Will Harry and Meghan continue to cash in on their royal connections, asks RICHARD EDEN? Their attempts to make films about OTHER people have had little success so far…

Harry and Meghan appear to be facing a growing dilemma as the end of their Netflix contract approaches, says Richard Eden.

Will they continue to try to prove themselves as independent filmmakers – or will they take new steps to exploit their royal connections?

The question was highlighted in recent days when it emerged that a key figure in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's company Archewell Productions had quit, suggesting all was not well.

Then a few days ago the Sussexes spent time in the Caribbean with the boss of giant Paramount Pictures – a reminder that their contract with rival Netflix expires next year.

The Duchess was interviewed on the red carpet at Variety's Power of Women awards ceremony in 2023 and said she had 'so many exciting things lined up'

Uncomfortable! Meghan Markle is interrupted by an assistant while being photographed on the red carpet. It seemed that the assistant was eager to move her along. But the Duchess remained calm

“If they join a rival broadcaster, will they face the same ever-increasing dilemma?” asks Eden in the latest edition of his Palace Confidential newsletter.

“Do they cash in on their royal ties with another show about themselves or do they continue to try, with little apparent success so far, to prove themselves as producers of movies and TV shows about other people?”

So far, Harry and Meghan are optimistic about their prospects.

Netflix's Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria has said the couple is working on “a bunch” of new projects, including a film and two other “unscripted” projects.

When the Duchess of Sussex was interviewed on the red carpet at a showbusiness event in Los Angeles in November, she stated that they had “so many exciting things planned.”

But, Eden writes, “three months later, and we're still waiting with bated breath to hear what these 'exciting things' might be.”

'Suspicions that all may not be well at Archewell Productions, which Harry and Meghan set up with much fanfare in 2020 to make television shows and films, were reinforced when I reported in my social diary, Eden Confidential, that the company's manager , Bennett Levine , had quit.

'His appointment in 2021 was hailed by Harry and Meghan's most outspoken cheerleader, Omid Scobie, as a sign that Archewell was 'a hive of activity that continues to grow'.

Levine's surprise departure follows that of his former boss, Oscar-winning producer Ben Browning, who oversaw the couple's insipid Netflix “docu-series” (reality show) Harry & Meghan and their less successful Live to Lead, but also stopped last year.

Eden points out that Levine's departure comes amid speculation that Netflix may not renew its deal with Archewell.

The US streaming giant reportedly paid the Sussexes £80 million in 2020 as part of a deal that expires in 2025.

The couple is rarely out of the public eye. Last night they released video footage from a performance in New York last fall for World Mental Health Day, in which they took part in a discussion about cyberbullying.

Harry and Meghan have indicated that they no longer wish to discuss further details of their relationship with the royal family and would rather focus on other topics.

A pensive Prince Harry was photographed in Dusseldorf last year during the 2023 Invictus Games

Meghan and Harry speak on stage in New York for World Mental Health Day. They are addressing the Archewell Foundation Parents' Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex set up their Archewell Foundation after leaving the royal family and say it is an 'impact-driven global not-for-profit organization that puts compassion into action'

Yet they should know that their biggest commercial hits have been Harry's excoriating memoir, Spare, and their six-part Netflix docuseries – projects that leaned heavily on their royal connections.

Rumors that Harry and Meghan may be preparing for the end of their Netflix deal were fueled by their trip to Jamaica last week for the film premiere of Bob Marley: One Love, as guests of Brian Robbins, boss of Netflix's streaming rival Paramount Pictures.

“Bennett is believed to be at least the 17th person to leave the Sussexes' employ since they married in 2018,” Eden wrote. “At least eight have left since moving to California.”

To read more of Richard's expert Royal commentary, click here