Harry and Meghan launch two new Netflix series

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex set a lifestyle series and a polo championship series with the streamer, as part of their $100m deal.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speak on stage at the Invictus Games in September. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning to television.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have two new unscripted series in the works for Netflix, as part of a $100m deal that the couple inked with the company in 2020 via their Archewell Productions banner.

Though titles and release dates are yet to be announced, Deadline has confirmed that both projects are currently in early production.

The first series, a lifestyle show to be curated by Markle, will “celebrate the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship” per an official description. It will be directed by Michael Steed, who previously worked on the Emmy-winning series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.

It comes just weeks after the Duchess announced a new kitchen and lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. A trademark application for the venture seeks approval for a retail store, cookbooks, tableware, and a range of spreads including “Jellies, jams; marmalades; fruit preserves.”

Two unscripted projects from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in the works under their Archewell Productions banner.

The second show will see Prince Harry work alongside his wife on a nonfiction series that will give audiences “unprecedented access” to the US Open Polo Championship in Florida, “Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level,” a statement about the show read.

Prince Harry, who has been known as a keen polo player, will produce the show alongside show-runner Miloš Balać, best known for his series Welcome to Wrexham, about the Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C.

The two projects reaffirm the couple’s commitment to the Netflix deal, which has so far yielded mix results.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Frogmore in Harry. & Meghan. Picture: Netflix

The pair have only produced one hit for the streamer, their six-part tell all docuseries, Harry and Meghan. Their other documentary projects, Live to Lead, an interview series featuring the likes of Greta Thunberg and Gloria Steinem and Heart of Invictus did not reach the same heights of popularity.

Netflix content chief Bela Bajaria said in February that the former royal couple have a “bunch” of projects in development, including a film and a scripted series.