Prince Harry told to ‘pull his finger out’ over Invictus snub
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s supposed $130 million Netflix deal could make them Hollywood stars but it has come at a huge cost.
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Oscar Wilde famously once said that “there is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about” but then he never knew Harry and Meghan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, especially circa 2020.
In a handful of days, the couple has gone from triumph to facing a spate of PR controversies that all essentially come down to one, simple, uncomfortable thing: Cold, hard cash.
After nearly six months in the United States and regular rumours claiming they were in talks with a number of big hitters, the announcement should have been a huge win for the couple, validation that they could make it outside the cosseted confines of royal life and proof of their Stateside commercial clout.
Tig Cup cocktails for everybody! (Nothing says celebration like a drink that involves both radishes and hard liquor!)
The new multimillion-dollar Netflix deal is a big reason to celebrate for the Sussexes who are eager to crack Hollywood.
In the days since then, however, Harry and Meghan have faced a steady stream of negative stories which have taken the shine off their Hollywood slam dunk.
Without a doubt Harry’s greatest professional achievement in his royal life has been the foundation of the Invictus Games in 2014.
The story goes that the devastated Prince was on a plane, being flown out of Afghanistan after an Australian magazine had outed his presence on the frontline, and on board were two severely injured British servicemen.
“Harry told me that being on that medical evacuation flight with really badly injured British soldiers was the moment he realised he had to do something and that he could do something,” a friend later recounted.
That ‘something’ was the Invictus Games and in the years since then, the biennial event has grown exponentially, firmly establishing Harry’s global reputation as a deeply compassionate committed humanitarian.
The Invictus Games was Harry’s charitable brainchild and a huge success. Prince Harry and Jon Bon Jovi pose with Invictus Games representatives on London’s Abbey Road crossing on February 28, 2020.
Now, for the first time ever, dark clouds have been cast over the royal’s involvement with the charity, with news breaking over the weekend that a celebrity-stuffed Invictus Games fundraiser slated to be held in LA next year and set to be broadcast on Amazon Prime, had “been cancelled abruptly after their Netflix deal”.
According to the Sunday Times: “Officials at the foundation, of which Harry is patron, were “stunned” after a lawyer for the Sussexes contacted them shortly before the Netflix deal was announced last week, pulling the plug on the project, citing a “conflict” over a planned deal with a rival streaming service.
A source involved in the year-long planning told the paper: “It’s very bad form and everyone at Invictus is gutted. Harry said yes to doing this last year and everything was still moving forwards until a few weeks ago.
“This was going to be a big moment for Invictus where the pot is pretty empty, and it has left them in the lurch. Harry needs to pull his finger out to find another way to raise funds for them.”
Getty
Jul, 2016
US actress Meghan Markle meets Prince Harry through mutual friends in London.
Supplied
Nov 8, 2016
After much media speculation, Kensington Palace confirms Prince Harry is dating Meghan in a statement criticising both mainstream coverage of his girlfriend and the “outright sexism and racism of social media trolls”.
Getty
May 20, 2017
Prince Harry takes Meghan as his 'plus one' to Pippa Middleton’s wedding reception. Meghan reportedly met her future sister-in-law Kate – who was kept busy at the wedding wrangling the young bridal party – for the first time in January that year.
Getty
Sep 3, 2017
Meghan meets Harry’s grandmother, the Queen, for the first time, according to media reports. While that meeting is low-key, there are plenty of photo opportunities when she joins Harry at the Invictus Games later that month.
Supplied / Getty
Oct, 2017
Meghan opens up about her relationship with Harry in the October edition of Vanity Fair, asking people to understand “this is our time”. “We’re in love.”
AFP
Nov 27, 2017
The royal engagement is announced, with a statement from Clarence House saying Harry popped the question in London earlier that month.
Getty
Dec 25, 2017
Meghan attends the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham and is pictured as part of the Royal “fab four” – William, Harry, Kate and Meghan.
Getty
Feb 28, 2018
Meghan joins Kate and the royal brothers for the inaugural Royal Foundation forum. Harry says: “Working as family does have its challenges … But we are stuck together for the rest of our lives.”
AFP
May 19, 2018
Harry and Meghan say ‘I do’ in a ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. After a series of controversies, the bride’s father stays away and Prince Charles walks her down the aisle.
Getty
Jun 15, 2018
Meghan joins the Queen for events and a walkabout in Cheshire, northwest England, after they travelled together on the royal train. The trip is seen as an acknowledgement of Meghan's place in The Firm and a sign of the Royals' trust in her to successfully carry out her public duties.
Hollie Adams
Oct 15, 2018
Meghan holds large folders in front of her stomach – sparking baby speculation – as she and Harry arrive in Sydney for a 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
AAP
Oct 16, 2018
The couple – pictured on Fraser Island – publicly announce they are expecting their first child, having reportedly told the Royal family at Princess Eugenie’s wedding just days earlier.
Supplied
Feb 10, 2019
Britain’s Mail on Sunday publishes a letter sent by Meghan the previous August to her father Thomas detailing the deep rift between the pair and condemning his involvement with the media.
Getty
Apr, 2019
The parents-to-be leave Kensington Palace – and William and Kate behind – to live at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, an outward sign of the widely-rumoured serious rift between the couples, which earlier saw their Household Offices split.
AFP
May 6, 2019
Baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor is welcomed into the world, seventh in line to the throne, but there's a sense of the public being cheated by a lack of information and the couple's refusal to pose for the traditional family photo outside hospital.
AFP
Jun, 2019
There's a show of family togetherness as Harry and Meghan take part in Trooping the Colour, but the pageantry can't hide the fractures beneath the surface as they cut ties with the Royal Foundation charity. They launch Sussex Royal instead of teaming with William and Kate.
Getty
Jul 6, 2019
Archie is christened, but the happy event manages to generate controversy because of his parents’ perceived excessive secrecy, including not naming the godparents. Fans get their next glimpse of Archie at a polo match a few days later.
Getty
Jul 14, 2019
Elton John chats to the royal couple at a premiere in London. In August, the singer jumped to their defence as they were slammed again – this time over their use of private jets while urging others to take action on the environment and climate change.
Getty
Sep 24, 2019
Harry and Meghan begin a 10-day African tour which sees a public appearance from baby Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Supplied
Oct 1, 2019
The successes of the tour are overshadowed as Harry issues a statement saying Meghan has been vilified by the press and that they are suing the Mail on Sunday over the publication of the letter to her father. "My deepest fear is history repeating itself," he writes, referencing his mother's death.
Getty
Oct 20, 2019
In a documentary filmed on the African tour, Meghan says it has “been a struggle” adjusting to marriage and motherhood under constant scrutiny.
Twitter / AFP
Dec 25, 2019
It’s a very different Christmas from the previous two years, as Harry and Meghan snub the Queen’s traditional family gathering to holiday in Canada with their son, part of a six-week break from Royal duties.
AFP
Jan 8, 2020
Back in the UK, the couple release a bombshell statement saying they will step back as senior members of the Royal Family, work to become financially independent and split their time between the UK and US. Meghan and Archie return to Canada.
Getty
Jan 13, 2020
The media camps out at Sandringham, awaiting Harry's arrival for a family summit on his future. After the talks, the Queen offered her support and spoke of a period of transition for the Sussexes, while noting there were “complex matters for my family to resolve”.
Instagram
Jan 18, 2020
The new order is established: Harry and Meghan lose their HRH titles, step back from royal duties, forgo their share of sovereign grant funds, and will pay back taxpayers for work on their Windsor home.
Getty
Feb 7, 2020
Details emerge of Harry’s speech to an investment summit in Florida. A source says the prince told of the therapy he had undergone to overcome the trauma of his mother Diana's death and explained “Megxit” was necessary to protect his own wife and child.
AFP
Feb 19, 2020
It’s reported the Queen and senior officials have ruled Harry and Meghan must no longer use Sussex Royal in their branding as it is not appropriate for them to use the word royal.
AFP
Mar 9, 2020
The couple attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey – their last public appearance as working royals – having returned to the UK without Archie. Within hours, Meghan heads back to Canada, with Harry following days later.
AFP
Mar 26, 2020
Details of the couple's move from Vancouver Island to Los Angeles are revealed, but it seems many of their ambitious plans to relaunch themselves will be put on hold because of coronavirus.
AFP
Apr 20, 2020
In another blast at the media, Harry and Meghan send a letter to several British editors saying there will now be “zero engagement” with their papers – a move seen by some as self-absorbed and tone deaf amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Instagram
May 1, 2020
Meghan loses the first round in her legal fight with the Mail on Sunday, with a judge ruling part of her case should be struck out. There's more positive news a few days later when she and Harry release video of Meghan reading to Archie to mark his first birthday and support Save the Children.
Supplied
Jun, 2020
Two new books, in particular Royals at War, ensure the couple make headlines again, reopening old wounds and suggesting Harry is “secretly tortured” over leaving the Royal Family.
Queen's Commonwealth Trust
Jul 2, 2020
Leaked documents from the Mail on Sunday case reveal Meghan felt "unprotected" by the Royal family from "false and damaging" articles when she was pregnant. Days later, on a video call tackling racism, Harry says the Commonwealth must address its past, seen by some as a fresh swipe at the Royals.
AFP / Supplied
Jul 25, 2020
New details of the resentment that built up between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the Royal family emerge as extracts from new book Finding Freedom are published. It's said one senior royal called Meghan "Harry's showgirl", and details the slights and snubs the couple felt they faced.
Getty
Sep 3, 2020
The couple announce a deal with Netflix, estimated to be worth $A340 million, under which they will produce a range of shows. "Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope," they say. "As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us."
Supplied
Sep 8, 2020
Flush with cash, the couple pay off their $A5m debt for the renovations of their UK home, putting a line under a saga that had angered British taxpayers. A statement says Frogmore Cottage "will remain the UK residence of The Duke and his family".
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(An Invictus spokesman has said the “given current circumstances with COVID, the event needed to be reconceptualised” and that this was a “decision made prior to a partnership with Netflix”.)
The danger here for Harry is significant. Invictus was his brainchild (though very much modelled on the pre-existing Warrior Games) and his greatest personal triumph. However, the optics of this situation are abysmal for the Prince.
The way this chapter has unfolded timing-wise has created the appearance, rightly or wrongly, that he (and Meghan) are putting the truckloads of moolah on offer from Netflix ahead of charitable endeavours, which could be hugely damaging to his personal brand.
Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney in October 2018.
But wait, there’s more! More bad news for the Sussexes that is.
According to The Sun, the Queen was not consulted about the deal and learned about it via aides. A palace insider has told The Mirror, “It goes without saying any deals they are making will be scrutinised by the royal household. Under the terms of their deal to forgo their royal duties, they agreed any commercial deals would be subject to discussion.”
“Both the royal family and senior courtiers will be aware of how this looks to the public, especially as the couple have not yet paid back the £2.4 million ($A4.3 million) they promised to refund to the taxpayer for Frogmore Cottage, which will be their UK base.”
One, it sounds like, is not amused.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may have upset Gan-Gan with the Netflix deal too.
Next up, and speaking of Frogmore, there have been calls from a group of British MPs for Harry and Meghan to dip into their newly lined, and deep, pockets to “quickly” pay back the millions they have pledged to repay for their Windsor home.
Under the current arrangement, the Sussexes are paying back the money in monthly instalments and at the current rate, according to former MP and current Privy Council member Norman Baker, it will take them 25 years to repay the full sum.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, deputy chair of the British parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, has told The Telegraph that the schedule should be “modified to pay the money back earlier”.
There is no escaping the fact that what all of these potential PR crises have in common is money.
There is a certain depressing inevitably to this current schmozzle, given that the intersection of the Sussexes’ business ambitions and their royal ties was most likely always going to be problematic.
Money is at the root of many of the Sussexes current controversies.
Through no fault of their own, the blunt collision of the commercial world with the rarefied inner sanctum of the royal family is a minefield that no senior or former senior member of the House of Windsor has ever managed to successfully navigate.
Prince Edward’s production company was dissolved with about $70 left in the bank; Sophie Countess of Wessex shuttered her PR firm after a press debacle; and Prince Andrew’s trade envoy role was plagued by controversy not to mention his penchant for expenses paid travel earned him the less than edifying sobriquet ‘Airmiles Andy’.
(Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, in a new book about Prince Philip, writes of Prince Andrew that he “would have done well to heed his father’s warnings of the dangers of being used, especially by what Philip described as ‘seedy billionaires’ looking for a pet royal to elevate their own status.”)
Perhaps there can be no greater cautionary tale about the dangers of royalty and mammon mixing than the sight of Sarah, Duchess of York on TV in the United States peddling an $80 juicer in 2015, with money woes having plagued the beleaguered royal for more than two decades.
For Harry and Meghan, striking a balance between (potentially crass) commercialism and maintaining their altruistic pedigree was always going to be a fraught, highwire act. And no matter how they deal with the current headaches that have arisen over the last few days, this is an issue that is likely to plague their royal careers.
Prince Harry now needs to tread the line between being a royal and making money, something no senior royal has ever navigated successfully.
Even Finding Freedom, the highly sympathetic biography of the Sussexes’ romance and departure from royal life quoted a source familiar with their exit negotiations saying, “The biggest row was over money, because it always is.”
When it comes to dosh, Harry and Meghan face a Catch 22. If they rely on Charles to fund their US lifestyle they will face criticism for suckling on the paternal teat. (Plus it would negate all their talk about achieving financial independence.)
However, if they go out and earn a legitimate crust on their own (say, by signing a $130 million Netflix deal) and it inadvertently raises questions about their motives for quitting.
Previously, as working members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan (like the remaining Windsors back on the job in London) were somehow seen as above money.
Now they are living in the real world – the rarefied environs of Santa Barbara at least – they can’t escape both the necessity of it and the significant PR pitfalls of going out and trying to get some for themselves.
The inherent tension is that they need to protect their image as two change makers wholly driven by altruistic zeal while simultaneously running a commercial empire built on their do-gooder brand.
Now they aren’t officially working royals, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have the task of being commercial while still retaining integrity.
And here’s the thing: Royalty and the commercial world are always going to be deeply uneasy bedfellows.
And for Harry and Meghan, despite their success in nailing the sort of stonking, headline-grabbing Hollywood deal that has been mooted since the minute they announced their intention to get paying jobs, for the rest of their careers they will face the Sisyphean task of achieving some sort of uneasy truth their financial needs and their humanitarian cred.
Oscar Wilde also once adroitly opined, “When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life. Now that I am old, I know that it is.” Maybe he did know people like the Sussexes after all.