Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have provided Netflix with a “halo” of credibility for its royal productions, a television producer has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a five-year deal with Netflix in September 2020 worth an estimated £82 million ($100 million).
While their efforts so far have been met with mixed reviews, the streaming platform has remained steadfast in the face of backlash after the couple broke multiple records.
Their Harry & Meghan six-part docuseries was the most-watched premiere for a Netflix show when it came out in September 2022 with 28 million households tuning in to watch, according to BARB.
Harry’s documentary Heart of Invictus failed to attract as many viewers but a television producer claimed the streaming platform is likely to hold on to the ducal couple because of “credibility” they lend to other productions.
The anonymous producer told The Daily Beast: “Royal content is massive for them and they probably would have signed Harry and Meghan for the documentary anyway.
“But The Crown is one of their biggest shows and signing Harry and Meghan certainly had a halo effect on its credibility.”
Netflix is gearing up to release the last instalment of their popular series The Crown in November.
The sixth season is expected to hit very close to home for both Harry and his older brother Prince William as it will partially focus on the death of their mother, Diana.
A friend of the Prince of Wales told the publication he is “totally sickened” by the producers’ decision to bring back his late mother back in the form of a ghost.
Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, is expected to have an emotional reconciliation with her ex-husband Prince Charles and the late Queen in the final instalment.
The insider claimed it is “incredibly hurtful” for William to “have his mother exploited over and over again in this tawdry fashion.”
The future King is also reportedly disappointed by his brother and sister-in-law’s continued collaboration with the streaming platform.
The agreement further widened the gap between William and Harry, who spent the first years of his departure from the Royal Family levelling controversial allegations against its members.
