Meghan Markle has consistently been labeled a diva since she started dating Harry — for things like wanting a baby shower, not wanting to take photos immediately post-birth, and so forth. Now, Harry's been getting that label, too, since he left the royal family to go live in Los Angeles, and their attempts to not be seen as snooty weren't helped when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's speaking engagement demands recently leaked. They have 11 requirements, ranging from how their payment will be handled, to who else gets to speak with them.
The Telegraph first reported on the list, and it's a doozy. This speaking arrangement is new for Meghan and Harry, and they're not messing around. Before marrying Harry, Meghan may have been an actress, but she wasn't exactly doing paid speeches all over the place. Harry was used to doing speeches, but not getting paid, so this is definitely new territory.
We can't really blame them for being thorough with their demands, since their whole lives are scrutinized at great length. They're probably just trying to protect themselves.
Should anyone be interested in getting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to speak in public, here are 11 demands that reportedly must be met.
Fun Fact: Harry & Meghan Signed With the Harry Walker Agency
As they become professional influencers instead of royals, Meghan and Harry took the plunge and signed with the Harry Walker Agency for speaking engagements. The company represents some of the biggest names around, including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Tina Fey, Serena Williams, and more.
1. Advance Payment
Meghan and Harry are not about to get hustled. Any speaking arrangement they're part of includes a stipulation that they're paid in advance. This is new territory for Prince Harry — who has never before been paid to speak — but he's ready to collect that cash now.
2. Where the Money Comes From Is Important
It's not just about securing the cash, it's also about where that cash is coming from. On their speaking demands list is a requirement that their fee be paid "directly from the contracting organization's account." This could be to protect Meghan and Harry from being used by a shell company, some shady organization to launder money/hide assets, or from having their contact/billing information given out to too many people. They're not taking any chances with their security.
3. Choosing Who Introduces Them
After they've been paid, and they show up to speak, Harry and Meghan want approval over who is introducing them. Maybe this means that they'll do the heavy lifting and secure their own person to announce them, or maybe they just want final say over who the event has chosen. If they get to pick their own, we hope Meghan eventually gets one of her Suits co-stars to do so — or Barack Obama. That would be fun.
4. Moderator Approval, Too
If the person moderating the panel (or the event) they're at is different than the person who introduced them, Meghan and Harry also want to be able to approve that. Panels are often moderated by journalists, and since Harry and Meghan have a tricky history with the press, we wouldn't be surprised to see media members kicked off the moderator list.
5. Knowledge How Many People Are Coming
Meghan and Harry's contract reportedly says they won't agree to appearing at any event until they know approximately how many people will be there. We'll pretend this is because they have concerns about too many people showing up (for security reasons), and not because they would potentially bail on an event without enough audience members.
6. And Who Is Coming
In addition to knowing the approximate audience size, Meghan and Harry want a description of who will be coming. If we had to guess, they probably want to know if the event in question is for young women, or if it's a military- or veterans-focused panel? It would be funny if the duo wanted to know like, "Betty, with the brown hair, Jake who wears glasses…"
7. Who's Funding the Occasion?
The Sussexes specifically wish to know which "corporations, individuals, members of the organization, and government entities or organizations" are sponsoring the speaking event. They probably want to make sure they don't have any conflicts with the brands, because it would be awkward for them to talk at an event sponsored by an organization they don't agree with.
8. Sponsor Transparency
After they've determined who is sponsoring the speaking event, Meghan and Harry want to know what exactly those sponsors are getting. Are they receiving a portion of the ticket fee? Are they just getting free advertisement? Are they getting the opportunity to brag that the duke and duchess are at their event? When it comes to Meghan and Harry, they believe that the more information they have about something, the better.
9. What's Going on in the Background?
If the event plans to have any musical or elements or playing while Meghan and Harry are speaking, they want to know about it. They broke this request down to the detailed specifics as well: "What will the audience see on screen? Will you incorporate any branding? What will the Speaker see on screen immediately prior to and during their presentation?"
10. A Desire to Be Glitch-Free
To avoid any technical difficulties, the duke and duchess want to know in advance "connection format" the organization will use to broadcast the event. They want to nix any potential problems in the bud before they even happen. That way no audience members get a chance to complain about a glitch or technical issue.
11. Who Else Is Speaking?
With the level of control they want over the small details, it makes total sense that Meghan and Harry would also want to know who else might be speaking alongside them. If there's someone on the slate they don't agree with, that could jeopardize the whole situation.
These Demands Aren't Actually Over-the-Top
We promise that Meghan and Harry aren't being divas. Most celebrities probably have similar contracts in place. All of these rules help ensure that Meghan and Harry are informed about who they're speaking with and for. Imagine if they didn't do their due diligence and they ended up at an event run by a political party they didn't agree with, or a shady organization? They would look foolish, and the press would have a field day. These rules help avoid that.
When All Is Said & Done, Harry & Meghan Will Make Lots of Money
Once the organization complies with all of their requests, Meghan and Harry could make out with a lot of cash for a short speaking segment. They're worth about $1 million per event right now. With that kind of money coming in, they'll be well on their way to achieving that financial independence they wanted when they stepped down from royal life.
... And This Is Only One of Their New Gigs
Speaking engagements can bring in a decent amount of money, but it's not the only thing that the former working royals are banking on to bring in cash. Harry and Meg recently signed a deal with Netflix that's reportedly worth $100 million. They'll be producing their own content for the streaming site, and Prince William is reportedly angry that Harry's going into business with the company behind The Crown.
