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Prince Harry stretched his creative wings in his new Netflix docuseries, appearing at its center without the help of his wife, Meghan Markle.
Harry and Meghan's Archewell Productions company had released two core projects in its multi-million-dollar partnership with streaming giant Netflix: the royal bombshell-heavy series Harry & Meghan and the Live to Lead motivational speaking show, which were both fronted by the couple together.
On Wednesday, the new Heart of Invictus series made its Netflix debut, headed confidently by Harry who was credited as an "executive producer" without Meghan.
Harry is the patron and co-founder of the Invictus Games which presents wounded, sick and injured veterans with a platform to showcase their mental and physical strength in the form of a bi-annual sports tournament.
Predominantly Harry's area of interest, to what extent Meghan would be involved in the Heart of Invictus show has long been a subject of discussion.
In 2021, when the series was first announced, co-CEO and chief content officer for Netflix, Ted Sandros, said he looked forward to both royals working on the project.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Archewell Productions team are building an ambitious slate that reflects the values and causes they hold dear," he said in a press release. "From the moment I met them, it's been clear that the Invictus Games hold a very special place in their hearts, and I couldn't be happier that their first series for Netflix will showcase that for the world in a way never seen before."
The show promised a look at the journeys taken by competitors in order to get to the games. When the 2022 event took place in the Netherlands, Harry and Meghan were both photographed being shadowed by film crews.
On Wednesday, it became clear that the show was predominantly focused on the competitors and their achievements, with Harry taking part in interviews contextualizing these in the wider story of the Invictus Games, making a number of references to his own experiences.
The prince mentioned his army service, which took him on two tours of Afghanistan in 2008 and 2012, and how his mental health was impacted. He also discussed the mental health journey he went on as a result which saw him deal with issues he hadn't faced since the death of his mother, Princess Diana in 1997 when he was just 12 years old.
The extent of Meghan's involvement in the production of the show is unknown. Unlike Harry, she is not listed as an executive producer. However, the show was co-produced by the couple's joint Archewell Productions company.
The duchess' onscreen appearances are limited to b-roll footage captured during the games and satellite events, including footage taken of her speech during the 2022 games introducing her husband during the opening ceremony.
The absence of Meghan's onscreen input was discussed on British TV in the hours after the show's debut, with commentator Imarn Ayton suggesting that it was beneficial for the couple whose popularity took a hit following the release of Harry & Meghan and Harry's memoir, Spare.
"I think that works for their brand," Ayton told Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley of the couple pursuing individual projects.
"You almost have this kind of interesting dichotomy of this couple that is, one, celebrity, and two, royalty, and it's almost as if these opposite worlds are coming together, and with Harry, we get this moment where we just get to focus on the royalty, just get to focus on who he is and just get to focus on him and his brand.
"I think that will be helpful for them both moving forward," she said.
Meghan also undertook a major solo media project since moving to the United States with Harry in 2020, taking the form of her podcast Archetypes which explored the labels that are applied to women in modern society.
Through the series, which aired in 2022, Meghan interviewed stars like Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton, while also sharing her own personal insight into labels including "ambitious," "diva" and "angry Black woman."
The couple have not yet officially announced any further media projects, though it has been confirmed that their Archewell Productions company is working with Netflix on a screen adaptation of the romance novel Meet Me at the Lake, which is set to be their first scripted content released with through their streaming partnership.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more