The Sussexes' Latest Gamble: Is Meghan Markle Exploiting Archie and Lilibet for Netflix?

In a move that has ignited a firestorm of controversy, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is reportedly planning to feature her two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in upcoming projects for Netflix. This alleged strategy has been met with immediate and scathing condemnation from royal commentators, who are not holding back in their accusations of exploitation and hypocrisy.

Leading the charge of critics is royal expert Carole Malone, who described the alleged plan as "sickening." Malone highlighted the stark contrast between the Sussexes' fervent demands for privacy for their family, which famously prompted their departure from royal duties and relocation to California, and this apparent willingness to parade their children before a global audience for financial gain.

"They whinged, they whined, they demanded privacy for their children, and now they are going to put them on TV," Malone remarked, encapsulating the sentiment of many who feel betrayed by the couple's shifting stance on public exposure.

The criticisms didn't stop there. Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield echoed Malone's outrage, unequivocally stating that the move constitutes "exploiting the children for financial gain." Schofield pointed to the immense financial pressures on the Sussexes to deliver content for their multi-million dollar deals with platforms like Netflix and Spotify.

The implicit suggestion is that the children are now being viewed as assets to fulfill these contractual obligations, rather than being shielded from the relentless glare of the public eye.

Indeed, the narrative surrounding Harry and Meghan’s post-royal careers has always been intertwined with their pursuit of financial independence.

However, observers question the ethics when this pursuit allegedly extends to commercializing their own offspring. This latest reported venture for Netflix appears to undermine their previous impassioned pleas for their children to lead normal, private lives away from the intense scrutiny that plagued their own upbringings within the Royal Family.

The long-term implications for Archie and Lilibet are a central concern for many.

At such tender ages, any involvement in television production could expose them to public judgment and a lack of true privacy that their parents ostensibly sought to protect them from. Critics argue that this decision prioritizes commercial interests over the well-being and fundamental right to a private childhood for the young royals, raising profound ethical questions about parental choices in the celebrity sphere.

As the Sussexes continue to navigate their independent careers, this latest report serves as a potent reminder of the tightrope walk between privacy and profitability.

The backlash suggests that for many royal observers, the line may have been unequivocally crossed, cementing the perception among some that their pursuit of media empire status comes at a deeply personal, and potentially exploitative, cost to their children.