Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Relationship With Netflix Could Be Hurt Over 'The Crown' Depiction of Diana's Death, Royal Expert Says
They've gotten themselves into quite the bind.
Netflix made a decision that could either turn out to be a stroke of genius or a massive oversight: They chose to simultaneously produce a controversial dramatization of recent royal history (The Crown) and an "at home with the Sussexes" docuseries.
They've already reportedly postponed the latter so as to appease defenders of the Royal Family (namely former British Prime Minister Sir John Major), but one royal expert anticipates another roadblock: how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might react to how Princess Diana's death is depicted on The Crown season 6.
"If the death of Diana is considered vulgar in The Crown, it most certainly could hurt Netflix's relationship with Harry and Meghan," commentator Kinsey Schofield told Express.
"However, they've cashed an incredibly large check from Netflix. Some might say they've already sold their souls. What can they do?
"The Sussexes have to fulfil their contractual obligations before they can move on."
Still, as it stands, Netflix has confirmed that the instant of Diana's death, "the exact moment of the crash impact will not be shown," so it's possible that it won't cause unnecessary controversy.
If it did, though, and the streaming giant had to choose between the two programs, their choice would be obvious, Schofield claims.
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"I believe Netflix will always choose The Crown over Harry and Meghan," she said.
"It's a highly celebrated scripted series that put Netflix on the map for original content. This product was an award winning game changer for the streaming giant.
"Harry and Meghan have yet to prove themselves in Hollywood."
Though the duchess' Archetypes podcast has proved a resounding success since the first episode was released in August, audiences (and producers, no doubt) are waiting to see what the royal couple's collaboration with Netflix looks like in the end. I personally cannot wait.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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