The Duchess of Sussex is in early discussions for a role in the Netflix series The Gentlemen, according to reporting by the BBC. This would mark the first significant acting role for Meghan since her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018. The negotiations follow news that the couple plans to relocate from the United States to a private residence in the United Kingdom later this month.
Meghan previously appeared as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits for seven seasons, with her final episode airing in 2018. At the time of her marriage, she described the transition as "a new chapter" rather than giving up her career. More recently, she filmed a cameo appearance as herself in the upcoming comedy Close Personal Friends, featuring Lily Collins and Brie Larson.
The Gentlemen, created by Guy Ritchie and starring Theo James, is a comedy series centered on a duke who becomes a drug baron. While specific details of Meghan's potential role have not been disclosed, the show has previously featured actors such as Hugh Bonneville and Vinnie Jones. Production for the series has largely taken place in the Cotswolds, an area where the Sussexes are rumored to be establishing a home.
For the public and government agencies in the United Kingdom, the couple's relocation involves significant administrative and financial considerations. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), an independent body overseen by the Home Office, must now determine the level of publicly funded security provided to the family. This follows the 2020 downgrading of their security status after they moved to the U.S. and began paying for their own protection. The scale of this change involves the daily security arrangements for the couple and their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, as they integrate into the British school system this September.
The move marks the first time the family will reside in the UK permanently since 2022, following a July visit to King Charles III at Highgrove. While the couple will live in a non-royal residence and do not plan to resume duties as working royals, their presence in the Cotswolds aligns with the filming locations for the Netflix series. The exact timeline for the acting negotiations remains in the early stages, but the family's physical move to the UK is scheduled to occur before the end of August.