The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly working on two Netflix series based on gardening, cooking and professional polo.
The pair are said to have agreed to the projects as part of a five-year deal they signed with the streaming giant in 2020, reportedly earning $100m (£79m) in the process.
Deadline, the entertainment news outlet, reported that the first series will see the Duchess “celebrating the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship”.
The second series focuses on professional polo and is expected to be filmed at the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida.
Prince Harry’s involvement in the project is unclear, but it is known that he is a keen polo player and is often photographed at charity matches.
“It will pull back the curtain on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and everything it takes to compete at the highest level,” Deadline reported.
Tenacity and passion
Both programs are untitled and are said to be in the early stages of production.
It marks the latest development in the couple’s Netflix projects, coming after their controversial documentary about Harry and Meghan, which was released in 2022.
The six-part series, despite ostensibly following the couple from their “courtship to their exit from royal life”, was seen by some as an attack on the royal family – who have remained silent on the matter.
He made a series of claims about the monarchy’s funding of the slave trade, with one interviewee infuriating palace people by calling the Commonwealth “Empire 2.0”.
Sources close to the couple previously told The Telegraph that the two are working on several “fun” TV series.
“There will be more of a strong focus on fictional, scripted content,” said one. “It will be romcoms, feel-good programs and light-hearted programs.”
Bella Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, revealed in February that the Sussexes also have a movie in development.
As part of the next stage of the Netflix deal, the Duke hoped to make a documentary in Africa. It’s unclear what happened to the project, which is apparently in its infancy.
The Duchess’ Archetypes podcast, streamed on Spotify as part of a reported $20 million deal, ended after one series in 2023.
“mmm cheaters”
Bill Simmons, senior executive of podcasting at the music titan, complained about the pair on his own podcast in June, calling the duke and duchess “bloody crooks”.
“I got to get drunk one night and tell the Zoom story I had with Harry to try to help him with a podcast idea,” he said. “This is one of my best stories.”
In a previous episode, he claimed Harry was just ‘whining and giving interviews’, adding: ‘Shoot that guy in the sun. I’m so tired of this guy.”
Archetypes aired weekly and featured 12 episodes, plus a Christmas special focusing on the various labels and stereotypes directed at women.
However, it now looks set to return for a second series after the Duchess signed a deal with Lemonada Media in February.
Archewell, the Duke and Duchess’ production company, has previously worked on three series for Netflix.
Along with Harry & Meghan, he produced Heart of Invictus, following former military personnel preparing for the Invictus Games, and Live to Lead, interviewing figures including climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Bella Bajaria said in February that the Sussexes were working on several projects with Brandon Rigg, Netflix’s vice president of unsigned content.
Asked at a pre-premiere event in Hollywood what’s next for the pair, she said: “They have a few unscripted things they’re working on with Brandon.
“They actually have, like, a bunch of developments, they have a movie in development, a [scripted] series they are working on.
“So all very early development, with a movie, a TV show and a few unscripted shows. But yeah, the movie is great.”
