NEWSA Vetoed Plan: What Did The Sussexes Have In Mind Before Their Multimillion Deal?
Sept. 14 2020, Updated 10:17 a.m. ET
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle recently announced their multimillion dollar production deal with Netflix which will see them producing documentaries, docuseries, scripted shows, children's animation, and feature films with the streaming giant.
The deal has allowed the Sussexes to achieve financial independence after their royal exit earlier this year. However, it has been revealed that a production company wasn't the first career choice for the two.
Royal expert Roberta Fiorito discussed the deal on the Royally Obsessed podcast, speaking about what Harry and Meghan had originally planned to do after their royal exit.
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"It must have felt kind of nice to put in writing and release that information that they haven't been receiving any money," Fiorito said, according to Express. "It confirms that they are doing this on their own and they planned for that and are going to be alright."
"I didn't expect it to be so so quickly. Six months later, they're already wiping their hands of the Royal Family's coffers," Bowie added. "What struck me as most surprising is how quickly they were able to follow through their plans. They essentially said, 'we laid out these plans, and it's not going to be a year, we're done'. They mean business."
Fiorito went on to reveal that the plan B for the Sussexes was launching their SussexRoyal brand, and failing to do so led them to venture out, seeking a new career in production. SussexRoyal was to be a nonprofit and merchandise brand headed by Sussexes.
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"They also had to pivot from their full plan. They were going to do SussexRoyal, but the Queen put a stop to that," Fiorito explained. "They really had a different idea in their heads in January of how this would all go. So I'm curious how long the Netflix deal has been in discussions, but I feel like they have made things happen."
According to a report published in The Sun, the two didn't inform the Queen about their Netflix deal before it was finalized, and this meant that the royal family had little chance to weigh in on the move.
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"Harry did not inform the Queen about the Netflix deal," a royal source said according to the report.
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"Her Majesty is all too aware of the pitfalls of when senior royals embark on lucrative projects—Prince Edwards’ production flop and some of the deals Sarah Ferguson has signed over the years to name a few.
"Her view is simple, the Royals are not for sale and danger surrounds high profile roles outside of the institution itself. But knowing her grandson Harry as she does, the Queen will know there would have been little chance of talking Harry and Meghan out of it."
