Worried Royal staffers plan to BLOCK Harry and Meghan's Netflix cameras at jubilee celebrations
Royal staffers are reportedly planning to block Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix cameras at Buckingham Palace when they fly to the UK for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, are expected to fly from California to commemorate the monarch's 70 years on the throne, despite having been banned from the palace balcony for the Trooping the Color ceremony. Nonetheless, the Sussexes will still play a significant role and some royal aides are concerned about the potential tension among family members should a film crew accompany the couple.
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"Even if they accept that their Netflix crew can't go into Buckingham Palace to film, they could cause problems — and at the very least cause a major distraction," a royal source told The Sun. "Senior courtiers believe that Netflix will see it as one big opportunity to exploit their mega-millions agreement with the couple. So a team of Palace aides will be on standby to keep a very close eye on the crew, and act as minders if needs be."
This comes as Netflix bosses are reportedly frustrated by the Sussexes' decision to give a string of bombshell interviews to rival TV networks despite having a multi-million dollar deal with the streaming platform. One industry source told the Daily Mail that there was a "real sense of annoyance" when Harry revealed details of his meeting with the Queen at Windsor Castle during an interview with NBC last month. The frustration was exacerbated after a Netflix film crew was following Harry at the time to film Heart of Invictus, a documentary about his event for wounded service personnel and veterans. "Netflix would have loved the first comments about the visit to the Queen for the documentary," the insider explained. "There was a real sense of annoyance that they were made to another broadcaster."
The Duke raised eyebrows during his interview with NBC's Today show that was broadcast on April 20. "I'm just making sure she's protected and has got the right people around her," he said. This was after Harry and Meghan's highly controversial CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey that took place in March last year, just a month after announcing their deal with Netflix. "Netflix is paying them millions and they're giving all their best interviews to other networks. Do they expect Netflix to be happy about that?" the source said on condition of anonymity.
Last week, the streaming giant announced that it was shelving Pearl, Duchess Meghan's upcoming animated TV series about a 12-year-old girl inspired by female historical figures. Netflix is facing a major cash crunch amid reports that it lost more than 200,000 subscribers in the three months to March and its share price fell from $700 to less than $200 in a year. "Harry and Meghan's slate [of projects] could be in jeopardy as they have announced plans to make shows that are educational and inspiring, rather than sexy and sensational," the industry source continued. "The pressure will be on them to come up with a hit."
Many believe that the Sussexes' deal with Netflix via their Archewell Productions company -- reported to be worth up to $100 million -- is exaggerated. That said, Harry and Meghan also have a contract with rival streaming giant Spotify. Meanwhile, a Netflix spokesperson has declined to address the latest claims. "Archewell Productions remains a valued partner and we are continuing to work together on a number of projects," the company said.