However, rumors circulated that there was tension between Harry and Meghan during their outing. Allegedly, Meghan had called paparazzi to take PR photos, which angered Harry due to his well-known aversion to them, stemming from the tragic car crash involving his late mother, Princess Diana.
Reports suggested that Harry may have used force on Meghan during the incident. In the photos, Meghan managed to maintain a smile for the camera, while Harry seemed visibly annoyed.
The Duchess of Sussex donned a white button-up shirt tucked into brown shorts, completing her look with a white hat, sunglasses, and layered bracelets. Meanwhile, Prince Harry opted for a casual outfit, wearing a polo shirt paired with a baseball cap and sunglasses.
This staged appearance comes after Spotify's decision to end their $20 million deal with the royal couple, following just one season of their podcast, "Archewell Audio." Questions have also been raised about the future of their $100 million partnership with Netflix. Some reports suggest that external factors such as COVID-19, economic downturns, and the passing of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth have been blamed for their struggles to establish themselves in the private sector.
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back from their royal duties, months before the world went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over a year later, they spoke candidly about their unhappiness within the royal family in a televised interview with Oprah. The following month, Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99.
Meghan launched her podcast, "Archewell Audio," in August 2022, but its release was overshadowed by the death of Queen Elizabeth the following month. Despite initially high ratings for the podcast, their deal with Spotify encountered difficulties.
It was reported that the couple had not produced enough content to receive their full $20 million payout. Furthermore, Harry's pitch for podcast ideas, including interviews with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump about their childhood traumas, left Spotify executives perplexed.
Criticism from industry figures also emerged, with Bill Simmons, a Spotify executive, labeling Meghan and Harry as lazy and grifters. UTA agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer, who had reportedly shown interest in signing Meghan, referred to her as untalented.
He stated, "Just because you're famous doesn't make you great at anything." Meanwhile, Edward Quorum James, the CEO of Cannes Lions Festival, expressed belief that the termination of the contract could have repercussions on the couple's future career opportunities. It remains to be seen how this development will impact their future deals.
