Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce first Netflix series
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed their first project with Netflix - and it's something close to the prince's heart.
The couple will produce Heart of Invictus, a documentary series about the Invictus Games, which Harry set up after leaving the armed forces.
The series will be the first project for Archewell Productions, which they set up to produce programmes for Netflix.
A multi-episode series will follow a "group of extraordinary competitors from around the globe" as they train for the Invictus Games. The competitors will be getting ready for the games in The Hague 2022, which have been rescheduled twice, having originally been planned for 2020.
Harry said: "Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve. This series will give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year.
"As Archewell Productions’ first series with Netflix, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service."
Watch: Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce opening project for Archewell
Read more: Who's who in Harry and Meghan's Archewell foundation?
The series will be directed by Oscar winners Orlando von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara.
Harry will appear on camera during the show and will be executive producer.
The Invictus Games Foundation will also be an executive producer with the series providing "significant funding" for the organisation.
Dominic Reid, chief executive of the Invictus Games Foundation, said: "We’re very excited about the opportunity to shine the global spotlight of Netflix on the men and women that we work with, in order to ensure that even more people can be inspired by their determination and fortitude in working towards their recovery.
"This partnership will also bring in significant funding to the charity. We are extremely grateful to our Founding Patron for his continued efforts to support the military community, and for making this partnership happen."
Read more: Meghan Markle was told she could continue acting, says Diana's biographer Andrew Morton
Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer of Netflix said: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Archewell Productions team are building an ambitious slate that reflects the values and causes they hold dear.
"From the moment I met them, it’s been clear that the Invictus Games hold a very special place in their hearts, and I couldn’t be happier that their first series for Netflix will showcase that for the world in a way never seen before."
Meghan and Harry confirmed their deal with Netflix last summer in one of the first announcements of their post-royal life but had not yet revealed any of the projects.
They have said they are working on children's programming.
The couple also has a deal with Spotify to produce podcasts.
Speaking about the deals in their interview with Oprah Winfrey at the beginning of March, they said they "didn't have a plan" for earning money when they quit their senior royal roles, but decided to work with the two giants when they were cut off financially.
Harry set up the Invictus Games for injured and wounded former service personnel after seeing a similar scheme in the US.
There have been several events since then around the world, including in London, Toronto, and Sydney.
The 2020 Games had to be delayed because of the pandemic and are now scheduled for Spring 2022.
