In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the UK to settle in a Montecito mansion. It was a new beginning for the couple as they left their royal obligations behind. In the absence of lavish ceremonies and official visits, the parents of Archie and Lilibet began piling up other sorts of projects: The Duke of Sussex set about writing his memoir, Spare, while the duchess created her own line of food and entertaining products called As Ever. They also struck a reportedly $100 million deal with Netflix to create content, which has resulted in five series so far: the documentaries Heart of Invictus, Live to Lead, Polo, and Harry & Meghan, plus the duchess’s lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, which was released in March 2025 and renewed for a second season.
That agreement expires this fall, raising several questions about the couple’s audiovisual future. Early this month, Page Six revealed that Netflix is now primarily interested in “first look ” deals, as opposed to overall exclusive contracts—meaning that if Harry and Meghan do sign another contract with the company, it could be for a lot less money. British tabloid The Sun paints a more dire picture, alleging that the duke and duchess’s multimillion-dollar deal may not be renewed at all. (Vanity Fair has reached out to Netflix for comment.)
These revelations came shortly after Netflix published viewing figures covering the first half of 2025. According to the release, With Love, Meghan ranks 389th among the streamer’s most watched content, having earned 5.3 million views between January and June. The documentary Polo, released in December 2024, was watched by just 500,000 viewers this year, occupying 3,442nd place. Viewers showed a lot more interest in the old show Suits, in which Meghan starred as paralegal Rachel Zane from 2011 to 2017. Its first four seasons occupy places between 157th and 384th in the rankings.
But Harry & Meghan, released in 2022, remains the most watched documentary series on the platform to this day. “Netflix were clever in that they got a hell of a lot of viewers for the first documentary series, and knew, realistically, it would prove the zenith of content from the Montecito pair,” a source told The Sun. “They’re not unhappy with how things turned out—they got those initial hits, and produced one of the most talked-about shows of all time. The content got weaker from there on but, frankly, for £20 million a year, anything was better than nothing. There’s no animosity from either side.”
There may be financial risk associated with the potential loss of the couple’s Netflix deal. Earlier this month, tabloids claimed that the couple had downsized their team to save money. (Vanity Fair has reached out to representatives for Harry and Meghan for comment.) Since moving to the United States, Prince William’s brother and Kate Middleton’s sister-in-law have been financially independent from the royal family, and the expenses have come thick and fast—including the purchase of their home in Montecito for a reported $14.65 million. But that’s not all. “They also foot the bill for their staff in communications alongside their personal office, the Archewell Foundation, production, as well as employees at their estate in Montecito, CA,” Page Six wrote on July 5.
Although Netflix may be parting ways with Harry and Meghan, it will not stop collaborating with the royal family. The streaming giant is teaming up with King Charles III and actor Idris Elba for a documentary, scheduled for fall 2026, that will explore the inner workings of the royal charity The King’s Trust on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The organization was founded by the king, formerly the Prince of Wales, in 1990, with the aim of supporting young people in precarious situations. Elba himself benefited from its assistance when he was younger, having received a check for £1,500 that enabled him to take drama lessons at the age of 16.
Original story in VF France.
