The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not about to sign a “mega-bucks” deal with Dior, it has been reported.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has told The Telegraph that rumours regarding a potential partnership with the French luxury fashion house are not true.
The publication also quotes a source at Dior as saying that the reports, which dub Meghan the “Duchess of Dior”, have left the brand “nonplussed as to how the story came about”.
It comes after the Mail on Sunday reported that Meghan is in talks about taking on a deal with Dior, days after streaming giant Spotify ended its US$25m deal with the royal couple.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Harry and Meghan did not meet the “productivity benchmarks required to receive the full payout from the deal”. Under the three-year contract, which was signed in 2020, Meghan only delivered one series of her podcast, Archetypes, consisting of 12 episodes.
Archewell Audio, the Sussexes’ audio production company, announced the companies “have mutually agreed to part ways”.
But Spotify executive Bill Simmons, who hosts The Ringer podcast on the platform, lashed out at Harry and Meghan after the three-year deal came to an end and branded the pair “f***ing grifters”.
Simmons, who is Spotify’s Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetisation, is a vocal critic of the Sussexes and previously slammed Harry for “whining about s***”.
A source told the Mail on Sunday that rumours about a deal between Meghan and Dior have been swirling “for weeks” and have “put the gossip mill into overdrive”.
Although both Dior and the Sussexes’ representative have now denied the speculation, a deal between them would not come as a surprise. Both Harry and Meghan are fans of the label and frequently wear Dior designs when attending events.
Most recently, Harry wore a bespoke Dior suit to the coronation of his father, King Charles III, in early May, which some critics said was a controversial decision, as a number of other royals opted to wear British designers.
Last September, while attending the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Meghan wore a black hat designed by Stephen Jones for Dior.
According to The Telegraph, a source said that the duke inherited his “long-existing relationship with the house from his mother” and he “likes working with Dior and wearing their clothes”.
Diana, Princess of Wales, had a close relationship with the label, particularly after her separation from Charles in 1992. The classic “Lady Dior” bag was named for Diana’s title before her marriage into the royal family – Lady Diana Spencer.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Meghan, Harry and LVMH for comment.
