Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Under Pressure From Netflix to Explain Boos During Jubilee Visit, According to Royal Expert
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not get the reception they had hoped for when they made their first public appearance together outside St. Paul’s Cathedral following a National Service of Thanksgiving during Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubliee.
Even with everything that has happened between the Sussexes and the royal family over the last two years, the prince and his wife couldn’t hide the disappointment on their faces as they heard jeers mixed with cheers from the crowd. The moment was a bit surprising to others who witnessed it as well because hearing a crowd boo a royal outside a church during a celebratory time is unheard of. But it did happen, and now some companies the duke and duchess have deals with reportedly want answers about the booing and that includes Netflix.
Meghan and Harry have reportedly been under pressure from the streaming giant for some time
In September 2020, after moving to the U.S. Harry and Meghan signed a mega-deal worth around $100 million to produce content for Netflix.
At the time the couple released a statement that read: “Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection. Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.”
In July 2021, the Sussexes’ company, Archewell Productions, announced that the duchess was working on a children’s animated series. But in April 2022, Netflix axed that program titled Pearl while it was still in the development stages.
The following month reports surfaced that Meghan and Harry were in talks to allow cameras into their Montecito home for a Keeping Up With the Kardashians-esque reality show about their lives. Several outlets reported that Netflix had hoped that would also include footage and audio from their visit to the U.K. but they didn’t expect boos raining down on them.
Royal expert says Netflix and other companies are looking for an explanation after booing
The reception the Duke and Duchess of Sussex got outside of St. Paul’s Cathedral doesn’t seem like something Netflix is happy about considering the $100 million investment the company has in the pair. Now, royal commentator Neil Sean is claiming that executives at the streaming platform are looking for an explanation about the negative reaction the couple received outside the church.
“As members of the royal family, you are used to being warmly welcomed at events, and any protests or unwelcome reactions are controlled by the police. But as celebrities, you can not really control the crowds,” Sean said on his YouTube channel (per Express). “That is what happened when Harry and Meghan [showed] up outside St. Paul’s Cathedral as part of the Thanksgiving Service. When they got back to the States, they worried about the perception, especially to company bosses at Netflix, Spotify, and Penguin Random House, and they have to explain exactly where those boos came from.”
Sean added: “Harry and Meghan’s team have to explain away to people why they were booed. According to a very good source, this unwelcome reaction came to Harry and Meghan as a very big shock. They found out they are not as well-loved as they thought. That is not to say they do not have fans in the U.K., they do, but it is a mixed bag now.”
Netflix wanted more access to the Jubilee than the Sussexes could offer
Prior to Meghan and Harry’s visit, some thought a camera crew would be following the couple for a behind-the-scenes look at the Jubilee celebrations and possibly use that for Netflix content. However, the Sussexes were actually kept in the background for the festivities after it was announced that were not permitted to appear on the balcony with the working royals. And the word from the palace was that no camera crew would “be given any privileged access to royal events.”
So fans will just have to wait and see if there will be a Meghan and Harry docuseries after all and what that will entail.
