Does Meghan Markle Rely on Prince Harry's 'Birth Right'? Experts Claim Sussex Brand Rests Entirely on Royal Heritage

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been accused of leaning on the Duke's royal 'birth right' to keep their media careers afloat after announcing a new Netflix drama about the world of polo, set in Wellington, Florida, this week, where they will both serve as executive producers.

The series is the latest in a string of screen projects tied to the couple's Archewell Productions deal with Netflix, signed after Meghan and Prince Harry quit frontline royal duties in 2020 and relocated to the United States.

Their first non‑fiction series with the platform, Prince Harry & Meghan, drew intense global interest, but a separate polo documentary fronted by Prince Harry two years ago failed to make much impact in the streamer's rankings.

Meghan Markle, Netflix And A Familiar Sussex Formula

First reported by Deadline, it is described as being set in the 'high-flying equestrian town' of Wellington, Florida, a US enclave known for its polo and showjumping circuit. Archewell will co-produce the project with Fake Empire, the company run by veteran TV creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

According to the Daily Express, the show will be written by Francisca X Hu, of Teacup, who is also on board as an executive producer alongside Meghan, Prince Harry, Archewell's head of scripted content Tracy Ryerson, and Fake Empire's Schwartz and Savage.

No casting, release date or episode details have yet been confirmed by Netflix, and there is no trailer or footage in circulation, so much of the reaction at this stage rests on the names attached rather than the work itself. Nothing is confirmed yet, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt until Netflix releases firmer information.

Even so, reaction from some royal watchers has followed a familiar pattern. Lee Cohen, a US-based columnist and royal and foreign policy commentator, argued that the streamer appears determined to persevere with the Sussexes despite what he framed as a patchy record.

He told the Daily Express: 'By now the Sussex Hollywood formula is painfully familiar: maximal hype, minimal results.' That criticism is hardly neutral, but it encapsulates a line of scepticism that has dogged Meghan and Prince Harry since their first post-royal media deals were announced.

Cohen went further, branding Netflix a 'glutton for punishment' and claiming the company had learned 'remarkably little' from what he called the couple's 'underwhelming output.' In his assessment, the risk is not creative so much as reputational, both for the streamer and for a pair who have built their livelihood on their public image.

Brand Sussex And The Question Of 'Birth Right'

The sharpest part of Cohen's critique is aimed squarely at the foundation of the Sussex brand. In his view, 'Netflix keeps rolling the dice on a couple whose global profile seems to rest almost entirely on Prince Harry's birthright rather than on any consistent record of professional success.'

Meghan's visibility and earning power ultimately hinge on Prince Harry's status as the King's son is hardly new in some royal circles, but it is rarely put quite so bluntly. It also sits awkwardly beside Meghan's own backstory as a working actress, best known for her role in the legal drama Suits long before she met Prince Harry.

Critics like Cohen argue that since stepping back from royal duties the couple's most bankable asset has remained their proximity to the monarchy they loudly distanced themselves from. He cites the fallout from their abandoned Spotify deal as emblematic.

Spotify executive Bill Simmons previously called Prince Harry and Meghan 'f*****g grifters' after their audio partnership ended, a remark that has continued to trail them. Around the same time, United Talent Agency chief executive Jeremy Zimmer was quoted as saying Meghan was 'not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent.' Those lines have become touchstones for detractors who see each fresh project as evidence that the industry is humoring fame rather than nurturing creative substance.

The Sussexes remain globally recognisable, whatever one thinks of their output, and streaming platforms trade in attention as much as acclaim. A drama rooted in the rarefied world of American polo, backed by producers with a track record in glossy television, is not an obviously reckless bet. The earlier polo documentary underperformed, but scripted series often live or die on entirely different terms.

Netflix itself has not publicly endorsed Cohen's assessment, nor has it signalled any loss of confidence in Archewell. The company continues to list Prince Harry and Meghan among its high-profile partners, and the greenlighting of another collaboration suggests, at minimum, that executives believe there is still an audience willing to watch what the couple produce.

Meghan and Prince Harry have not commented directly on the accusation that their careers are propped up by a royal 'birth right' rather than talent or hard work. For now, their answer will arrive in the form of a fictional polo series set under the Florida sun, carrying the weight of expectations that have become anything but fictional.