‘Harry & Meghan: The Royals in Crisis’ Special to Air on Fox
By Will Thorne
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Less than two weeks after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued a controversial statement announcing they were “stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family,” Fox has scheduled a one-hour special investigating the royal crisis which has ensued.
Titled “Harry & Meghan: The Royals in Crisis,” the investigation comes from and features more than a dozen people with ties to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as the rest of the Royal Family. Per , the special will also deal with the “quiet moves” that Harry and Meghan have been making to enter the entertainment world.
The special, which is being produced by Telepictures, is set to air Wednesday, Jan. 29 on the network. Harvey Levin, Ryan Regan and Don Nash serve as executive producers.
On Jan. 8, Harry and Meghan announced in an Instagram post that they were stepping back in order to work towards “becoming financially independent” and to raise their son between the United States and the United Kingdom.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” read the statement from the pair.
That same day, the Royal Family issued a much-publicized statement to the BBC in response, saying that “discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage,” implying that their “step back” wasn’t a done deal.
“We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through,” the Royal statement read.
Cue speculation from the world’s media that a rift had been caused in the Royal Family. However, the Queen released a subsequent statement on Monday saying that she had held “very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.”
“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family,” the Queen said in her statement.
Harry has since appeared at his first public engagement since the debacle brewed, and it remains to be seen to what extent he and Meghan will be involved in royal affairs going forward, and whether or not the couple will make the leap into entertainment that many suspect they will.
