The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s pledge to “uphold the values” of the
Queen threatens a collision course with their new found freedom to strike commercial deals. The Duke and Duchess’s decision to resign as ‘senior’ Royals and become ‘financially independent’ allows them to earn cash to support their new, breakaway life. They have agreed not to use their HRH titles nor receive public funds. In a statement issued on Saturday night, Buckingham palace said the “Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty”. When asked what those values were, aides pointed to seven principles - known as the Nolan Principles - that were established by Lord Nolan as a code of conduct for public figures. The code, first published in 1995 when John Major was prime minister, includes a promise to be accountable and submit to public scrutiny and make decisions in an “open and transparent manner”. But at the same time, the Duke and Duchess have made clear their desire to be left alone to live as private citizens, out of the glare of the spotlight, and free to make their own business arrangements. Branding and public relations experts are divided on how much money the couple can make as they go it alone. But it also raises questions of conflict over their ability to abide by the Nolan principles in public life - as it appears the Queen thinks they should - while earning enough money to support a lifestyle they have been used to while in the Royal household. Sussexes quit | The best comment and analysis
Netflix, the entertaining streaming service, was quick off the mark to confirm its interest in working with the Sussexes. Asked at an event in
Los Angeles if he would like to do a deal with the Duke and Duchess, Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos replied: “Who wouldn’t be interested? Yes, sure.” Netflix has huge money to throw at projects and had already agreed a production deal with Barack and Michelle Obama. But there will be questions over how they can earn money without cashing in on the Royal brand. Gary Farrow, one of Britain’s leading public relations advisers, whose clients have included Sir Elton John, Jeremy Clarkson and Jonathan Ross among others, questioned what deals they could strike if they maintained their promise not to use their HRH status. He described the Duchess as a ‘B-list actress’ while pointing out that if the Duke was banned from talking about life in the Royal household, it would make him a much less commercial prospect. He said: “There is a thin line between taking the money and cheapening yourself so you become naff. They are not going to make the kind of money to pay for a Royal lifestyle that includes staff and travel and houses and security. There is no plan and no strategy. They can’t use the Royal brand so what is their brand now?” Buckingham Palace will watch keenly to see what the couple do in the future. It has been suggested they can each earn half a million dollars on speaking engagements while she could become a brand ambassador for luxury
fashion and cosmetics companies. Sources close to the Duke and Duchess insist there are no deals in the pipeline and that the couple want to spend more time as a family away from the
UK and out of the limelight while they consider their next plans. They have launched a new website SussexRoyal.com but they will come under pressure to drop the ‘royal’ tag if they use it to attract business.