Kiwi who broke Harry and Meghan story reveals what's next for royal couple

The Kiwi who broke the news that Meghan and Harry are stepping down from their senior royal duties says they will seek a "Hollywood approach to life" rather than a "royal approach".

Wellington-born Dan Wootton spoke to the Herald about the couple's departure from the royal family. As executive editor of the Sun in the UK, Wootton broke the news with a front page story the day before the official announcement.

Wootton, who has been covering the royal family for years, says Harry and Meghan will work on their new charitable foundation but also "pocket cash" from things like speaking arrangements, books and tours.

Kiwi-born journalist Dan Wootton broke the story the day before the official announcement. Photo / Getty Images

"Through Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry already has a deal to make a TV series for the new Apple streaming service," Wootton says.

"I think the model these two want to follow is much closer to the Obamas and the Clintons," Wootton told the Herald.

"Yeah, you can argue they do a lot of charitable work but they also pocket a lot of cash themselves through books, speaking deals, tours."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world with news that they're stepping down from their royal duties. Photo / Getty Images

Wootton says "people would be shocked if they knew the lengths the Queen has gone to make Harry and Meghan comfortable".

On top of giving them the house they wanted, there were other smaller details that the Queen used to try to make the Sussex family happy.

"No one knows that the Queen has given Harry and Meghan the rights to use her private chefs at Windsor and has gone to great lengths to make Meghan happy," Wootton said.

"The Queen has bent over backwards here."

Meghan and Harry's backdoor dealings have also angered their staff, who now fear for their jobs amid mounting pressure for the couple to give up funding for their office.

— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) January 9, 2020

Buckingham Palace's reaction to the news has not been the most positive but Wootton trusts the Queen's relationship with her grandson Harry will withstand the storm.

"Her relationship with Prince Harry is strong. I don't think there's an issue there but what we've seen with Prince Andrew is that when the Queen has to make a brutal decision for the sake of the monarchy, she will do it. Remember Prince Andrew is her favourite son," Wootton added.

Also in my @TheSun column this week: why vegans won’t bring me down, Rebecca Long-Bailey’s delusion, Beyoncé’s arrogance and Ricky Gervais’ brilliance: https://t.co/DSrd05ONib pic.twitter.com/NEmF0j9mNb

— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) January 9, 2020