EXCLUSIVE: Former royal butler Grant Harrold thinks that Harry and Meghan will likely be “more careful” not to cause any “further upset”, but there’s one thing that the Royal Family dread
A former royal butler has weighed in on what he reckons is the Royal Family’s “biggest concern” regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix deal. It comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would be extending their lucrative deal with the streaming giants, in what was described as a “multi-year, first look deal”.
In this new partnership, Netflix can approve or turn down any projects before anybody else, an agreement the New York Times described as a “first-look deal” with the couple, who now have “more options” but “less investment”.
It stands to reason that the royals might be apprehensive about the prospect with a range of Harry and Meghan-helmed TV and film projects on the horizon.
However Grant Harrold, who worked as a butler for King Charles, thinks there may be less to worry about this time.
Indeed, he suggests that Harry and Meghan will likely be “more careful” not to cause any “further upset”, but there’s one thing they really don’t want to see again.
Grant, speaking on behalf of OLBG, said: “I do think they will start being more careful not to cause further upset as they move into their future business ventures.
“If they cause any more damage with these programmes it will impact any on-going attempts to build bridges.
“I think the Royal Family are beyond this now. I don’t think they’ll be surprised or disappointed by it, because they’re used to them doing what they want now. Their biggest concern will be another tell-all documentary on their fallouts with the family.”
In the original arrangement five years ago, the Sussexes, who stepped away from their royal duties for a new life in California in 2020, landed an eye-watering deal reportedly worth more than 100 million dollars (£74 million).
Announcing the latest deal on Monday, Meghan said: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand. My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.”
It comes before the grand premiere of season two of With Love, Meghan, which is due to air this month. In the latest instalment of her lifestyle programme, the Duchess is set to grace our screens with a “fun and heartwarming” season.
It promises “celebrity chefs, talented artists, and beloved friends” as they take on some “hands-on adventures” that will reportedly be packed with “laughter and discovery”.
As part of the first deal, Harry and Meghan produced a number of programmes that spanned everything from scripted series to lifestyle, with the shows also including Polo, Heart of Invictus, Harry and Meghan and Live to Lead.
Harry and Meghan would be a phenomenal success, scooping 23.4 million views when it aired in December 2022. It was so popular that it became the most viewed documentary over its initial four days.
