it will not stop collaborating with the royal family. The streaming giant is teaming up with King Charles III and actor Idris Elba for a documentary scheduled for autumn 2026 that will explore the inner workings of royal charity The King’s Trust on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The foundation was founded by the King, formerly Prince of Wales, in 1990, with the aim of supporting adolescent people in precarious situations. Idris Elba himself benefited from its assistance when he was younger, receiving a check for £1,500 that enabled him to take drama lessons at the age of 16.
Original story in VF France.
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