JENNIE BOND: ‘Meghan Markle was mocked over new move – but she’s seen the future’

As Meghan and Harry are brutally branded ‘boring’ and ‘unprofitable’, royal expert Jennie Bond believes the Sussexes are planning out their future with a series of strategic career moves

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘s career moves since quitting royal life have certainly ruffled feathers, from a bestselling book that tears down the royal family to bombshell podcasts and making jam.

Most recently, the Duchess of Sussexes’ Netflix show With Love, Meghan – which sees her offer tips and tricks for cooking and hosting – was savaged by critics and only just managed to scrape into the top 10 shows streamed on the platform when it released.

And in 2023, Spotify parted ways with the couple, ending a £15m deal. An executive at the company even branded the pair “grifters” after the collaboration fell flat.

Meghan has since launched her own podcasts, as well as her sell-out lifestyle brand As Ever which offers flower sprinkles, wine and jam amongst other items.

The couple’s commercial endeavours have sparked anger from some royal watchers who believe they are still profiting from their fractured royal ties.

And after striking up deals with streaming and audio giants, all while still focusing on their charity work and solo ventures, other onlookers have simply felt underwhelmed by their endeavours.

Recently, royal commentator Esther Krakue savagely branded Harry and Meghan “boring and unprofitable”, claiming that Meghan has “nothing to lose” if her lifestyle brand As Ever were to fail.

Despite the brutal claims, royal expert Jennie Bond believes that the couple’s deals with streaming services Netflix and Spotify delivered what was promised, and were more popular than some give credit for.

Harry and Meghan have so far produced five projects for Netflix, including their docuseries, Harry & Meghan, Live to Lead, Heart of Invictus, Polo and With Love, Meghan. Netflix is also a partner of As Ever.

Jennie, a former royal correspondent with the BBC, told the Mirror that despite the public backlash over their projects, the Sussexes have delivered on their agreement with the streaming services to give fans a look into their lives.

She said: “It’s quite obvious that Netflix got involved with them because they wanted the inside story of their royal life. And they got it. It’s true that they haven’t managed to produce much content since then, or at least content that has proved particularly popular.

“But Meghan‘s lifestyle show is perfectly pleasant and has some quite useful tips. For example she was much mocked for saying that she wanted to “elevate“ ordinary things. But she’s quite right: if you watch any cookery programmes, all the professionals agree that it really is vital that dishes are beautifully presented.”

Jennie notes that while Meghan is a natural in front of the camera, Prince Harry may have found the task much more difficult. She said: “Harry was probably always going to be out of his depth as a would-be TV producer or presenter.

“He has dabbled, and the results have been mediocre, so I think he now realises he is better placed using his platform to pursue his charitable and campaigning work.”

When asked if she thought Meghan had anything to lose if her business fails, Jennie said: “Well, she has her pride certainly, and I believe her when she says she has poured her heart and soul into her business curating a range of products for her website. So far, it has been quite successful – there is clearly a high demand as everything sells out almost instantly.

“She has certainly built up a very impressive following on social media in a very short time – and that is where the future lies for so many business ventures. She seems to be buzzing with new ideas and I wish her success. I hope they’re happy.”