Harry ‘swings a punch’ at royals choosing Invictus for Netflix show after being stripped of military titles, says expert
PRINCE Harry hit back at the royal family with the topic of his first Netflix series, says a royal commentator.
It was announced this week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will release an Invictus Games documentary, in one of their first post-royal projects.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a £112m deal with production company Netflix last year after quitting the Royal Family – and have revealed details of their first show to hit screens.
Phil Dampier, author of Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan in their Own Words, told Fabulous: “You get the impression that Harry is swinging a punch at the royals and isn’t throwing in the towel anytime soon.
“I’ve always felt that whatever you think about Megxit, no-one can take away from Harry what he has done with the Invictus Games.
“So he is on safe ground making this Netflix programme about them. But it’s obvious that he is also trying to make a point.
“He was very disappointed to have his military patronages taken away from him and he has emphasised that he still wants to ‘serve.’
“He is sending out a message that even though he is no longer directly connected to the forces he is going to continue to be involved with them in any way he can.
“He is saying that you can take away my titles but not my sense of duty or commitment.
“He did, after all, spend ten years in the army and put his life on the line.”
The royal author added that Harry could put his relationship with his family under strain with his upcoming Netflix documentary.
Phil said: “Prince William has always been jealous of the fact that he couldn’t be sent to the front line, as Prince Charles was always somewhat envious of his brother Prince Andrew who fought in the Falklands War.
“It’s just too dangerous to send an heir to the throne into the war theatres, whereas Harry and Andrew as ‘spares’ could take the risk.
“In some ways Harry is therefore getting one over on William and rubbing it in that he saw action.
“It doesn’t look as though Harry is in any mood to shut up and let things die down, which is very sad.
“He seems determined to carry on doing what he wants, whatever the cost to his relationship with William, his father Charles, and of course the Queen.”
Prince Harry, who will appear on camera and be an executive producer for the documentary, gushed over the series, saying he couldn’t wait for the series to reveal the “mosaic of resilience”.
In a statement, he said he “couldn’t be more excited” for the series, which will “give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year.”
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions is working with director Orlando von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara on the series, which will follow both the athletes and organisers as they prepare for the Games.
The series will follow the competitors around the world on the road to the Games at The Hague.
The spectacle had been expected to take place in 2020 – but it was delayed until 2021 due to the pandemic.
Harry said: “Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve.”
And he hinted there’s much more to come from the partnership.
“As Archewell Productions’ first series with Netflix, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead, or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service,” he said.
It comes just weeks after the royal couple hired an Oscar-nominated producer to lead their multimillion-dollar deals with the TV streaming giant, as well as music site Spotify.
It comes after the couple signed a £112m deal with Netflix and a £30m contract with Spotify.
During their interview with Oprah, Harry claimed he’d had to sign the deals as he’d been effectively “cut off” by the Royal Family when he and Meghan stepped away.
Phil added: “It’s going to be fascinating to see if Harry comes over for the unveiling of the statue of Princess Diana in July on what would have been her 60th birthday.
“The body language experts will have a field day watching him and William.
“I personally don’t think Meghan will ever come back to this country again, but time is a healer and hopefully one day the rift can be resolved.”
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