1/6
They are excited: Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan in their Netflix series ‘Harry & Meghan’ released last Thursday.
Patricia BroderPeople Editor
Exactly three months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II († 96), Netflix released the first three episodes of the six-part documentary about Prince Harry (38) and Duchess Meghan (41) last Thursday. Royal pundits saw the miniseries in advance as a “declaration of war” on Buckingham Palace. But in the first episodes there are no great revelations, indeed the Sussex couple opens their private photo album and offers intimate insights into their mutual knowledge and their private life. Then we learn that the first photo Harry saw of Meghan was a dog-eared Snapchat selfie and Meghan in turn was very taken with Harry’s Instagram profile and photos of her from Africa.
Parallels with mother: Already in the first half of the first episode, Prince Harry draws a comparison between his wife and his late mother, Princess Diana († 36). He doesn’t want his “mom’s” fate to repeat itself, Harry says. In doing so, he also clarifies the main culprits of his accusation of him in the first episode: the British media, which allegedly led to Diana’s death in 1997.
Just before the start: Netflix shows the new trailer of the documentary about Harry and Meghan(01:19)
Snipe to brother William
He followed his heart in choosing Meghan, explains the prince, although there is a great temptation for men of the royal family to marry a partner who can adapt. In the British press, this comment was seen as a dig at his brother Prince William (40) and Princess Kate (40).
What is striking: neither the father, King Charles III. (74), neither his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, nor his brother William were mentioned in large letters. In the third episode, the colonial history of Great Britain and the royal family is highlighted. Harry also recalls his menacing Nazi disguise, which he wore to a costume party in 2005. This was “one of the biggest mistakes of my life,” explains Harry, saying he’s learned a lot since then. He also talks about his family’s “unconscious biases and imprints.” They would make sure he had no clue about the racist media reports about his future wife. “They photographed a homeless area and claimed that I live there and that she is from there,” recalls Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland (66).
lies and image theft
Harry’s family members, on the other hand, have no say in the documentary series. In a statement ahead of the episode, Netflix said members of the royal family declined to comment on the content of the series. Palace sources contradicted this soon after publication – he wasn’t even asked.
We will probably never know who is lying. But one thing is already clear after the trailer of the glossy biography: in their visually stunning production, Harry and Meghan are not always so precise with the truth: for example, a scene of many paparazzi pointing their cameras at the couple turned out to be a recording of a Harry Potter premiere in 2011. Meghan and Harry weren’t even there. Another sequence intended to show the couple being followed in a car shows a former lawyer for former US President Donald Trump (76). The lawyer was on his way to jail. This attitude also has nothing to do with renegade royalty.
Royal Documentary Expert: “A lot of calculations are needed”(02:43)
Racism allegations against Oprah Winfrey
Harry and Meghan haven’t yet delivered the big surprises of their Netflix series, so we can be even more excited about the upcoming episodes. Will Harry drop the bombshell and fill the gap he left in an interview with US queen of speeches Oprah Winfrey (68) in March 2021? At the time, he and Meghan had accused the British royal family of racism without naming specific names. Perhaps the prince will save it for the publication of his autobiography “Reserve”, which is due out in January 2023.
The first three episodes of ‘Harry & Meghan’ are available on Netflix. The next and last one will appear on December 15, 2022.
