Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sign multi-year production deal with Netflix

The royal couple will produce children's shows and scripted content for the streaming platform

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed a multiyear deal with Netflix. AP

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed an exclusive multi-year production deal with Netflix.

Six months after stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family, the couple have announced a partnership with the streaming platform through which they will produce films and series, ranging from children's shows to scripted content, for an undisclosed fee. They also plan to highlight diversity in front of and behind the camera.

"Our focus will be on creating content that informs, but also gives hope,” the couple said in a statement on Wednesday. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.”

Meghan, a former star of the US drama series Suits, has no plans to return to acting as part of the deal.

The couple have no previous experience as producers, but Netflix said they already have several projects in development, including a nature documentary series and an animated series that celebrates inspiring women.

"We're incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home," the streaming platform's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, said in a statement.

The Netflix deal follows a similar pact in 2018 with former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

Harry and Meghan had reportedly been speaking with other Hollywood companies, including Walt Disney Company and Apple Inc.

Last month released Rising Phoenix, a documentary about the Paralympic Games, in which Harry, who founded the Invictus Games for wounded veterans, makes a brief appearance.

Harry had previously teamed up with the Apple TV+ streaming service to make a documentary with Oprah Winfrey about mental health. The film, which was in the works before the couple stepped back from their royal duties, is yet to be released.

In June, the couple signed with the Harry Walker Agency in New York, which serves as an agent for lectures by clients such as former US Presidents Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as Winfrey. Harry and Meghan are expected to speak together and individually on issues such as racial justice, gender equity, the environment and mental health.

The couple recently bought a mansion in the celebrity enclave of Montecito, north of Los Angeles, after making a move to the US earlier this year. Since arriving in California in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, they have undertaken some low-profile charity work, handing out supplies to families in need.