Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle have already made some headway in their efforts to step away from their royal duties. Harry is set to produce a mental health series with Oprah Winfrey for Apple TV, while Meghan will do voiceovers for an unnamed Disney project.
As their future evolves, the British royal couple may consider an American first couple as their role models.
“For many, the film and TV deal between Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground banner and Netflix, as well as the former first couple’s $65 million pact with Penguin Random House for books and Spotify for podcasts, is the option to emulate. Indeed, the two couples are already close, with the British media reporting that the Obamas have been advising the royal pair on their future,” wrote Alex Ritman, who covers culture for The Hollywood Reporter.
Some sources have estimated that the former president and first lady landed as much as $110 million in several creative deals since leaving the White House.
Mr. Ritman also said that yet another U.S. couple also may inspire the royal pair. One source hints that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could easily emulate actor George Clooney and his wife Amal, who attended the couple’s royal wedding in 2018.
“The family that they see themselves more closely aligned to, even more so than the Obamas, is the Clooneys. George is Hollywood royalty, Amal is legal and humanitarian royalty. And if you look at where they live, they don’t have a base,” Nick Bullen, a TV documentary producer, told the industry publication.
“The Clooneys have residences around the world, including Los Angeles and London, and this “global citizen” model could be one that best suits the Sussexes, who have stated that they’ll split their time 50/50 between the U.K. and North America,” wrote Mr. Ritman.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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