Meghan Markle compared with Princess Diana by Tom Bower

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Meghan and Harry have in recent months launched a mammoth publicity drive, having secured a slew of multi-million pound contracts. The Duchess of Sussex’s first project for the video streaming giant Netflix was announced this week. ‘Pearl’ will follow a 12-year-old girl’s “heroic adventures” as she converses with noteworthy women from history.

She will be executive producer of the series alongside Elton John’s husband, David Furnish.

Harry, meanwhile, has been busy putting together his first Netflix project, ‘Heart of Invictus’, which will offer behind-the-scenes access to the journey of those competing in the 2022 games set to take place at The Hague, Netherlands.

The Prince hit the headlines again this week after he announced he was writing a memoir, “not as the prince I was born, but as the man I have become”.

Details of the contents of the book are unknown, but it will almost certainly cast yet more light on his time in the Royal Family.

Some royal commentators, like Angela Levin, have claimed it will have special emphasis on his mother, Princess Diana, and the chaos that ensued with the media and public after marrying Meghan.

The book will be published in 2022, coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Marlene Koenig, a royal expert, said many will have recoiled at the thought of the Queen’s landmark anniversary being in any way interrupted by more revelations.

However, she suggested that the publication of the book would have come regardless of the celebrations.

This is because Meghan and Harry are currently at the peak of their media and publicity attention, and so any opportunity they have to “capitalise” on their situation, they will.

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Ms Koenig told Express.co.uk: “I think they’re still trying to capitalise on their situation, and that’s very American: make the money now.

“But he did say he’s given the proceeds to charity.

“Right now, they’re still fresh in the public’s mind.

“They haven’t been out of the royal family that long – technically they’re still in it, they’re still royal.

“But I think because of their departure and statements, the Oprah interview, all sorts of things, they’re still the flavour of the month in some areas.

“So this might be the time to get that book out because who knows what things will be like in 10 years.”

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Asked whether she believed it was a coincidence that the book was being published in the same year as the Queen’s Jubilee, she said: “I think they would’ve published that book regardless: do it now because this is where the attention is still good.”

According to Page Six, Harry is “getting at least £14million upfront to publish his memoirs”.

This is added to the Netflix and Spotify contracts, £109million and £36m respectively.

Professor Simone Ferriani, an expert in entrepreneurship who specialises in film and media, said he believed there was “not much in” their deal with the streaming giants other than to “leverage” their global brand.

He told Express.co.uk: “I think there is not much behind it other than the attempt to leverage Harry and Megan’s global brand and attract new prospective Netflix subscribers.

“Content-wise, I don’t think there’s any special capability as Harry and Megan’s production company – as far as I know – has not developed anything so far, so they literally have zero production experience.

“More than anything it looks like this is a big marketing hook.”

Meghan and Harry do have in their team some experienced producers.

Earlier this year, they added Ben Browning to the Sussex Squad, an Oscar-nominated producer.

However, it is true that the Duke and Duchess themselves have no background in this aspect of the creative industry.

Many have warned that the two must produce the goods or face having their novelty “wear off”.

Daniela Elser, writing for News.com.au, noted while creating TV series’ and podcasts takes time, “the clock is ticking for Harry and Meghan to prove they are worth such astronomical sums of money”.

She drew a parallel with other famous names who struck deals with streaming platforms like Shonda Rhimes and Barack and Michelle Obama.

It took them 11 months from the signing of their contracts to reveal their debut slate of seven projects for the company.

Meghan and Harry passed that 11 month mark earlier this month, but to no further announcement.

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