We will withhold Crown jokes until further notice. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have landed a significant development deal at Netflix, several months after leaving the British royal family as “senior†members to enjoy a new life in California. The New York Times reports that the couple has founded a production company and signed a multiyear deal with the streaming service, which will pay them a cushy salary to create whatever documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows, and children’s programming they feel like. “Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,†the couple said in a statement. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.†The Times stressed that this Netflix deal will not signal a return to acting for Markle, although the couple “may†appear on camera for certain documentary programming. Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos, who has been courting the couple for quite some time, said he’s “incredibly proud†that they chose Netflix and not, say, those chumps over at Peacock.
Markle, a former Suits and Hallmark star, and Prince Harry have been hinting at a Hollywood takeover for some time. In January, Markle agreed to a voice-over deal with Disney to benefit charity (she voiced elephant farts), and the couple is now living in a palatial mansion in Santa Barbara with their son, Archie. Stripped of using “royal†as branding, they’ve also founded a nonprofit organization called Archewell, which aims to “do something of meaning†and “do something that matters.†We can think of nothing more meaningful than developing The Real Housewives of Gloucestershire.