Well, well, well, Archewell. We have a new podcast on the horizon — and for the first time in a long time amid this new podcast-saturated pandemic, I’m actually finding myself counting the days until this one comes out. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced that their newly formed production company Archewell Audio will be working with Spotify to produce a Meghan and Harry-hosted podcast, and the multi-year deal is kicking off with a holiday special before 2021. While the former royals have been intentionally vague about their professional plans now that they’ve resettled in California, the public has been split between thinking Meghan and Harry would be more visible than ever and thinking that this move was ultimately about creating a lower profile. By taking on this role as hosts, they’re giving us a direct tap into what they have to say — and I’m sorry, but there’s no way the royal family is reacting well to this.
When we hear from the royal family, we hear a statement from Buckingham Palace that was carefully run through a chain of command and approved to be as inoffensive and opaque as possible. When we hear from podcast hosts, we hear a lot of unplanned riffing on whatever material their guests bring in. And although Harry has publicly exited the royal family, that won’t stop the global community from associating him with them, and the royal family will be watching this podcast like a hawk to see if there’s anything that could cause a PR crisis.
Prince Harry was bound to leave the #RoyalFamily, even if he didn't marry Meghan Markle. “They say the life of a spare is very cruel. They start off as costars,” royal author @robertlacey_com tells SheKnows exclusively. https://t.co/HiDPseLslG
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) October 28, 2020
In Meghan and Harry’s joint statement on why they’ve gotten into the podcasting game, they said this per People: “What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction. With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.”
The royal family motto is “never complain, never explain,” an ethos that is largely antithetical to the nature of podcasting. But I do hope Harry and his family prove me wrong when I assume this news was met with heavy sighs from Buckingham Palace — if only, really, because they fear it will make maintaining a relationship with Harry harder in years to come.
Before you go, click here to see the craziest conspiracy theories Meghan Markle has faced since becoming a royal.
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