A leaked document listing Meghan and Harry’s requests as guest speakers has been brutally slapped down by royal commentator Angela Levin. The expert wrote on Twitter: “Harry and Meghan insist on having control over who introduces them.
“What are they worried about?”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a contract with the Henry Walker Agency for speaking engagements in June.
The terms event organisers must abide by if they want to secure the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as speakers at an online event have been first published by the Daily Telegraph earlier this week.
The list of conditions fits four pages and includes allowing Meghan and Harry to ultimately agree on who will introduce them and moderate their discussions.
Other requests include listing details of sponsors in advance, providing the full audience list and specifying the speakers’ attire.
While Ms Levin criticised the list of demands issued by the Sussexes through their agency, other royal watchers believed their requirements were “standard”.
One Twitter user: “I worked for many years with an International Trade Organisation.
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“We hosted countless events with high profile speakers.
“These contracts are standard fare. This one isn’t even that invasive.”
Another named Toria said: “I understand them wanting to know about sponsors, especially with companies with shady links etc”.
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And a third Twitter user added: “This seems like honouring that commitment to not get involved with shady stuff.
“If they lectured to a despot, that would be a problem.”
Don Walker, President, The Harry Walker Agency, said the leaked document was private and confidential but didn’t include any demands out of the ordinary.
He told the Telegraph: “There is nothing ground breaking, exciting, or newsworthy about a customary speaking engagement questionnaire used to gather basic information for our speakers.”
Mr Walker added Meghan and Harry have a “standard working outline”, very similar to the one of other speakers represented by his agency.
He continued: “Every speaker wants to know the who, what, when, and where etc. of every event we propose.
“That is all this questionnaire asks.”
Meghan and Prince Harry’s agency also represents key US personalities such as Oprah Winfrey, Barack and Michelle Obama as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Signing with an agency to take part in events as paid speakers marked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first public step towards becoming financial independent from the Sovereign Grant and Prince Charles’s help.
Last week, Meghan and Harry announced they had struck a multi-million deal with Netflix.
Speaking about their new contract, co-CEO Reed Hastings said: “I think it’ll be some of the most exciting, most viewed content next year.”
Speaking about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s approach to their new career move, Mr Hastings also told CNBC’s Squawk Box: “It’s gonna be epic entertainment — so excited about that deal.
“They’re smart — they were shopping it around across all of the major companies, and I think we really put together the best complete package, and we’re going to do a wide range of entertainment with them.”
