Meghan Markle, husband announce plans to step back from high-stress "Royal Family" gig
Two years after signing on to the cast of world’s-most-expensive-reality-show The British Royal Family, actress Meghan Markle and husband Harry Windsor (stated occupation: duke) have announced their intentions to step back from the high-profile, highly stressful gig. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the couple intends to remove themselves from their roles as “senior members” of TBRF, instead working to make themselves “financially independent” from the series’ famously, ludicrously over-inflated budget.
Markle came to prominence with her role on USA’s long-running legal drama Suits, while her husband’s relatively fewer credits include Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and numerous gigs playing himself on even-longer-running reality series The News. The pair expressed their interest in continuing to support TBRF’s longest-starring cast member, The Queen, even as they distance themselves from the series’ various recent production woes, including increased press scrutiny on the pair that led to Markle suing members of the British press last year.
Producers for The British Royal Family also issued a statement today, suggesting that negotiations for the couple’s exit are still underway. “Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage,” the Royal Family said in an actual statement written by an actual human being that jibes way too well with this whole “reality show” conceit we’re doing here. “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
There’s no word yet on how the couple intends to reach their sought-after financial independence, although we have to assume that somewhere, somehow, America’s last remaining Suits fanatic just felt a joyous twittering deep within their hearts. Harry is currently producing an Apple TV+ series on mental health with Oprah, too, so don’t be surprised if you see “Meghan Markle and husband sign 7-figure Quibi deal” in this space somewhere down the line.