Royal Expert Claims Netflix Is Disappointed With Meghan And Harry's Platinum Jubilee Visit

At first, it was unknown if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would attend Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee following their decision to step away from royal duties (via The Wall Street Journal). However, the couple decided to make the trek from southern California to London — even flying commercial rather than taking their private jet for the celebration.

The couple met with the queen, which seemed to have gone well for all parties involved. "Their trip was a whirlwind and jam-packed from the moment they landed but it all went beautifully," a source told Hollywood Life. "Their whole aim was to show the queen their love and respect, and of course introducing her to Lili for the first time was a big highlight. Archie and Lili totally charmed her, getting to see her with them made the whole trip worth it."

This is great news for the couple after tensions seemed to be high between the royal family and themselves. However, according to a royal expert, not everyone was pleased with how the trip went for Meghan and Harry.

Netflix was reportedly hoping for more photo ops

According to The Washington Post, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were met without opposition from the public and the royal family, at least for the most part. While the family seemed happy the estranged prince and his wife returned to the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, a major force in Meghan and Harry's lives was reportedly not on the same page.

Royal expert Angela Levin shared on the British news channel "GB News" that Netflix, the streaming platform which has a multi-year contract with Harry and Meghan, was allegedly far from pleased with how the trip went (via the Daily Mail).

It seems Netflix didn't get the content they hoped for out of the visit. According to Levin, the streaming giant wanted photo ops of Harry and Meghan with the queen and other senior royals. "I heard Netflix wanted these pictures of them with the royals," Levin shared. She added that the photos "would be very valuable, very valuable to them." However, she claims the queen ultimately denied the Sussexes' request for professional photos by the personal photographer they brought along. 

While there were no photos publicly shared from the meeting, Harry and Meghan did indeed spend one-on-one time with the queen where she first met their daughter Lilibet. 

Netflix has a huge contract with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

It wouldn't be overly surprising if Netflix was disappointed with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's failure to supply them with the content they were hoping for during their trip abroad. The streaming giant and the couple came together after signing a massive contract with the pair's new production company Archewell Productions in 2020 (via The New York Times). The contract gives the couple the ability to create a variety of content including docuseries and scripted shows.

In a statement regarding the massive deal, the Sussexes stated, "Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope." They continued, "As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us." The first program created by the couple is "Heart of Invictus," which hasn't yet aired. It follows competitors preparing for the Invictus Games, a sports tournament that was created by Harry himself for wounded veterans (via Insider).

This isn't the first time Netflix has reportedly had an issue with the couple

If Netflix is truly disappointed in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for failing to provide them with family photos to sell after returning to Los Angeles, it wouldn't be the first time there were rumors of a rift between the streaming platform and the couple.

It was recently announced that Netflix pulled the plug on Meghan's first series "Pearl," which was canceled earlier this year before a single episode could air (per Vanity Fair). Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings initially hyped up the collaboration with the couple with high praise. "I can't tell you any more about it at this point, but I think it'll be some of the most exciting, most viewed content next year," he stated while hinting at all of the work the pair could create. However, it seems "Pearl” wasn't what the company was looking for.

Meanwhile, it's been announced that Harry and Meghan will film a reality show for Netflix that follows them in a "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" style at-home series (via Page Six). When asked for details, a Netflix producer shared, "The timing is still being discussed, things are up in the air." It's possible that Netflix was hoping for some content with the royal family for the upcoming reality show and was disappointed when it didn't pan out.