Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently announced they are extending their lucrative deal with Netflix, and a former royal servant has shared what the royals are worried aboutMatthew Davies Community Content Curator, Bethany Gavaghan Under 35s writer and Matt Davies
07:30, 14 Aug 2025
Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain’s Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visit Delia Zapata Art Center in Bogota(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
A former Royal butler has offered his perspective on what he believes is the Royal Family’s “biggest concern” regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix deal. This follows after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they would be extending their profitable agreement with the streaming platform, in what was characterised as a “multi-year, first look deal”.
Under this fresh partnership, Netflix can greenlight or reject any projects before anyone else, an arrangement the New York Times termed a “first-look deal” with the couple, who now possess “more options” but “less investment”.
It’s reasonable to assume that the royals might feel anxious about the prospect with a series of Harry and Meghan-led television and film projects on the cards.
But Grant Harrold, who served as a butler for King Charles, believes there may be fewer concerns this time around. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
He proposes that Harry and Meghan will probably be “more careful” not to trigger any “further upset”, although there’s one thing they really don’t want to witness again, reports the Mirror.
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.”
Britain’s Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attend a children’s event at the 2023 Invictus Games in Duesseldorf(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Under the initial agreement five years ago, the Sussexes, who departed from their Royal responsibilities for a fresh start in California in 2020, secured a staggering contract reportedly valued at more than 100 million dollars (£74 million).
Revealing the latest agreement on Monday, Meghan declared: “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.”
This announcement precedes the highly anticipated launch of season two of With Love, Meghan, which is scheduled to broadcast this month. In the newest series of her lifestyle show, the Duchess is poised to appear on our screens with a “fun and heartwarming” season.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed a new ‘multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects’ with Netflix(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The programme pledges “celebrity chefs, talented artists, and beloved friends” as they embark on various “hands-on adventures” that will allegedly be filled with “laughter and discovery”.
Under the original contract, Harry and Meghan created several programmes covering diverse content from scripted series to lifestyle shows, with productions also featuring Polo, Heart of Invictus, Harry and Meghan and Live to Lead.
Harry and Meghan’s documentary was a resounding success, racking up 23.4 million views when it aired in December 2022.
It proved so popular that it became the most viewed documentary over its initial four-day period.