The British monarchy is braced for surprises that will hit the palace gates today, December 8, as Netflix releases the first three episodes of a series that promises to tell the ‘full truth’ about Prince Harry and Meghan’s estrangement from the royal family.
Promoted with double dramatically edited trailers that gives a clue of racism and a “war against Meghan,” the series “Harry & Meghan” is the couple’s latest effort to tell the world why they walked away from royal life and moved to Southern California almost three years ago. It is expected to expand on criticism of the royal family and the British media, delivered in a series of interviews over the past 18 month.
Netflix released the first three hour-long episodes on Thursday, December 8, with three more due December 15. The documentary includes video diaries recorded by Meghan and Harry apparently on their phones in March 2020, amid the couple’s sarcastic split from the royal family and move to the United States.
The Duke of Sussex has described how he sacrificed “everything that I know” to join Meghan “in her world”, in the new Netflix documentary.
Prince Harry disclosed that Meghan “sacrificed everything she ever knew, the freedom that she had, to join me in my world” and then he did the same for her.
Buckingham Palace has not yet responded to the claims in the documentary. A title at the beginning of the series indicated that the royal family declined to comment.
During the first hour-long episode which includes a sit-down interview with the couple as well as clips from a video diary, Harry is heard saying: “This is about duty and service, and I feel as though being part of this family, it is my duty to uncover this exploitation and bribery that happens within our media.
“My job is to keep my family safe. But the nature of being born into this position… and the level of hate that is being stirred up in the last three years especially against my wife and my son, I’m generally concerned for the safety of my family.”
Harry
Speaking in episode two, Harry says members of the Royal Family questioned why Meghan should be protected from newspaper headlines.
Meghan also spoke about the experience of meeting other royals, saying she found it surprising that the formality “carries over” even when not in public.
Harry And Meghan’s Marriage
Harry’s 2018 marriage to Meghan Markle, a biracial American and onetime actress, was once seen as boosting the royal family’s effort to move into the 21st century, making it more representative of a multicultural nation. But the fairy tale, which began with a star-studded ceremony at Windsor Castle, soon soured amid stories that Meghan was self-centered and bullied her staff.
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from royal duties and moved to California, alleging racial attacks by Britain’s tabloid media. Harry’s criticism of the media was shaded with anger over the way the press treated his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997 while being followed by photographers. The couple’s new life in America has been funded by lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify.
Race became a central issue for the monarchy following Harry and Meghan’s interview with American talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, in March 2021. Meghan alleged that before their first child was born, a member of the royal family commented on how dark the baby’s skin might be.
Prince William, the heir to the throne and older brother of Harry, defended the royal family after the interview, telling reporters, “We’re very much not a racist family.”
But Buckingham Palace faced renewed allegations of racism only last week when a Black advocate for survivors of domestic abuse said a senior member of the royal household interrogated her about her origins during a reception at the palace. Coverage of the issue filled British media, overshadowing William and his wife Kate’s much-anticipated visit to Boston, which the palace had hoped would highlight their environmental credentials.
Media attention was also diverted by Netflix’s decision to release the first trailer for ‘Harry & Meghan’ in the middle of the trip. The streaming giant has promised an ‘unprecedented and in-depth documentary series’ in which Harry and Meghan ‘share the other side of their high-profile love story.’
The program will be watched carefully in the U.K., where even the teasers were criticized for offering misleading images to back up the emotive narration alleging misogyny, unfair media treatment and racism.
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