(Image: @royalfamily/Twitter)
Cover (Image: @royalfamily/Twitter)

The former senior royals are joining the ranks of famous speakers like the Obamas and the Clintons by signing with The Harry Walker Agency

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed with The Harry Walker Agency, their first major career move since officially leaving their senior royal roles on March 31 this year.

The New York-based agency, which describes itself as “an exclusive speakers bureau and lecture agency representing the best in motivational speakers and keynote speakers” counts Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Jane Goodall amongst its clientele.

According to the Los Angeles Times report, former president Obama received US$400,000 for a speech in 2017, while the Clintons averaged US$250,000 for each appearance in 2014.

While the fees for the Duke and Duchess remain undisclosed, an unnamed source shared that the couple will be engaging in “moderated discussions and keynote speeches with trade associations, corporations and community forums”—something Harry and Meghan have dipped their toes in this February, when they spoke at JP Morgan's Alternative Investment Summit in Miami.

The couple will also be focusing on social issues such as racial justice, gender equity, environmental concerns and mental health—causes that they have long been championing, and will continue to support with their upcoming non-profit organisation Archewell.

According to a report by the Telegraph in April, Archewell will be involved in “organising and conducting support groups for persons in need” such as “emotional counselling” and “coordinating social, personal care, and psychological services”; a website “in the field of nutrition, general health and mental health”; as well as sharing “education and training materials” in the form of self-published books, podcasts, films, seminars, workshops, and more.

The non-profit has yet to launch due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but the couple has been steadfast in their activism work.

Harry and Meghan most recently volunteered with Los Angeles-based Homeboy Industries this week, a nonprofit founded by Father Greg Boyle which provides training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women. In an Instagram post by the organisation, the couple was seen donning face masks as they worked in Homeboy’s cafe and bakery, preparing food for “food-insecure seniors and youth across Los Angeles”.

Harry and Meghan were also involved with Project Angel Food in April, delivering free meals to people with HIV or Aids, cancer, and other illnesses for the charity.

On top of their volunteer work, the Duke and Duchess have also been educating themselves on issues of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. According to Omid Scobie, co-author of the couple’s biography Finding Freedom, his sources revealed that “Harry and Meghan have been having private conversations with community leaders and people at every level… By speaking to as many people and organisations as possible, it has been a way for them to feel connected to everything that's going on and learn more about the issues surrounding it.”

Earlier this month, Meghan famously addressed graduating students at her alma mater about systemic racism, following the death of George Floyd, and it seems likely that racial justice will be one of their key focuses in the near future.

Topics