Meghan Markle reportedly dropped from Guy Ritchie's 'The Gentlemen' amid move to the UK
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle has reportedly been dropped from consideration for a role in Season 3 of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series ‘The Gentlemen’ after intense backlash in the United Kingdom, casting uncertainty over her potential acting comeback.
The development comes as Prince Harry and Meghan prepare to return to the UK for an extended period. Their children are expected to attend school there, while the couple will reportedly live in a non-royal residence and continue their business enterprises.
Meghan Markle’s 'The Gentlemen' casting reportedly scrapped amid backlash
Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, reported in a Saturday, August 22, Substack column that Meghan's casting in Season 3 of ‘The Gentlemen’ had been withdrawn.
Brown wrote that the backlash in the UK had become so intense that continuing with the casting was “untenable” and added that the development did not bode well for the 45-year-old's acting comeback in the country. She later confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that she stood by her reporting.
Brown is also the author of two bestselling books about the British royal family. The report followed previous revelations that Meghan was in advanced discussions to join the third season of the series.
Her role was reportedly being written specifically for the season, although the show has not yet been renewed for a third season. Season 2 of the series, which is filmed in the UK, is scheduled to premiere September 3 and stars Theo James.
Ritchie, who created the series and adapted it from his 2019 film of the same name, reportedly met Meghan through mutual acquaintances. The role would have marked the mother of two's return to acting after she stepped away from the profession in 2017 following her engagement to Prince Harry.
The couple has also maintained a relationship with Netflix since moving to California in 2020. Their overall deal produced docuseries including ‘Harry & Meghan’, ‘Polo’, and ‘With Love, Meghan’ before being downgraded to a first-look deal last year. Earlier this year, Netflix also announced that it was exiting Meghan's lifestyle brand.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry prepare to return to the UK
The development comes as the couple prepares to return to the UK at the end of August for "an extended period," according to Page Six. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are also expected to be enrolled at a school there.
A source told Page Six that the palace was made aware of the move and that King Charles was informed on Sunday. An insider claimed Charles was the reason for the move and said the king looked forward to spending more time with Harry and Markle personally, while making clear that their status as private individuals and “non-working members” of the royal family would not change.
Charles has also maintained that there would be “no half-in, half-out option” for working royals, a rule previously held by Queen Elizabeth. According to the Sun, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will move into “a non-royal residence” while continuing their business enterprises.
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping away as “senior” members of the royal family and planned to become financially independent while supporting Queen Elizabeth. They said they intended to divide their time between the UK and North America and raise Archie with an appreciation for royal tradition.
In March 2021, the couple spoke with Oprah Winfrey about their experiences within the royal family. Meghan described entering the royal family “naively” and distinguished between the family and those running the institution.
She also claimed she was not being protected, felt lonely and isolated, and revealed that she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.” Meghan further alleged that some members of the royal family had concerns about how dark Archie’s skin might be when he was born.
