Meghan Markle’s voiceover deal with Disney could have been swung by Harry after video footage emerged of the Prince seemingly trying to persuade franchise boss Bob Iger to give his wife a job.
At the Lion King premiere in London last July, the Duke of Sussex collared the powerful Disney chief and advertised his ex-actress partner’s ‘interest’ in doing voiceover work.
During the hushed conversation, caught on camera by a fan, the Prince gestures to Meghan and says: ‘You do know she does voiceovers?’
Iger can be heard replying: ‘Ah, I did not know that.’ Harry then responds: ‘You seem surprised. She’s really interested.’ The Disney chief then says: ‘We’d love to try. That’s a great idea.’
It was revealed yesterday by the Times that Meghan has signed a voiceover deal with the Walt Disney Company in exchange for a donation to Elephants Without Borders, a wildlife charity that helps to track and protect the animals from poachers.
The star-studded premiere last summer raised funds for Harry’s conservation projects in Africa, particularly raising awareness of the dwindling numbers of lions in Kenya.
On the red carpet of the Lion King premiere last July, the Duke of Sussex collared the powerful Disney chief and advertised ex-actress partner’s ‘interest’ in doing voiceover work. Right: Meghan embraces Beyoncé
Alongside a raft of celebrities including Beyoncé and Elton John, the Duke and Duchess attended the event in their capacity as senior Royals, a position they are poised to renounce.
This bombshell decision on Wednesday sent shockwaves reverberating through the Royal Family, and on a day of high behind-the-scenes drama:
- The Queen demanded Princes Harry, William and Charles attend an unprecedented crisis summit at Sandringham on Monday to put an end to the turmoil;
- Harry was believed to be in no rush to thrash out a deal which did not secure the best financial settlement from him and Meghan;
- Her Majesty was pictured stony-faced as she emerged from her Norfolk estate behind the wheel of her Land Rover for the second day running;
- A source rubbished speculation the Sussexes plan to settle down on Vancouver Island where they spent Christmas and instead touted Toronto or LA as potential cities;
- Reuters reported that negotiations between Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Kensington Palace and the Sussex household has been progressing well.
Meghan recorded the voiceover before the royal couple left for their six-week Christmas break to Canada in a £10.7million mansion on Vancouver Island.
Friends say Meghan is keen to try her hand at directing too, as she wants to keep close ties with the film industry but doesn’t want to have her face on the big screen again just yet.
Yet branching into voiceovers could be a hint towards how the couple become ‘financially independent’ when they cut ties with the Royal Family.
Experts said becoming a brand ambassador for a global giant such as or Apple could earn the couple tens of millions annually. A nine-figure sum each year – $100million – would add up to $1billion (£760million) over a decade.
The couple have yet to say exactly how they will meet their ambition to ‘become financially independent’. But their unique stellar cachet – blending blue blood and Hollywood royalty – could net them huge amounts.
During tense talks before Christmas, senior members of the royal family accused the pair of already agreeing to a deal with ‘firms including Disney’, according to one report.
The hushed conversation, caught on camera by a fan, is initiated by the Prince who gestures to Meghan and says: ‘You do know she does voiceovers?’
Prince Harry (pictured with Meghan on Tuesday) will take his time securing the best financial deal for his family as he prepares for showdown talks with the Queen and Prince Charles
Queen is spotted out and about on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk amid the Royal crisis unfolding over her grandson
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the world this week by announcing their intention to step back as senior royals, blindsiding the Queen with their decision.
Since their bombshell Instagram statement Wednesday night, Meghan boarded a BA flight back to Vancouver Island while Palace officials worked furiously to thrash out a workable solution to the Sussexes role in the future.
The Queen will host unprecedented crisis talks with Princes Harry, Charles and William at Sandringham on Monday to end the turmoil engulfing the Royal Family in the wake of the Sussexes bombshell decision to quit.
An insider claimed tonight that Harry will come face to face with Her Majesty for the first time since announcing his and Meghan’s desire to step back as senior members of the family.
Palace and Sussex household courtiers have been racing to find a solution to the Duke and Duchesses’ desire to quit their official duties after the Queen yesterday laid down a 72-hour ultimatum for the discussions to be resolved.
In spite of Harry digging in his heels to extract the best financial terms possible from this new arrangement, a royal source confirmed to Reuters that roundtable discussions are progressing well in consultation with both British and Canadian governments.
But this progress has not prevented the monarch from demanding the most senior royals to a crunch summit tomorrow, according to PA.
Her Majesty was stony-faced today as she was pictured behind the wheel of her Land Rover in Sandringham, Norfolk.
Her public outing displayed her determination to carry on as normal, while behind the scenes officials were working furiously to thrash out a strategy to end the turmoil raging through the Family ranks.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill has been involved in these ‘at pace’ negotiations with staff from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace, according to the Observer.
Palace aides were also forced to deny Meghan and Harry were being ‘driven out’ of the royal family, saying the couple would be ‘at the centre’ of a potentially stream-lined monarchy.
The Sussexes left son Archie with their nanny when they came back to London from Canada on Monday, following a six-week Christmas break.
Meghan, 38, who left the UK on Thursday, is understood to have not booked a return flight.
Sources confirmed to the Mail there are no official engagements in her diary for the ‘foreseeable future’ as she was understood to have taken a BA flight to a gated waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island.
Palace’s warning on Harry’s millions: Prince will be confronted with dire tax impact of Megxit at unprecedented crisis summit with the Queen, William and Charles (and Meghan on the phone) – as the monarch fears for her fragile grandson
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be confronted with the dire financial impact of abandoning the Royal Family at an extraordinary Sandringham summit tomorrow.
Royal aides and Government officials have drawn up a range of scenarios setting out the ‘stark implications’ faced by Harry and Meghan if they abandon or dramatically scale back their royal duties – including a major tax trap.
In what sources described as a ‘reality check moment’, Harry will travel to Sandringham for a showdown with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William. Meghan is expected to join by phone from Canada, where she is caring for their eight-month-old son, Archie.
A senior source said a solution that is ‘compatible with taxpayers, compatible with reality and compatible with the Queen’ was being sought.
Queen is spotted out and about on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk amid the Royal crisis unfolding over her grandson
The Queen driving in Sandringham, Norfolk, on Saturday afternoon wearing a headscarf, was seen driving away from the estate in her Land Rover at lunchtime
But the mood is likely to be tense. The Mail on Sunday understands that anger over Harry and Meghan’s defiance of an order not to go public with their so-called ‘abdication’ plan has been compounded by the suggestion – denied by Palace sources – that the couple told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about their move before the Queen.
Meanwhile, Meghan has been telling friends that a move to North America will be a welcome relief from her ‘toxic’ life in Britain.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Prince Harry will be handed documents, compiled following discussions with HMRC and the Canadian tax authority, that will set out in detail the financial penalties for a range of scenarios.
These include a so-called hard Megxit involving a permanent move to North America and a soft Megxit in which the couple split their time between Britain and overseas and retain full, active Royal roles.
The Queen drives home in Sandringham, Norfolk, on Saturday afternoon after going a couple of miles along the country roads to a shoot in a field, which was attended by a number of guests, including her grandson Peter Philips
In what sources described as a ‘reality check moment’, Harry will travel to Sandringham for a showdown with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William (pictured in October)
Harry will be told that he would face a potential ‘double tax’ on any commercial income and a large bill for Frogmore Cottage, his home in Windsor, if he and Meghan decide to ditch their royal duties and relocate abroad.
The bill could run into millions of pounds. Canada requires residents – anyone who spends 183 days or more in the country – and some property owners to pay income tax on their global earnings. Similar rules apply in the UK, but the limit is 90 days.
It would mean that Harry might have to give up his UK residency or limit his time in Canada, else risk being double-taxed on any commercial income, paying in both countries.
Meghan, who is an American citizen, already has to pay tax in the US on any global earnings regardless of where she lives.
The couple may also face hefty charges on any funding they get from Prince Charles’s Duchy of Cornwall estate and could have to pay rent at commercial levels for Frogmore Cottage, which underwent a taxpayer-funded £2.4 million refurbishment before the couple moved in. The couple currently receive annual funding, also of about £2.4 million, mostly from Charles.
There is also genuine concern about the mental fragility of the couple – particularly Harry – so aides are doing all they can to try to ease any transition. They understood to have devised plans to offer special arrangements to reduce the couple’s tax liability if they agree to a fuller royal role. A royal source last night told The Mail on Sunday: ‘This meeting will give the Duke and Duchess an unvarnished look at the full implications of their choices.
‘Lots of assumptions have been made about how things can work, but this will be the time for workable decisions to be made in the full knowledge of the consequences and implications, however unappealing.’
Another Palace source said: ‘There are a range of possibilities to review. Next steps will be agreed at the meeting. The request for this to be resolved at pace is still Her Majesty’s wish. The aim remains days not weeks.’
Wayne Bewick, an expert on the Canadian tax system for the firm Trowbridge, said: ‘Harry’s duties for the Crown could be considered employment income for Canadian purposes.’
In addition to discussion of the Sussex finances, the Sandringham summit will discuss any potential new role for Harry. He is already President of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, which focuses on projects involving children, but one option might be to extend that role to make it easier to spend time in Canada.
There was no sign of Meghan yesterday at the £11 million mansion on Vancouver Island where she and Harry finalised their plan to scale back their royal duties over the New Year. But in a sign of the couple’s wish to spend considerable time in North America, they have moved their pet dogs to the property.
Despite the crisis, Palace sources say Harry will honour his commitment to host the draw for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup at Buckingham Palace on Thursday after which he is expected to fly to Canada to be reunited with his wife and son.