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Meghan and Harry could be cashing in between $50 to $100 million (£37m to £75m) from their newly-announced deal with Netflix alone, according to Jonathan Shalit OBE, a talent management expert. And, the expert added, Meghan and Harry could earn even more in bonuses. 

Taking to Twitter after the deal between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the streaming platform had been announced, Mr Shalit, founder and chairman at the Intertalent Rights Group, wrote: “Wow… I estimate Harry and Meghan will have a signing fee of between $50 and $100 million and with bonuses, they could earn $250 Million plus.

“This is a massive historical deal – scale like no other”.

The expert also expressed the “magnitude” of this deal between a commercial platform and two former full-time working royals.

Speaking to The New York Times, Mr Shalit said: “The value of this signing to Netflix is unquantifiable. 

“Never before has a real-life royal of this magnitude gone commercial and to Hollywood.”

Meghan and Harry, who stepped down as senior royals in March, have founded a production company which will create documentaries, documentary-series, feature films, children’s programmes and scripted shows.

As they begin their Hollywood careers as a couple, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have suggested their son Archie Harrison and young family have been an inspiration to their new venture. 

In a statement issued yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex explained their plans with this yet-to-be-named production company.

They said: “Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.

“As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.” 

Speaking about Netflix’s 193 million subscribers around the world, the couple describes the platform’s reach as “unprecedented” and able to “help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”

This company is set to operate independently from Meghan and Harry’s soon-to-be-launched charitable platform, Archewell.

The couple may appear in front of the camera on some documentaries, but this new chapter of their lives is unlikely to see Meghan returning to acting.

The Duchess stopped acting in 2018 when she appeared in the last episode of the sixth season of TV legal drama Suits. 

Speaking about the new deal, Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-chief executive and chief content officer, said in a statement: “We’re incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere”.

Prince Harry already debuted on Netflix in August when he appeared in the documentary Rising Phoenix.

This film focuses on the origins of the Paralympic Games and the extraordinary work carried out by parathletes in preparation to the, now postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, games in Tokyo.

The Duke, who launched the first edition of the Invictus Games in 2014, said of this film: “Rising Phoenix is a story that the world needs right now.

“We are confronted by the true power of the human spirit and the sheer strength of mind to overcome and achieve what most would deem impossible.” 

“It proves that sport is much more than a physical skill, it is purpose and drive, community and camaraderie, ambition and self-worth.

“These athletes are not only a credit to their countries and to their sport, they are also a true testament to human endeavour and the epitome of resilience.”

Meghan also appeared on streaming platforms a few days after stepping down as senior royal.

In April, Disney+ released Elephant, a documentary detailing the return travel of one herd of elephants from the Okavango Delta to the Zambezi River.

The Duchess narrated this documentary after agreeing with Disney to donate her proceedings to the charity Elephants Without Borders.      

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