Meghan Markle’s podcast Archetypes debuted last month, but after Queen Elizabeth’s death on Thursday, September 8, recent episodes are being held until further notice. Meghan and Prince Harry announced their partnership with Spotify in late 2020, which could be working with their recently established production company Archewell Audio, named after their first born, Archie.
When Archetypes was announced in a press release, it was planned as a podcast that investigates “the labels that attempt to hold women back.”
The Duchess of Sussex would host guests to “uncover the origin of those stereotypes and have uncensored conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape narratives.”
Her first guest was tennis great Serena Williams, who had recently announced her imminent retirement from the game. It was titled “The Misconceptions of Ambition” and was released August 23. Two days later it was the primary podcast in United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Latest Zealand and Canada on Spotify.
The second and third episodes featured Mariah Carey and Mindy Kaling. It’s unclear when future episodes will return to Spotify, however the Queen’s funeral is scheduled for September 19. The Sussexes are currently staying at Frogmore Cottage, their U.K. home on the Windsor estate.
The couple were seen at a surprise tour of tributes to the Queen that had been laid out at Windsor Castle, accompanying Prince William and Kate Middleton, who’re newly ascended to the title of Prince and Princess of Wales. They were invited last minute by William in what was seemingly a show of solidarity after several years of a strained family relationship. Meghan and Harry had stepped down from their positions as working members of the royal family and moved to California, which caused internal strife for the royal family at large.
A royal source told Folks that it was “a crucial show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.”
They added, “It’s such a rare historical moment and likewise a deeply personal one for the family that you simply’d hope and think that every one family members would unite and support [the King] especially. And maybe a few of those wounds will be healed in the method.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, might be released by Dial Press in February 2022.
