After months of speculation over her future at Netflix, Meghan Markle is proving all her critics wrong. It’s been confirmed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's partnership with the streaming platform is going nowhere, with the duo having two new projects currently in works.
Meghan and Harry are back working with streaming giants Netflix, after reports emerged that the couple currently have two non-fiction projects in production. The first series, still untitled, will see Meghan ‘celebrate the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship.’ The series already has an impressive list of names onboard, set to be directed by Michael Steed, who previously worked on the Emmy-winning series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
The news of Meghan's new show comes weeks after she announced the launch of her new brand, American Rivera Orchard – which is expected to sell various homeware goods, including tableware, cookbooks, textiles, as well as jellies, marmalades and fruit preserves. With both Meghan’s Netflix documentary and her company appearing to zone in on the joys of a slower life, some have questioned whether they could be signs of the Meghan's growing lifestyle empire - mirroring a path similar to that of Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop.
Prince Harry is also set to become a Netflix regular, working on a series exploring the US Open Polo Championships in Wellington, Florida. A keen polo player from his time n the royal Fold, both Harry and Meghan will work as executive producers on the project. Titles and release dates for both series are expected to be announced in the coming months.
The two projects appear to confirm that the royal couple’s multi-million, multi-year deal with Netflix is still very much on. Partnering up in 2020, it was reported that Meghan and Harry’s production company, Archewell Productions, would exclusively create the likes of docuseries, feature films, and children’s programming for the popular streaming platform.
Yet, it hasn't been an easy transition into TV for Meghan and Harry, who have received criticism over their lack of content. Rumours recently emerged that the Duke and Duchess could see their deal with Netflix not renewed. So far, only their bombshell docu-series Harry & Meghan has proved a hit – with both 2022's Live To Lead, exploring the world's biggest changemakers, and 2023’s Heart of Invictus not quite drawing in the same audience.
And not everyone was so thrilled to hear more Meghan and Harry would be landing on their screens soon. Under a post announcing the projects, one user wrote, 'The Privacy Tour continues' - a phrase often used to mock the couple's public facing front after asking for more privacy. Another argued that 'most subscribers don't want to pay for this rubbish,' as another viewer dubbed the announcement as 'the sound of barrels being scraped.'
Of course, the criticisms came amongst many positive comments, with fans of the former working royals excited to see where Meghan's new project will take her.
The announcement comes after months of speculation regarding Meghan and Harry's career. Last year saw the their multi-million-dollar deal with Spotify come to an early end, after the couple reportedly failed to meet ‘productivity benchmarks.’ In the aftermath Meghan and Harry found themselves deemed ‘flops’ – with The Hollywood Reporter dubbing them one of 2023’s ‘biggest losers.’
Now, Meghan’s new career moves are proof that she isn’t backing down. In spite of the negativity and criticism faced online, Meghan – who is transforming her career whilst also being mum to Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2 – has refused to allow public opinion to stop her pursuing her goals.
Stepping away from her former royal life and into the areas that truly interest her, it seems we’re entering a new era of Meghan Markle.
Charlotte Roberts is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia, writing interviews and features around everything pop culture.