Prince Harry is said to be faced with a huge “blow” as Netflix reportedly axed his and Meghan Markle’s lucrative £80million deal after refusing to play “second fiddle” to the Duchess’s aspirations, it has been claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex struck a deal with the streaming giant shortly after their sensational departure from the Royal Family in 2020.

Harry and Meghan have released five projects on Netflix so far, but the majority of them have failed to attract the views they initially hoped for. The Duchess released With Love, Meghan this year, but despite the initial hype, it did not manage to climb into the top 300 most-watched shows of this year.

It followed the couple’s Heart Of Invictus series, released in 2023, which came after Live to Lead and the Sussexes’ bombshell docuseries, Harry & Meghan, in 2022.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Now, new reports have claimed that Netflix bosses will not renew the Sussexes’s contract when it expires in September.

It has been reported that neither side will be making an announcement, but bosses would be willing to engage in one-off projects with the couple in the future.

However, a source said that the latest updates will be a major “blow” for the Duke and that it will greatly decrease their revenue. They also said that Netflix bosses were “mildly” infuriated by the Duchess after she reportedly made her brand, As Ever, a priority.

A source told The Sun: “Netflix feel they’ve got all they can from the couple. [They] were clever in that they got a hell of a lot of viewers for the first documentary series, and knew, realistically, it would prove the zenith of content from the Montecito pair.

Meghan Markle in her Netflix show

“They’re not unhappy with how things turned out — they got those initial hits, and produced one of the most talked-about shows of all time. The content got weaker from there on but, frankly, for £20million a year, anything was better than nothing.”

They added: “There’s no animosity from either side. Things have just run their course.

“Netflix execs are well aware Meghan’s priority now is her own brand, and they won’t play second fiddle to that. Publicly, there will not be a statement and of course, if things change dramatically, they’d be open to a one-off project down the line. But for Harry, especially, this will be a blow. It’s a huge loss of revenue.”

Netflix has not commented on the latest claims.