Prince Harry’s conversation about Meghan with Disney's CEO wasn’t actually a work pitch
Earlier this year, reports circulated suggesting that Prince Harry pitched hiring his wife Meghan for voiceover work to Disney CEO Bob Iger at The Lion King's UK premiere last summer.
But, it turns out he wasn't brazenly promoting his wife's skills —she had actually already been approached to narrate Disneynature's Elephant documentary, Hello! reports. The conversation between Harry and Iger was actually an inside joke.
In video taken of the conversation, Harry could be heard saying “you know she [Meghan] does voiceovers..."
"Oh, really?" Iger replied. Harry spoke about how Meghan would be interested in a future collaboration, and Iger said, "Sure. We'd love to try."
Meghan had, in reality, already been approached earlier that summer by filmmakers Mark and Vanessa Berlowitz about the project. Hello! writes that Meghan "had been aware of the film for some time and had seen some of the footage taken over a few years, so the team thought she would be a good fit for the narration given her passion for the subject".
She recorded the voiceover later that autumn, only agreeing to sign on in return for Disney donating to wildlife charity Elephants Without Borders. The charity made a statement this week about Meghan's involvement:
Harry and Meghan's dedication to conversation is inspiring. Together, we will continue to work to conserve Africa's natural heritage, with a focus on empowering the people who coexist with elephants. Everyone at EWB is grateful for their friendship and their unwavering support of our efforts to conserve this iconic species. Harry and Meghan have both visited us in Botswana, and [we] have no doubt that their passion and dedication will mean they continue to use their platform to make our world a better place. Thank you, Meghan. Because of you, this film brings knowledge and information to a global audience which in turn brings them closer to elephants. The impact will be global, reaching schools, more homes, and more countries.
A statement from @ElesWoutBorders, who worked with Duchess Meghan and @Disneynature on the upcoming @Disneyplus movie #Elephant.
EWB, who support local communities and their coexistence with elephants, are one of the orgs chosen by @DisneyConserves to benefit from proceeds🐘 pic.twitter.com/DbDsQ5IRMK— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 27, 2020
Elephant comes out on 3 April on Disney+. Royal reporter Omid Scobie reported yesterday that while, yes, Meghan did voiceover work for that Disney film, she has no other projects with them lined up.
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Despite speculative reporting, Meghan has no further deal with Disney (be it superheroes or animated films!).
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 26, 2020
The Duchess of Sussex, of course, was an actress before she married Prince Harry, starring on hit legal TV series Suits. She and Harry are now living in Los Angeles after stepping back from their senior royal family roles.
It was announced last night that they would be closing their official Sussex Royal Instagram account, after it was agreed that they'd cease using the word 'royal' in any of their official marketing and branding.
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