Lifetime sure loves the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The lifestyle channel is set to release it’s third movie (in three years!) that chronicles the ups and downs of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s public relationship and royal connections. And, since Netflix’s The Crown is unlikely to cover present day drama, this is as close as royal watchers will get to seeing the couple portrayed onscreen.
Since the duke and duchess exchanged vows in 2018, we’ve seen made-for-TV productions Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance and Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal take off for the popular channel. Now, comes the third installment — Harry & Meghan: Escape From the Palace.
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Sydney Morton and Jordan Dean are the third pair of actors to play the couple in as many years. Previously, Parisa Fitz-Henry and Murray Fraser co-starred in Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance while Tiffany Smith and Charlie Field took over in Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal.
Related: Meghan Markle is publishing her first children’s book.
According to a press release, Escaping the Palace will explore the controversial “royal exit” and the reasons behind Harry and Meghan’s ultimate relocation to California. “The movie will detail Meghan’s growing isolation and sadness, their disappointment that ‘The Firm’ was not defending them against the press’s attacks and Harry’s fear that history would repeat itself and he would not be able to protect his wife and son from the same forces that may have contributed to his mother’s untimely death,” the statement reads.
No doubt the new film’s screenwriters took copious notes from Harry and Meghan’s explosive Oprah Winfrey interview in March. The press release also revealed that the film would touch on the strained relations between Harry and his brother, Prince William, and his father, Prince Charles.
Although it’s unlikely that a made-for-TV movie will result in much hand-wringing at Buckingham Palace, it’ll still likely be a thorn in the side of the royal family who are so desperately trying to swerve the narrative away from the enterprising couple. Since stepping back from royal duties in March 2020, Harry and Meghan have gone on to ink deals with Netflix, drop their first podcast and plan for the release of Meghan’s highly-anticipated children’s book.
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Although an official release date is still TBD, Lifetime is aiming for a fall 2021 premiere. Production on Harry & Meghan: Escaping The Palace kicked off in Vancouver this week.
See also: All the baby name predictions for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby girl.
