Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have inked a lucrative, exclusive deal with streaming giant Netflix to produce "inspirational" programming in the coming years.

The couple stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family earlier this year, having complained about media intrusion in their lives, before moving to Hollywood to pursue new opportunities.

Now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will produce documentaries, docuseries, kids' shows, scripted programming and feature films with the expectation that they will appear in front of the camera in some of the unscripted projects.

In a joint statement, the pair said: "Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection.

"Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.

"As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens."

Among their projects already in development for Netflix are "an innovative nature docuseries and an animated series that celebrates inspiring women".