Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘drip feeding’ content to the media is ‘extraordinary’ after they stepped back as senior royals for more privacy, Queen’s former press secretary says
- Prince Harry and Meghan ‘drip-feeding press’ with content, royal expert claimed
- Dickie Arbiter said he found it ‘extraordinary’ after royals stepped back in March
- Comes after news Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed podcast deal with Spotify
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been ‘drip-feeding press’ with content, a royal expert has claimed.
The Queen’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said he found it ‘extraordinary’ that the Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, have made various appearances – despite stepping back as royals in March for more privacy.
Speaking to True Royalty TV’s Royal Beat, the commentator and royal expert said: ‘I find it extraordinary that two people who left basically because they felt press intrusion and yet in the past 12 months we’ve had nothing but drip-feeding the press about things that they’re doing.’
The comments come after it was revealed that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are currently living in their $14 million mansion in California with their 18-month-old son Archie, have signed a lucrative podcast deal with Spotify worth up to £30million.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been ‘drip-feeding press’ with content, royal expert Dickie Arbiter has claimed. Pictured, the royals hosting a special Time100 talk Tuesday October 20, focusing on the digital world
Pictured, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a private visit to the Los Angeles National Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday
The couple will produce and host their own shows as part of the newly formed Archewell Audio – starting with a ‘holiday special’ that the couple hopes will ‘uplift audiences around the world’.
Spotify has not revealed what the contract is worth, but the streaming service agreed a £75m ($100m) deal with US comedian Joe Rogan in May.
The Mirror reported the Sussexes would be paid £30million – other sources put it closer to £20million.
The Sussexes’ agreement comes just months after the royals agreed a £100million partnership with Netflix and days after Meghan invested in a $28-per-pack oat-milk ‘superlatte’ business later promoted for free by her LA neighbour Oprah Winfrey.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arriving at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London
Elsewhere, royal expert Katie Nicholl also claimed that the royal couple have sent presents to Prince Harry’s niece and nephews – Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five and Prince Louis, two.
‘I don’t think they ever will be close in the same way that they were before,’ she explained. ‘But I do think there have been nine months since Megxit and relations are better between them.
‘I know that they are in touch, that they do talk. I know that Harry sent over a load of presents for the Cambridge children. They will Zoom, they will chat over the holidays.’
The Prime Minister announcement on Saturday that December 25 could not go on as planned saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Christmas bubble plans disrupted like other families in the country.
The original plan had been for the Duke and Duchess, with children George, Charlotte and Louis, to travel to the Middletons’ Grade II listed home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, for the festivities, Emily Andrews wrote for the Mail on Sunday.
Kate’s sister Pippa, her husband James and their son Arthur were also due to join the family in Bucklebury for Christmas. Then Berkshire and London were plunged into tier 3, so Kate offered to host at Anmer Hall.
But after the announcement that Berkshire was moving into tier 4 with a ban on travel and household mixing, the Middletons called off their plans.