Published 13:42 IST, December 28th 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan planning to seek extension for 12-month Royal exit deal: Report
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning to extend their deal with the royal family to continue as non-working members in California, US.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to extend their deal with the royal family to continue as non-working members in California, or the ‘Megxit deal’, The Sun reported on December 27 citing its sources. Following the couple’s deals with Netflix and Spotify, sources of the media outlet have reportedly said that their roles remain on the negotiating table in the family as they seek a more permanent agreement after they exited the royal family in January this year. However, their 12-month ‘royal exit deal’ with the Buckingham Palace is set to expire on March 31, 2021.
As per the report, the couple is expected to negotiate their plans with the senior royals in January 2021 before Prince Harry travels to England on the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The sources of the media outlet also said that the talks are said to be “less confrontational” than the ones that had taken place during the family's Sandringham summit in January 2020. Moreover, both Harry and Meghan are reportedly prioritising to keep tier royal patronages.
It was previously widely also reported that Prince Harry was ‘devasted’ to give up his military titles as the part of the couple’s initial royal exit deal. The roles that he used to hold, have been kept vacant since then. A top aide had reportedly said of the situation that, "Harry regrets losing those titles and keeping them open for as long as possible keeps that olive branch out...Don’t be surprised if they are not filled even after March 31."
Harry and Meghan’s multi-year Spotify deal
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently revealed a multi-year partnership with Swedish audio streaming and media services provider, Spotify to not only produce but also host podcasts that give a platform to elevate diverse perspective and voices. Following the groundbreaking deal with Netflix, Prince Harry and Meghan have unveiled the latest business venture involving ‘Arcchewell Audio’, royal couple’s audio-first production company in an exclusive partnership with Spotify.
The digital service said that through their podcasts, Prince Harry and Meghan aim at producing “programming that uplifts and entertains audiences around the world.” The royal couple in a statement said, “What we love about podcasting is that it reminds us all to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction.” Further, the royal couple said that in the wake of the unprecedented challenges of 2020, it is more important than ever to “hear each other” along with the stories and underlined the importance of interconnectedness.
Updated 14:17 IST, December 28th 2020