Prince Harry and Meghan Face Netflix Polo Risk
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been warned that their reported new Netflix project could face a backlash if it is presented in a way audiences view as out of touch. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be executive producing a polo-themed drama series, with the reported setting in Wellington, Florida, and the warning centres on how the show’s world of wealth and privilege is framed.
Express reported that PR expert Ms Renae Smith said the “key is honesty” and that viewers may react badly if an elite sport is marketed as “relatable or accessible” when it is not.
In the same remarks, Ms Smith argued that audiences are comfortable watching privilege “when it’s presented as exactly that”, but not when they feel they are being told it is something it clearly is not. She suggested that attempting to “widen the scope” of polo could “come across as out of touch very quickly”, adding that people “don’t need it to be relatable; they just need it to be interesting.”
The warning comes as the Sussexes continue to develop screen projects via Archewell Productions, following a period of heightened scrutiny of their commercial output and brand positioning, including claims that the King has been urged by commentators to keep his distance from the couple.
No release date, casting details or filming timetable were included in the report, but the messaging around the series is likely to be closely watched given the couple’s high-profile partnership with Netflix and the sensitivity around how royalty-adjacent celebrity projects are promoted.
