LOS ANGELES • Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are ready to hit the speakers' circuit after signing with an agency that works with former United States president Barack Obama and other high-profile clients, according to a person familiar with their plans.

The pair is being represented by the New York-based Harry Walker Agency, whose roster of speakers includes Mr Obama and former US first lady Michelle Obama, former US president Bill Clinton and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, as well as talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, the person said on Wednesday.

The move is one of the first major steps by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to engage in paid work beyond the British royal family. They had announced plans in January to lead a more independent life and to finance it themselves.

The couple now live in Los Angeles with their one-year-old son Archie, according to media reports.

Their speaking engagements will focus on issues such as racial justice, gender equity, the environment and mental health. Mental health is an important topic to Prince Harry, who has talked publicly about his struggles with grief following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.

Harry and Meghan will speak together and individually, the person familiar with their plans said.

The arrangement with Harry Walker, owned by media company Endeavor Group, was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The speaking circuit can be lucrative for high-profile celebrities. Big-name speakers can earn six figures for a single appearance.

Meghan recently narrated a Disney nature documentary and Harry teamed with Winfrey for an upcoming mental health documentary. Both projects were in the works before they stepped back from the royal family.

Harry and Meghan have also supported charitable causes.

On Tuesday, they donned hair nets, aprons and face masks to bake with employees of Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles-based social justice organisation that hires former prisoners and gang members.

REUTERS