Meghan Markle’s As Ever Brand Moves Forward Independently as Netflix Partnership Enters a New Phase

 

Meghan Markle’s latest business turn has placed renewed focus on how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are managing the next chapter of their post-royal public life. In the clearest recent development, Netflix has ended its involvement with Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever, with both sides framing the split as an expected transition toward independent growth rather than a public rupture. ITV reported that Meghan believed Netflix had been too cautious with the expansion of the range, while Netflix’s statement said the brand would continue into its next chapter independently. 

That distinction matters because the brand partnership is separate from the couple’s broader screen relationship with Netflix. Archewell Productions’ entertainment arrangement did not disappear this week. Netflix officially announced in August 2025 that Archewell had extended its creative partnership under a multi-year first-look film and television deal, meaning the company still has an active pathway to pitch projects to the streamer even as As Ever moves out on its own. 

Still, the tone around the Sussex media portfolio has undeniably changed. First-look deals offer access and opportunity, but they are more conditional than the kind of splashy early-pandemic mega-deal language that originally defined the couple’s arrival in Hollywood. In practical terms, that means projects now need to move through normal development filters, and not every idea automatically becomes a produced title. 

That is where the present scrutiny is landing. Reports this week have centered on the status of announced adaptations linked to Archewell, particularly Meet Me at the Lake and The Wedding Date. Multiple outlets have said those projects remain in development rather than in active production, and there has been no confirmed announcement of casting or directing attachments so far. That does not mean the projects are dead, but it does mean the public-facing momentum has slowed compared with the excitement that surrounded their first announcement. 

For the Sussexes, the challenge is now less about launching new headlines and more about converting profile into durable output. Their 2022 Harry & Meghan documentary proved there was still enormous audience interest in their story. But streaming companies in 2026 are operating in a more selective environment, with stronger emphasis on performance, clear audience demand, and projects that move efficiently from concept to screen. 

At the same time, Prince Harry is dealing with a separate and highly visible test in London. His privacy case, alongside other claimants, against Associated Newspapers is currently in trial at the High Court in a nine-week proceeding over alleged unlawful information gathering dating back decades. Sky News and Reuters both note the scale of the case and the significant costs already surrounding it, making it one of the largest remaining fronts in Harry’s long-running campaign against sections of the British press. 

Taken together, these developments create a more revealing picture than any single rumor cycle. Meghan’s brand has not vanished, but it has lost the backing of one of the world’s biggest entertainment companies. Archewell’s Netflix relationship has not ended, but it is now defined by a first-look structure that demands results. Harry’s legal strategy remains active, but it continues to consume time, public attention, and financial resources while the couple’s media slate searches for its next clear win. 

The larger story, then, is not simply collapse or comeback. It is transition. Meghan Markle is now being tested as an independent brand operator without Netflix attached to As Ever, while Archewell’s creative future depends on whether development can become delivery. For Harry and Meghan, visibility has never been the problem. In this phase, execution is the part everyone is watching.