THE WINNER IS...

‘Harry & Meghan’ Netflix Show Nominated For Award in Boost to Their Flailing Showbiz Careers

The film became one of Netflix’s biggest hits, but question remarks remain about Harry and Meghan’s ability to generate non-royal hits.

Royalist is The Daily Beast’s newsletter for all things royal and Royal Family. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Sunday.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s docuseries, Harry & Meghan, has been nominated for an award by the Hollywood Critics Association (HCA).

The HCA nominated Harry & Meghan in the category of “best streaming non-fiction series” alongside a number of other shows.

The nomination of the documentary for an award will be a welcome boost for Harry and Meghan, who have seen their popularity and credibility dip in the wake of a tell-all memoir by Harry that attracted both praise and ridicule. In one section, Harry described how the smell of Elizabeth Arden cream, which he used to combat the effects of frostbite on his penis, triggered memories of his mother.

However, the book became a global best seller and the docuseries followed a not dissimilar trajectory. While it was widely mocked by Harry and Meghan’s critics, fans loved it, and the Liz Garbus-directed series, which offered an unprecedented insight into their lives and the conflicts involved as they left the royal family, is understood to be Netflix’s second biggest non-fiction hit of all time, second only to The Tinder Swindler film, which was a big lockdown hit.

Doubts remain, however, about the commercial viability of the Sussex brand outside of telling their own story; an animated series about inspiring women was canned by the streaming giant, and executives are said to have been baffled by proposals from Harry that he interview Donald Trump or the pope about childhood trauma. The couple also parted ways with Spotify, with the company’s head of podcast innovation and monetization, Bill Simmons, denouncing them as “fucking grifters” as the door slammed shut behind them.

WHERE NEXT?

Harry and Meghan Struggle to Define Their Futures

Tom Sykes

Netflix, however, is reported to have responded encouragingly to a proposal by Harry to make a new solo film about Africa.

A Netflix insider confirmed to Page Six that a Harry’s Africa show was one of the more warmly received suggestions from the father-of-two, saying: “Obviously, Harry has a lot of roots in Africa and he feels at home there.”

The source said it was one of a number of ideas that the royal had been discussing, including “Heart of Invictus,” which follows the Paralympic-style games for wounded veterans that Harry founded.

With judging due to begin next week, there is little doubt that a nice award for their flagship film would certainly help make the case that the couple are a valuable asset for Netflix.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.