Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met US streaming firm Quibi at Kensington Palace a YEAR before Megxit — but rejected bizarre show on ‘princesses and puppies’
- The couple met executives from streaming service Quibi on January 30, 2019
- It was suggested they host show called Princesses And Puppies during meeting
- The meeting was held at Kensington Palace – almost a year before she and Prince Harry unveiled their Megxit plans, The Mail on Sunday can reveal
A US media firm suggested the Duchess of Sussex front a show called Princesses And Puppies during a meeting at Kensington Palace – almost a year before she and Prince Harry unveiled their Megxit plans, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The couple met executives from streaming service Quibi on January 30, 2019. Yet during an interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year, Prince Harry said the couple ‘didn’t have a plan’ after they quit as working Royals in January 2020 and signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify only after the family ‘cut me off financially’.
According to a source, the couple had previously discussed various projects with executives at the now-defunct Quibi.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured during their March interview with Oprah) met executives from streaming service Quibi on January 30, 2019, despite saying in the interview that they ‘didn’t have a plan’ after they quit as working Royals in January 2020
One idea suggested by the firm’s founder, Jeffrey Katzenberg, was for the Duchess to host an online show that combined Royalty and pets.
‘Meghan seemed to find that idea offensive and though she was gracious in the moment, people in the room were a bit appalled that this was the pitch to her,’ said the source.
‘Jeffrey thought that puppies and princesses both sold well so if you put them together you’d have something incredibly commercial.’
Left: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Quibi’s founder, who suggested Meghan host an online show that combined Royalty and pets. Right: Meghan on January 30, 2019, when she and Harry met Quibi executives
Mr Katzenberg, 70, is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, having headed Disney Studios and founded the DreamWorks studios with Steven Spielberg. He launched Quibi – a streaming service to broadcast ‘short-bite’ shows on mobile phones – in August 2018 with £1.3 billion in funding.
Joining Mr Katzenberg at the meeting at Kensington Palace were fellow Quibi executives Janice Min and Brian Tannenbaum. The source said: ‘I believe Quibi first approached Harry and Meghan, who invited executives to meet them in London.
The couple met executives from streaming service Quibi (logo pictured) on January 30, 2019
‘There was discussion about a sustainable travel programme and another show about Harry’s charity interests in Africa. There was talk about Meghan narrating a nature documentary. Quibi held several discussions with them.’
The Duke reportedly had one further in-person meeting with Quibi executives in London in January 2020 – the month that the couple stepped back from Royal duties – but the talks petered out.
Harry and Meghan later relocated to California, where they now live in an £11 million mansion.
Quibi collapsed last December. Yesterday, Ms Min and Mr Tannenbaum both said they were unable to comment.
Mr Katzenberg did not reply to requests for comment.