Meghan Markleisbringing an animated series to Netflix— with the help of friend David Furnish.
Meghan andPrince Harry’s Archewell Productionsannounced Wednesdaythat it is developing a family series calledPearl(working title) that centers on a 12-year-old girl’s “heroic adventure as she learns to step into her power and finds inspiration from influential women throughout history,” Netflix said in a new press release.
The Duchess of Sussex will serve as the series' executive producer alongside Furnish, a Canadian filmmaker who marriedElton Johnin 2014.
Meghan andPrince Harry’s have a years-long relationship with John and Furnish, dating back to the music icon’s friendship with Harry’s mother,Princess Diana.
Elton John with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Niklas Halle’n-WPA Pool/Getty
John and Princess Diana met at Prince Andrew’s 21st birthday party in 1981, the singer recalled in his 2019 autobiographyMe.
“She was blessed with an incredible social ease, an ability to make people feel totally comfortable in her company,” he wrote. “That night in 1981, she arrived in the ballroom and we immediately clicked. We ended up pretending to dance the Charleston while hooting at the disco’s feebleness.”
John said that Diana was “fabulous company, the best dinner party guest, incredibly indiscreet, a real gossip: you could ask her anything and she’d tell you.”
The friends had a falling out about a year before her death, when Princess Diana pulled out of contributing to a book for charity that John had organized.
“It was only really when Gianni Versace was murdered that we both got on the phone to each other and said, ‘This is so stupid. We haven’t talked,’ you know,” John said onCNNin 2002. “It’s one of those things that friends sometimes do. You know, they’re too proud to pick up the phone.”
Princess Diana and Elton John.GERARD JULIEN/AFP via Getty
John famously performed “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Diana’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, changing some of the lyrics to honor her.
“There was a sense in which it was the biggest gig of my life — for four minutes, I was literally going to be the centre of the world’s attention — but equally, it wasn’t an Elton John moment, it wasn’t about me at all,” Johnlater said.
Elton John at Princess Diana’s funeral.Anwar Hussein/Getty
The singer maintained a relationship with Diana’s two sons. In 2007, 10 years after the royal’s tragic death,Prince WilliamandPrince Harryjoined John on stage at Wembley Stadium in London for a tribute concert for Diana, where he performed “Your Song.”
Elton John, Prince William and Prince Harry.Getty
John and Furnish were also guests at Prince William’s 2011 wedding toKate Middleton, and the musician attended and performed at the 2018 wedding reception of Prince Harry and Meghan.
Elton John and David Furnish at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Prince Harryand Meghan continued their friendship with the couple, from Harry working with John and Furnish at the launch of the Menstar Coalition to promote HIV testing and treatment to catching up at the 2019 premiere ofThe Lion King, when John greeted them with a huge smile and pulled Meghan in close to whisper something in her ear.
Prince Harry with Elton John and David Furnish.Michael Kovac/Getty
Elton John and Meghan Markle.NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP via Getty
Shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their son Archie in 2019, the couple took avacation to Nice in the south of France, with headlines focused on their use of a private jet to make the journey — a seeming contradiction to their stance on protecting the environment.
John continued, “After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home. To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight.”
Can’t get enough ofPEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
John alsoaddressedthe Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision totake legal action against the British tabloid media.
“They were very upset that their phones had been hacked,” he toldNPR. “I said, ‘Listen, you take the appropriate action you want to take. You have to know that when you take appropriate action like this, there are going to be consequences and people are not going to like it. But if you feel like you have an injustice….'”
“I’ve always lived my life fighting injustice with the press,” he continued. “I like the press, there’s a need for the press, but sometimes they step out of their bounds. And hacking phones is not acceptable. If you phone is hacked, you’ve got to take action because the press cannot do that. So I have to say, ‘Bravo.’ "
In 2020, John joined other celebrities in reflecting on the difficult year for Meghan and Harry’sholiday podcast episodethrough Archewell Audio.
source: people.com
