Prince Harry's role in first Netflix project discussed by expert

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Meghan and Harry found financial independence very quickly after they left the royal fold last year. Within a matter of months, they had signed a lucrative contract for a Spotify podcast series — called Archewell Audio — said to be worth $25million (£18million). They also made headlines when they secured a deal with streaming giant Netflix, believed to be of historic value at $100million (£72million), last September.

This multi-year contract meant the couple could produce a whole range of content, from children’s programmes, scripted and unscripted TV, films and documentaries.

However, the Sussexes have made it clear they will not be using the platform to lift the lid about more elements of their royal lives.

They announced that their goal was to produce “content that informs but also gives hope”, “impactful content that unlocks action” and “inspirational family programming”.

Their first production was announced in April, called ‘Heart of Invictus’, which will follow competitors, organisers and Harry himself in the run-up to the Invictus Games The Hague 2020.

The international sporting tournament for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans was set up by the Duke of Sussex back in 2014, so it is known to be a cause close to his heart.

The games have been delayed for two years due to the pandemic, and so will be a highly-anticipated occasion.

However, the upcoming docuseries itself was put under the spotlight by Variety magazine, an award-winning US media and entertainment company with 27 million unique monthly visitors to its website, when it was announced.

Chief Media Analyst and President of Variety Intelligence Platform, Andrew Wallenstein, looked at whether ‘Heart of Invictus’ would actually be the kind of content Netflix was after when it first agreed to a deal with the Sussexes.

He said: “Archewell Productions’ ‘Heart of Invictus’ does not remotely sound like what their tabloid-driven audience wants.

“The content in question seems more like an exercise in their image rehabilitation, funded by Netflix.”

He added that, as two figures with limited experience in filmmaking, it was Meghan and Harry’s names which were expected to bring in the high viewing figures.

He claimed: “The value Harry and Meghan will probably most bring comes to making themselves available for interviews to publicise the content that bears their imprimatur.”

However, the Sussexes are well-known for their wariness towards the media; even when promoting her debut children’s book, The Bench, Meghan agreed to only one, pre-recorded interview with NPR.

Harry has also hand-selected the only journalist he intends to talk to for the unveiling of the Princess Diana memorial statue in Kensington Palace this week.

It’s therefore not clear how much the pair will be willing to promote their new content.

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Mr Wallenstein continued: “Maybe this is all of negligible concern for Netflix, where $100million (£72million) isn’t really that much money.

“But the time will come when subscriber numbers take a dip for a quarter or two and hard questions are asked about content investments.

“Rest assured this deal will be on the list of what gets second-guessed.”

Meghan and Harry’s productivity has already been questioned in the short-time they have been out of the Royal Family, especially as they have both announced they will be taking a five-month break to welcome their newborn daughter Lilibet Diana.

Critics believed the pair were perhaps struggling behind the scenes to pull their Netflix content together, after the Sussexes hired Oscar-winning filmmakers, director Orlando Von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara, to create ‘Heart of Invictus’.

When describing the upcoming production, Harry said: “The series will give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year.

“As Archewell Productions’ first series with Netflix in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service.”

A release date for the series has not been announced yet.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also been criticised for their inactivity with their podcast, Archewell Audio.

They have only produced one episode, a 35-minute Holiday Special released in late December, where they asked a range of their high-profile celebrity friends to record themselves thinking about how hard the pandemic has been.

The couple have since gone quiet on that front.

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