Harry & Meghan head to US cable

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

US cablenets Lifetime and National Geographic have ordered original programmes about the forthcoming British royal wedding from UK indies Emporium Productions and Spun Gold TV.

HRH Prince Harry will marry American actress Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in the UK on Saturday May 19 and networks on both sides of the Atlantic have been preparing their schedules accordingly.

A+E Networks-owned Lifetime has greenlit Harry & Meghan: Royal Rebels from London-based Emporium. The one-hour special looks at the traditions of royal weddings that the couple are updating or ignoring and will air on May 13.

It is the first time Emporium has worked with A+E Networks in the US and the deal was brokered by financer and distributor Silverlining, which was set up by ex-Tigress Productions and Channel 5 commissioner Bethan Corney in March 2012.

Nat Geo, meanwhile, will air Prince Harry’s Story: Four Royal Weddings, which is being produced by Spun Gold for UK commercial broadcaster ITV, on May 10.

The 1×60’ doc charts Harry’s journey since the death of his mother, HRH Diana Princess of Wales, through active service as a soldier in Afghanistan and his later international charity work, to his wedding.

After the wedding, on May 23, it has greenlit Operation Royal Wedding, another Spun Gold project that meets the people behind the scenes, charged with putting on the huge event and making sure the couple get the perfect wedding.