PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning their own Oprah-style media empire after registering a series of new entertainment businesses.
A leading royal commentator says the couple “want to earn loads more money” after they filed 11 companies in tax haven Delaware – seven of which are linked to showbiz ventures.
It provides an intriguing blueprint for the couple’s plans as they forge a life outside of the Royal Family.
They signed multi-million pound deals to produce content for Netflix and Spotify back in 2020 – although mystery surrounds their obligations for one of the contracts.
Spotify had promised a full-scale launch from the couple in 2021 after they landed a reported £18million deal.
However, since then, Meghan and Harry have produced just one 35-minute podcast episode.
Now Angela Levin, who spent a year working with Harry for an authorised biography, says she believes the couple may be planning a talk show.
“This all seems to be a big turnaround from their philanthropic and non-profit work to just pure entertainment,” she told Sun Online.
“It suggests they want to earn loads more money.”
It comes as:
- The Queen arrives at Sandringham for her first extended stay since Prince Philip’s death
- The Home Office is reportedly refusing to back down over Prince Harry’s legal bid for police protection
- But there’s more hopeful news for Harry as he enjoys talks with her father ahead of the Jubilee
- Meanwhile, Prince Andrew may lose his 24-hour security detail after being effectively banished from royal life, it’s claimed
- And Prince William has told an 11-year-old boy who lost his mum: “It gets easier”
Highlighting Harry’s appearance on James Corden’s show last February, and Meghan’s on Ellen’s back in November, Ms Levin said there are “rumours” the pair will hit Hollywood.
“Meghan feels that she wants to be a star in every way she can, and perhaps philanthropic work isn’t giving them enough of that celebrity,” she said.
“Harry was reportedly going to take over from James Corden on The Late Late Show as a presenter when his book comes out.
“It’s been claimed he plans to do this for a couple of weeks to promote this memoir of his, which will no doubt feature some attacks the Royal Family.
“Nonetheless, he still wants to do something comic. That’s what’s been rumoured.
“It’s said – and that could well be tongue in cheek – that he wants to take over the job from James Corden. They are good pals.
“And Meghan very much liked being interviewed by Ellen and apparently said afterwards she’d love to have her own programme, just like that.”
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
Ms Levin says it appears the couple “just keep changing their direction”.
“I’m surprised they’re not dizzy. Every week they want to do something different,” she said.
“Last week it was politics, this week it’s entertainment, the week before last it was making documentaries, before that it was a book. It’s just chop-change.”
She warned any move into entertainment may prove challenging for the royals.
“It might well be difficult for the Royal Family,” she said.
“I think the royals have given up on them.
“They do want them to come back for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, but I don’t think Meghan or the children will.
“Harry is very unlikely to get the police protection he wants.
“He might come back alone, but I don’t think he will really. I think there’s a good chance he’ll miss it.”
News the Sussexes had set up 11 companies emerged last week – but the Telegraph reports that two more businesses were registered on the same date by the lawyer who has represented Meghan since she was acting.
They appear to have names which are meaningful to the couple, with one – Cloverdale Inc – bearing the same name as the street that the Duchess lived on with her mother in Los Angeles when she was young.
Both Cloverdale and a second company, Riversoul Productions Inc, are set up explicitly in the “entertainment” industry, and join companies Hampshire LLC, Bridgemont LLC and IPHW LLC.
The couple are already using name Archewell Productions for their Netflix and Spotify deals.
They’ve also set up two publishing companies, one of which, Peca, has the rights to Meghan’s book The Bench. The second, Orinoco Publishing, reportedly houses Harry’s forthcoming memoir.
Meanwhile, Meghan is already creating an animated children’s series for Netflix about a 12-year-old girl called Pearl who “embarks on a heroic adventure and meets important women from history along the way”.
But earlier this month, royal expert Russell Myers said the couple have had a “stop-start couple of years” – adding: “Hopefully Spotify and Netflix will be getting their money’s worth.
“They haven’t seen too much bang for their buck at the moment. Let’s wait and see what happens.”
