Making his own film about his mother’: Prince Harry’s real project
A film crew spotted at Althorp, calls placed to people close to Diana, and a return to the United Kingdom shrouded in mystery: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still very much making headlines. Behind their private jet landing in Birmingham lies a project far more personal than it first appears.
A film about Diana: the project that would explain everything
It was Richard Kay, deputy editor at the Daily Mail, who lifted the lid on the Palace Confidential podcast. According to him, one of the main reasons for the Duke of Sussex’s return would be the making of a TV film about his mother, Princess Diana. He claims Harry has already reached out to friends and people who knew Diana, with a view to involving them in the project. This endeavour, he says, will occupy a large part of the prince’s thoughts over the next 12 months.
That account found an unexpected echo. Darren McGrady, former personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II and then to Princess Diana, whose confidant he also became, shared the news on Instagram. In his caption, he seemed to signal his own involvement, mentioning that he had crossed paths with a film crew during his visit to Althorp earlier in the week. A concrete detail that lends real weight to the rumours.
Richard Kay connects the project to the thirtieth anniversary of Diana’s death, due next summer. The princess, ex-wife of King Charles III, died on 31 August 1997 in a car crash beneath the Pont de l’Alma in Paris. She is buried at the Althorp estate, the Spencer family seat.
Althorp, a place of memory at the heart of the visit
The Althorp estate is no stranger to the Sussexes. Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother and a respected author, had welcomed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, along with their two children Archie and Lilibet, for a stay in early July. The Duchess had shared photographs on Instagram: the two children appeared from behind, flowers in hand, in an image that was understated yet deeply moving.
Charles Spencer himself is preparing a book about his sister, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, due out imminently. He explained in the Guardian that he wanted to set down his own memories in writing, as the 30th anniversary approaches, to correct the misconceptions that have built up over time and offer a faithful portrait of who Diana truly was. Two separate projects, carried by two people from the princess’s inner circle, are thus converging on the same symbolic moment.
The Sussexes’ productions: a trajectory already well established
This TV film would not be the couple’s first foray into the world of production. Harry and Meghan founded their company Archewell in 2020, and have since developed several projects in partnership with Netflix. Their autobiographical series Harry & Meghan was released in 2022. Harry has also already signed two personally driven documentary series.
- Heart of Invictus (2023): an immersive look behind the scenes of the Invictus Games.
- Polo (2025): a portrait of the sport he has played for years.
- The next edition of the Invictus Games will be held next summer in Birmingham.
- Meghan, for her part, is said to be keen to relaunch her acting career.
These motivations are not mutually exclusive. The Sussexes’ return to the United Kingdom appears to serve several purposes at once: maintaining ties with the charities and organisations Harry supports in his home country, preparing for the Invictus Games, and pressing ahead with the filmed project about Diana.
A divided public when it comes to Diana’s memory
The announcement of the TV film, like that of Charles Spencer’s book, has split opinion. On one side, some are curious to hear Diana’s story told by those who truly knew her. On the other, a portion of the public would prefer Diana to be left in peace, without new media projects built around her memory.
Harry himself has not commented on the rumours. Yet the clues are mounting: calls to Diana’s close circle, the presence of a film crew at Althorp, and a timeline that coincides with an anniversary laden with meaning. For the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, this return to England carries a far more intimate dimension than their professional commitments alone might have suggested. A year ago, Harry had said he could not imagine bringing his wife and children back to the United Kingdom: this visit marks a turning point, one whose full shape remains unclear to the wider public.
