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“The mood in the building is ‘We’re done,’”: that was the damning claim made by a Netflix insider about the streamer’s dealings with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last week.
And now it seems there could be a curveball on the way – in the form of a secret deal between the media giant and Harry’s own, estranged, brother William.
The relationship between Netflix and the Sussexes came under scrutiny on March 17, after Variety – an outlet that has historically published favourable stories about the royal duo – claimed it had spoken to six “well placed individuals” who said Harry and Meghan’s union with the streamer had been “far from a fairytale”.
“Their bedside manner has ruffled feathers in meetings, and lacklustre ratings for shows like With Love, Meghan have led to doubts that e-commerce is the best way for Netflix to stay in business with the couple,” Variety’s reporter wrote. “That’s to say nothing of Archewell’s history of what sources call ‘poor communication’ in their dealings with the company.”
As an example, sources claimed to Variety that Netflix didn’t expect Harry and Meghan to give their March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey – a claim that a Sussex spokesperson said was “categorically false”.
Now, in a twist of royal proportions, it has been claimed that Netflix has opened “quiet lines of communication” with teams connected with Prince William and his wife, Kate, the Princess of Wales, as the streaming giant hopes to “erase the chaos and replace it with credibility”.
“Backchannel conversations are already happening – this is a live play, not a fantasy,” a source told British columnist Rob Shuter, as reported in his Naughty But Nice substack.
However, insiders insist nothing has been signed and the streamer is moving with caution because “they will not get burned again”.
“This isn’t about building something new – it’s about plugging into a royal brand that already works and is beloved,” the source told Naughty But Nice.
“It’s early, it’s delicate, but it’s real – and if it lands, it resets everything.”
Certainly, William – who is present of BAFTA – has previous experience in front of the camera – most recently he talked candidly about family life, mental health and the monarchy as part of The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy.
He also fronted an ITV documentary series in 2024 – Prince WIlliam: We Can End Homelessness – in which he embarked on a mission to tackle homelessness in six British cities.
In an interview with reporters after a week-long tour of South Africa in 2024, the future King also talked candidly about how he is trying to do things “differently”.
“I can only describe what I’m trying to do, and that’s trying to do it differently and I’m trying to do it for my generation,” William shared.
“And to give you more of an understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that’s maybe a better way of saying it.”
Elaborating on what that meant, the prince added: “So it’s more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people.
“And I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people’s lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world.”
