The Duchess of Sussex is creating and producing Archewell Productions first
animated series as part of the Sussexes' deal with streaming giant Netflix.
Pearl will center on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl, who is
inspired by influential women throughout history. In a statement, Meghan
shared her excitement about the project: "Like many girls her age, our heroine
Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily
challenges. I’m thrilled that Archewell Productions, partnered with the
powerhouse platform of Netflix, and these incredible producers, will together
bring you this new animated series, which celebrates extraordinary women
throughout history. David Furnish and I have been eager to bring this special
series to light, and I am delighted we are able to announce it today."
As noted above, David Furnish will serve as an executive producer. Furnish is
married to Sir Elton John and the couple have been incredibly supportive of
the Sussexes over the past several years. I remember when Harry and Meghan
attended the premiere of The Lion King when Archie was just two months
old, Elton pulled Meghan in to share words of encouragement. Shortly after, he
loaned them his private jet and defended the couple from a torrent of
backlash: "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 tranquillity of our home. To maintain a high level of
much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight." David
served as producer on Rocketman and Gnomeo and Juliet said "Meghan and I are
deeply passionate about bringing the inspirational and positive stories of
extraordinary women from around the world to a global audience of all ages."
Amanda Rynda (The Loud House, DC Super Hero Girls) will serve as
showrunner and producer. More from the
Hollywood Reporter:
'Showrunner Rynda previously served in the same role for Warner Bros. DC
Super Hero Girls and was creative director for Nickelodeon’s Emmy-winning
kids series The Loud House. “I’m so energized to be helping execute
Meghan’s creative vision in showcasing an empowerment story that
entertains and inspires,” she said. “The character journey would have
delighted me as a child, and I’m overjoyed to be on the creative team
bringing forward themes I’m passionate about as an adult.”
Pearl arrives as Netflix continues to ramp up its kids programming. The
streamer already has multiple series in the works from former Disney
hit-maker Chris Nee — including two projects that count the Obamas as EPs,
We the People and Ada Twist, Scientist.'
Other producers include Dan Cogan (Icarus), Carolyn Soper
(Tangled) and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus. Garbus recently
created a superb docuseries bringing the late Michelle McNamara's monumental
book I'll Be Gone in the Dark to the screen for HBO. McNamara
relentlessly investigates the crimes of the Golden State Killer. Garbus
captured the sensitivity and humanity McNamara gave the victims and families
of the crimes whilst paying tribute to a multi-talented writer and
investigator. Garbus will be a terrific addition to a fantastic team.
'Netflix revealed in April that it teamed with Archewell for Heart of
Invictus, a docuseries produced in partnership with the Invictus Game
Foundation that highlights the resilience and hope from competitors
participating in the titular event’s The Hague 2020.
“An exciting tale that weaves together fantasy and history, Pearl focuses
on a young girl who learns to step into her own power when she embarks on
a heroic adventure and meets important women from history along the way,”
added Megan Casey, Netflix’s Director of Original Animation. “We’re
excited to develop this animated series with our partners at Archewell
Productions and Story Syndicate.”
I was interested to see several eagle-eyed tweeters noted the name 'Meghan' is
of Greek derivation and means 'Pearl'.
I'm very excited to hear more about Pearl in the coming months!
Prince Harry joined Prince William at Kensington Palace this afternoon for the
unveiling of a much anticipated statue of their late mother, Diana, on what
would have been the Princess' 60th birthday. Harry returned to the UK last
Friday and quarantined at Frogmore Cottage before
attending the WellChild Awards
yesterday.
In a joint statement, William and Harry said: "Today, on what would have been
our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character –
qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless
lives for the better. Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope
is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her
legacy. Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their
outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and
to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive."
The statue was commissioned in 2017, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of
Diana's death. At the time, the princes released a statement reading: "It has
been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her
positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. Our
mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit
Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy." They added "the time
was right" to recognise the positive impact their mother had made on so many
people all over the world.
A six-strong committee, with members including Diana's sister Lady Sarah
McCorquodale and the princes' mentor Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, chose sculptor
Ian Rank-Broadley for the prestigious commission.
The renowned British sculptor has produced much-admired works, including
designs of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Queen Mother for British
coinage. In 2012, he was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by
the Vicenza Numismatica.
The small gathering saw committee members invited alongside Diana's siblings,
Charles Spencer, Lady Jane Fellows and the aforementioned Sarah.
The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex have unveiled a statue to mark
what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday.@SkyRhiannon
says the statue aims to convey her character and compassion.
The Palace said the design was chosen to "reflect the warmth, elegance and
energy of Diana, Princess of Wales", adding, "The figure of Diana, Princess of
Wales is surrounded by three children who represent the universality and
generational impact of the Princess’ work. The portrait and style of dress was
based on the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as
an ambassador for humanitarian causes and aims to convey her character and
compassion."
A plinth beneath the statue is engraved with Diana's name and today's date. In
front, a paving stone is engraved with an extract from the poem 'The Measure
of a Man', which featured in the programme for the 2007 memorial service for
Diana:
“These are the units to measure the worth
Of this woman as a woman regardless of birth.
Not what was her station?
But had she a heart?
How did she play her God-given part?”
Ian Rank-Broadley revealed the bronze statue is "1.25x life size. It was cast
by Castle Fine Arts Foundry in the traditional 'lost-wax' process with a
patina of a bluish green over black. The cast is hollow and is supported by a
stainless-steel armature." He spoke about the commission and how he hoped to
capture the Princess. "Diana, Princess of Wales was an icon who touched the
lives of people right around the world, so it has been a privilege to work
alongside Prince William and Prince Harry on this statue which commemorates
her life. We wanted to capture her warmth and humanity while showcasing the
impact she had across generations. I hope that people will enjoy visiting the
statue and the Sunken Garden, and taking a moment to remember The Princess."
To coincide with the unveiling of the statue, photos of the beautifully
redesigned Sunken Garden were revealed.
The garden was one of Diana's favourite spots and palace gardeners fondly
remember her frequent visits. Pip Morrison led the project working closely
with the Historic Royal Palaces team led by Deputy Head of Gardens and
Estates, Graham Dillamore.
In a statement, the Palace revealed, "The new design for the garden by Pip
Morrison retains the historic structures within a simplified layout of deeper
flower borders and a more generous lawn around the pool to create a calmer and
more reflective setting for the statue. The planting design features a number
of the Princess’s favourite flowers, including forget-me-nots, as well as many
other spring and summer blooms in a variety of pastel shades. Work on the
garden began in October 2019, and since then five gardeners have spent a total
of 1,000 hours working on planting."
Pip Morrison said, "This has been a very special project to work on, as the
Sunken Garden was a favourite place of Diana, Princess of Wales. We have
worked carefully to ensure that the new layout and planting scheme compliments
the statue, providing a calming place for people who visit Kensington Palace
to remember the Princess."
Graham Dillamore added, “While she was in residence at Kensington Palace,
Diana, Princess of Wales regularly admired the changing floral displays in the
Sunken Garden and would always stop to talk with me and the other gardeners
who cared for it. Over three decades later, I’m honoured to have been part of
the team preparing the garden for the installation of this statue. We’ve
incorporated a number of the Princess’s favourite flowers into the design, and
I hope that visitors to the palace and gardens will enjoy its peaceful
setting, and take a moment to reflect on the life and legacy of the Princess."
More than 4.000 individual flowers have been planted, including 500 lavender
plants, 100 dahlias, 50 sweet peas, 200 roses of five varieties including
Ballerina and Blush Noisette, 300 tulips and forget-me-nots.
Forget-me-nots are particularly synonymous with Diana. We've seen the flowers
chosen to honour her time and time again by her sons and daughters-in-law. In
2006, Harry joined Prince Seesio of Lesotho in creating Sentebale, a charity
dedicated to honouring their mothers' legacies in supporting those affected by
HIV and AIDS. The name, of course, means 'Forget Me Not'. On the day before
their wedding, Prince Harry handpicked forget-me-nots from Kensington Palace
for Meghan's bridal bouquet in memory of his mother. Last September, Harry and
Meghan marked Diana's anniversary by planting them at Assistance League
Preschool Learning Centre.
To mark Meghan's first Mother's Day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a
very sweet photo of the new mother with Archie in the gardens of Frogmore
Cottage against the backdrop of forget-me-nots.
The Duchess of Cambridge chose the little blue flowers to feature as part of her
'Back to Nature' garden at RHS Chelsea. Below, Kate planting ahead of the
unveiling of the garden. It was reported Kate wanted the garden to reflect
"memories".
For the launch of the garden, attended by the Queen, Kate's
Erdem
'Shebah' dress was adorned with forget-me-nots.
Below, William, Kate and Harry viewing the Sunken Garden in 2017, when it was
transformed and temporarily renamed 'the White Garden' in memory of Diana.
Today's event follows a message Harry shared for Diana Award recipients just
days ago. The Prince said, "Our mum believed that young people have the power
to change the world. She believed in your strength because she saw it day in
and day out and in the faces of young people exactly like you, she witnessed a
boundless enthusiasm and passion. Meg and I fundamentally believe that our
world is at the cusp of change, real change for the good of all."
As always, crowds gathered outside KP to mark Diana's birthday.
Large crowd gathered outside Kensington Palace as wellwishers and media
try to be as close to the action — taking place privately behind a large
hedge — as possible.
#dianaat60#princessdianapic.twitter.com/n4T7OXTFuB
"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in
the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." - Diana,
Princess of Wales.
And on that fitting note, I'm reminded of another quote of Diana:
"Family is the most important thing in the world."
Today is about honouring Diana and what she meant to her sons and the family
she never had the opportunity to meet: Kate, Meghan, George, Charlotte, Louis,
Archie and Lilibet. I'm very much hoping for today we can keep the focus on
Diana herself and the legacy of a woman who meant so much to so many.
