Meghan Markle fears for her children’s safety in dramatic ‘U-turn’ before UK visit
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are leading an extraordinary life in California, quite distinct from their previous roles within the royal family. While the couple has secured multi-million dollar deals, not all have met with success.
Meanwhile, tensions persist in their relationship with the royal family. Ironically, the recent cancer diagnoses of King Charles and Kate Middleton have somewhat opened the door for potential reconciliation with the monarchy. A positive initial gesture toward healing could involve visiting them.
Prince Harry paid a brief visit to his father following the public announcement of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis. Notably, Meghan did not accompany him, and it’s been quite a while since she last set foot on UK soil. Speculation suggests that a visit might occur next month. However, there are concerns that she might cancel due to worries about her children’s safety.
Harry and Meghan have been under the spotlight for an extended period.
Their departure from the royal family and subsequent participation in several prominent interviews have garnered significant attention. Additionally, their ongoing feud with the establishment they departed from has kept them in the public eye.
The now-famous Oprah Winfrey interview is widely seen as the starting point of their “conflict” with the monarchy. During the conversation, the couple disclosed shocking details about their experiences while residing in the UK.
Their transition to new lives didn’t halt the influx of money.
In September 2020, they inked a five-year, $100 million deal with Netflix. Additionally, they secured a four-book deal with their publisher, reportedly fetching an astounding $20 million advance and global royalties, potentially exceeding $120 million. Furthermore, Meghan and Harry secured an extra $20 million for their Spotify partnership. According to an industry expert cited by Newsweek, the deal could have been valued at $35 million.
Their Netflix series proved immensely successful, and Harry’s book, Spare, flew off shelves, selling millions of copies within days. Meghan’s own Spotify podcast showed great promise in its early stages.
However, in June of last year, the couple faced a significant setback, both professionally and financially. Archewell Audio, their media group, and streaming giant Spotify announced the termination of their multi-million dollar contract.
The $20 million deal resulted in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex producing just one series—Meghan’s podcast Archetypes—following their initial agreement in 2020.
Meghan’s podcast soared to the top of the charts for weeks, featuring insightful discussions with numerous influential women. Guests ranged from luminaries like Mindy Kaling, Mariah Carey, Trevor Noah, Serena Williams, to Paris Hilton. Despite its success, both parties opted not to proceed further.
The official statement read, “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series that we made together.”
An unnamed source cited by Variety at the time reported that Spotify had anticipated more content from Archewell Studios than what was delivered.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a source close to Spotify explained that Harry and Meghan failed to meet the productivity benchmark required to receive the full amount agreed upon initially.
Meghan ultimately released only 12 episodes of her podcast.
Bill Simmons, Spotify’s head of podcast innovation and monetization, expressed dissatisfaction with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s contribution under their contract.
Simmons, who founded the Ringer podcast network and sold it to Spotify for around $200 million in 2020, was given a leadership role at the streaming company as part of the deal, according to The Guardian.
Following the cancellation of the deal between Spotify and the Sussexes, Bill Simmons referred to them as “grifters” on his podcast.
“I wish I had been involved in the negotiation when Meghan and Harry left Spotify. The Fucking Grifters, that’s the podcast we should have launched with them,” Simmons remarked on the Bill Simmons podcast.
“I have to get drunk one night and spill the beans about the Zoom call I had with Harry, trying to brainstorm podcast ideas. It’s one of my juiciest stories… Screw them. The grifters.”
“They’ve accomplished remarkably little.” Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams characterized the end of their Spotify deal as a “shocking failure.”
“The initial plan was to produce multiple series. With only one completed, it’s undeniable that the contract could be viewed as a failure. Clearly, this partnership hasn’t been as mutually beneficial,” he remarked.
“Losing Spotify is a significant setback. The extent of its impact remains to be seen,” Fitzwilliams continued. “The termination of the Spotify deal brings into question the success of their other agreements — Netflix and Random House. They’ve achieved remarkably little for Netflix.”
Despite Harry and Meghan’s repeated complaints about their treatment in the UK, their aspiration for greater privacy and a quieter life has been a recurring theme since their relocation to the US.
However, some argue that the Sussexes are actively seeking to maintain their relevance by engaging in interviews, releasing a book, developing their Netflix show, and launching podcasts. It’s clear that their actions don’t align with a complete retreat from the public eye as some might have anticipated.
The apparent desire of Harry and Meghan for continued exposure has not gone unnoticed, and they have even become the subject of ridicule on one of the most successful comedy shows in history.
About a year ago, South Park poked fun at the couple.
In the episode, during a scene depicting Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, two characters resembling Harry and Meghan walk past a candle resembling the one supposedly blocking Meghan from cameras. Allegations suggested the royals orchestrated this, and the South Park scene nodded to the Duchess.
Additionally, Harry promotes a fictional book titled WAAAAGH, a clear parody of his memoir, Spare.
In the episode, Harry and Meghan’s animated counterparts meet with what could be termed a “brand manager.” Meghan is labeled a “sorority girl, actress, influencer, and victim,” while Harry is dubbed a “royal prince, millionaire, world traveler, victim.”
After starting their new life in North America, Harry and Meghan famously sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey, shaking the monarchy to its core.
South Park created their own version of a Harry and Meghan interview, with the animated characters appearing on a fictional morning show, Good Morning Canada. As they enter the studio, Meghan holds a sign reading, “Do not look at us,” while Harry remarks, “We do not want privacy.”
When asked if he “hates journalists,” Harry responds, “That’s right, we just want to be normal people – all this attention is so hard.”
The scene concludes with Harry and Meghan storming off the stage.
In the South Park episode, the portrayal extends to how they left the UK. However, in the show, Harry and Meghan relocate to the town of South Park.
“If we moved here, people would think we’re really serious about wanting to be normal,” Meghan’s character remarks.
However, the other characters in the hit show are less than thrilled about their arrival. One lead character, Kyle, accuses Meghan’s character of “bossing” him around.
“I’m sick of hearing about them! I can’t get away from them!” Kyle exclaims.
Kyle also complains, “They have this huge jet parked in front of my house and they keep on wanting me to buy their book.”
According to The Spectator, Meghan was reportedly displeased with the portrayal.
An insider claimed she was “annoyed by South Park but refuses to watch it.” Additionally, the Duchess was said to have been “upset for days” and “underwhelmed.”
At the time, royal expert Neil Sean suggested that the Sussexes might consider legal action against the adult comedy series. However, as of now, no such action has been taken.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson representing Harry and Meghan dismissed reports of their displeasure with the portrayal as unfounded.
“It’s all frankly nonsense. Totally baseless, boring reports,” the spokesperson told The Guardian.
Harry and Meghan have visited the UK sparingly since their departure from the royal family. While the couple attended Queen Elizabeth’s funeral together, when King Charles received his cancer diagnosis and Harry traveled to the UK to meet with his father, Meghan remained in the US.
The ongoing feud between the Sussexes and The Firm shows no signs of reconciliation. However, Harry and Meghan reportedly reached out to Kate Middleton after her surgery and when she announced her cancer diagnosis—news they allegedly learned from media reports rather than directly from family members.
Meghan declined an invitation from Prince William and Kate to visit the UK, citing concerns for her children’s safety. Despite the apparent frosty relationship, a royal expert suggests that Prince William and Kate are open to reconciling with Harry and Meghan.
However, Meghan’s reluctance to bring her children to the UK suggests otherwise, indicating a reunion with the royal family remains distant.
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