Here’s What We Learned From Harry And Meghan’s Netflix Documentary

Topline

Prince Harry said he was concerned for the safety of his family due to the level of hate stirred up against them as he reflected on the suffering and harassment his mother Diana faced after her divorce from Prince Charles, in the first episodes of Netflix’s new six-part documentary about the Duke and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

The first half of the highly anticipated six-part show was released Thursday morning.

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Key Facts

Harry—who has previously been critical of the British press—said in the first episode he felt it was his duty to uncover “the exploitation and bribery that happens within our media.”

The later part of the episode switches focus to Harry’s childhood as he reflects on memories of his mother Diana and talks about how he feels she was left exposed and faced “new levels” of harassment after separating from his father.

Harry added he learned a lot from Diana, including the “pain and suffering of the women marrying into this institution.”

In the second episode, Harry said Meghan got no sympathy from members of the Royal Family when she was subjected to racist remarks from the British press as they simply viewed as hazing that all of them went through and “almost…a rite of passage.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Tangent

A segment of the documentary focuses on the controversy surrounding a leaked photo of Harry at a party where he was wearing a Nazi armband. After the incident, Harry says he met with the chief rabbi in London and a Holocaust survivor in Berlin. He says “I could’ve just ignored it and probably made the same mistakes over and over again in my life. But I learned from that.”

Crucial Quote

Speaking about marriages and the Royal Family, Harry said: “There can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who fits the mould, as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with.”

Key Background

Thursday’s release includes the first three of the six-episode documentary, directed by Emmy winner Liz Garbus. The second set of three episodes will be released on December 15. The couple stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and moved to California with their son, Archie. Harry and Meghan have spoken about their experiences in interviews before, but the Netflix documentary offers an unprecedented look into the closely guarded personal lives of the British royal family. The documentary series’ release comes just days after Harry’s brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, made their first official visit to the U.S. since 2014.

Tangent

Earlier this year, Netflix faced some backlash in the U.K.—including from political leaders and celebrities—ahead of the release of the fifth season of The Crown. The show is one of the streamer’s most popular dramas and is based on the life of the U.K.’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The show’s fifth season was criticized for portraying the U.K.’s new king, Charles III, in poor light. The season, which was delayed due to the Queen’s death, focussed on Charles’ tumultuous relationship with his former wife, Diana, their eventual divorce and her death in a fatal car accident. Criticism from the likes of Judi Dench and John Major prompted Netflix to add a disclaimer that the show was a “fictional dramatization…inspired by real events.”

News Peg

Last year, Harry and Meghan pulled back the curtain on the British Royal family in an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. In the interview, Meghan revealed that she had struggled with suicidal thoughts and mentioned that there were discussions at Buckingham Palace about the skin tone of her first baby after she became pregnant. Prince Harry admitted that racism “was a large part of” the reason why he and his wife Meghan left the U.K.

Topline

Key Facts

Tangent

Crucial Quote

Key Background

Tangent

News Peg

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