In a speech broadcast from Cape Town on her 21st birthday in 1947, Queen Elizabeth promised that “we can give no less than ourselves” in making the Commonwealth “something even sharper”. Her speech, with her appeal to duty, restraint and service, will feature in the new season of Netflix drama The Crown.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are offering themselves in a different way, this week revealing a contract for their production company Archewell Audio to produce podcasts and shows for Spotify. “Hi guys, I’m Harry”, “And I’m Meghan,” the couple greeted an audience in a trailer for a holiday program they will be hosting.
The Sussexes, who signed a production deal with Netflix this year, are a podcast royalty, along with stars including Michelle Obama and Joe Rogan, a U.S. comedian and martial arts commentator. They have turned their “passion to meet people and hear their stories” into a franchise.
In terms of access and employment power, swapping Windsor house restrictions for Netflix and Spotify distribution platforms is a rare move. It is easier to make your own presentations and control your own image when they are not blocked by royal protocol.
It also says something broader about celebrities and the media: the power of the player has surpassed the power of the publisher and the broadcaster. Celebrities once relied on others to gather an audience, but stars like Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle can do it themselves.
The British monarchy is a media platform of a traditional kind – the individual is not as important as the general brand. The Queen would not express it in this way, but much of the loyalty she commands from citizens comes from her experience in great communication and live entertainment.
The Sussexes wedding in 2018, full of show and symbolism and broadcast worldwide, was a prime example. Meghan Markle had already earned a reputation for acting in the series Suits; the ability of the family to take care of its members increased significantly.
But from the celebrity point of view, being part of the monarchy has two advantages. First, it is hard-rated. Prince Harry has fallen to sixth on the throne, thanks to Prince William’s three children, and can do nothing to change that – he’s not a pop star to beat him. the records with another beat.
The status drama, and the lines it puts on the people who are pushed to the margins of success and publicity, play out over several series of The Crown. The tension is intense when one member, like the Duchess of Sussex, has more fame than has been ordered.
Second, one of the issues of a constitutional monarchy is that its members must keep their mouths shut or express themselves carefully. The Queen has sometimes “put the light of day on magic”, as the Victorian historian Walter Bagehot put it, but she usually keeps her feelings hidden.
The more famous the man is, the more difficult this is, as confirmed by the glamor, travails and death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Announcing their “transition” from full-time royalty this year, the Sussexes said they wanted to see “the justification of the ‘public interest’ that should be included in the media”. bring into their lives.
It is debatable whether it is wise to pursue tabloids in the courts to prevent stories that they see as invasions of privacy or defamation; I doubt it. But the biggest point is that the couple have seized power over how they are represented, not only by legal actions but by being their own representatives.
They are not alone. Individuals with names and experience can now turn to fans. The shift goes from publishing newsletters on Substack to Patreon-backed actors; the internet provides a means of circulation for a personal brand.
OnlyFans is a low-rent version, a UK site that allows celebrities and actors to share photos and videos – of which with very few, in many cases – subscribers. They are attracted by the control it offers and by keeping 80 percent of income.
The Sussexes, with their contracts at Spotify and Netflix, are at the top of the scale. But they are smart enough to know that fans now want more from celebrities than the occasional carpet and magazine interviews – they want at least a glimpse of intimacy.
One study of US female students who followed celebrities on social media found that they were becoming more connected to those who shared aspects of their personal lives and showed some humanity. “It will be better for them if they are joking and filling. . . It’s like, ‘Okay, they’re human too,’ ”said one.
The couple has learned the lesson, starting their trailer with a bit of Anglo-American flirtation. “[You] say it because I think it looks really nice with your accent, ”said the duchess. Their podcast was broadcast by the MailOnline for “toe-curling”, but I’m looking for a note of professional conflict.
With a choice between royalty and celebrity, the couple has chosen the latter (with a little hedge). It shows so much about the media as the Sussexes that they are now reporters.