Meghan and Prince Harry’s 12-month transition period will end with a review of their so-called Megxit deal by the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William. In March next year, these senior royals will discuss possible changes to the terms agreed at Sandringham in January with Prince Harry, following his and Meghan’s decision to step back as senior royals.
The Megxit deal has, according to several royal commentators, left the door open to the possible return of Meghan and Harry to the royal fold.
In particular, the Queen’s decision not to immediately fill the honorary military roles Prince Harry has been stripped of has been perceived as a silent signal to her grandson he could still change his mind.
However, Meghan and Prince Harry have carried out drastic changes in their lives which suggest they are not wishing to resume their former royal roles.
Some of these changes, including their multi-year deal with Netflix, are likely to be the focus of the royal review, according to a royal expert.
Dr Anna Whitelock, Deputy Head of School of Humanities at Royal Holloway and royal commentator, told Express.co.uk: “I suspect very little will change and there is no sign of Harry and Meghan wanting to return to the royal fold and all the rigmarole and responsibility that comes with that.
“The fact that Prince William has been approached to take over the role of Captain General of the Royal Marines previously held by Harry before he was stripped of his military appointments after stepping back from royal duty, suggests there is no expectation of a formal return to royal business for the Sussexes from either side.
“Instead it is more likely that the review will focus on the small print of what kind of commercial/media ventures the Sussexes might seek to be involved with and what the Palace might seek to prohibit.
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“And so, in short, the review will most likely formalise the split, at least for now, than signal the beginning of a rapprochement.”
Meghan and Prince Harry announced in September they had struck a deal with Netflix, which will see them becoming TV producers for the streaming platform.
The couple didn’t reveal the value of their contract – but some expert at the time estimated it could be worth up to £130million.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said at the time of the announcement they would work on documentaries, docs-series, children programming, feature films and scripted shows, with content that “informs but also gives hope”.
Some royal commentators believe the deal with Netflix, which also produces The Crown, represents a “conflict of interest” for the Sussexes, given the popular TV show delves into the lives of their relatives and dramatises them.
Royal expert Sally Bedell Smith told Vanity Fair: “It is an egregious conflict of interest for Harry and Meghan to have a highly lucrative deal with Netflix, the very same producer of a television series that passes itself off as fact but is a highly fictionalised version of Harry’s own family.
“The Crown portrays some actual events, to be sure, and tries to prove its credibility with little details like the toys in the royal nursery, but nearly all its dialogue, and most of its scenes and plotlines are pure invention—often maliciously so.”
Similarly, royal author Hugo Vickers said he was shocked by the Duke’s association with Netflix.
The streaming platform, he said, “literally bought a member of the Royal Family.”
Meghan and Prince Harry spoke about the 12-month transition period in a lengthy statement released in February on the website SussexRoyal.com.
They said: “While there is precedent for other titled members of the Royal Family to seek employment outside of the institution, for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a 12-month review period has been put in place.”
This transition period started on April 1, from which Meghan and Harry were no longer allowed to use their old brand Sussex Royal or their HRH styles.
Similarly, they are now barred from carrying out any royal engagements.
However, the pair have retained their patronages and are now able to live abroad and pursue financially profitable opportunities.
