Topline
Harry and Meghan once again criticized the British press who they blame for trying to start a feud between themselves and Prince William and his wife Kate over their growing popularity as the Duchess of Sussex opened up about having suicidal thoughts* at one point, in the final three episodes of the Netflix Documentary about the British royal couple which has stirred controversy in Britain.
FILE PHOTO: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a Creative Industries … [+]
Key Facts
In the early part of the fourth episode of the series, Meghan warmly talks about Harry’s father, Charles, whom she calls “charming” and her public engagements and private interactions with the Queen, recollecting her grandmotherly affection.
The episode then talks about the couple’s growing popularity after their wedding, interspersed with headlines from the British press indicating they stole the limelight from and are a threat to Prince William and his wife Kate—prompting Harry to draw parallels between that situation and her mother to Diana who was often accused of stealing the limelight from her husband.
Talking about the pain caused by the negative press Harry recollects his mother in the back of cars going to public engagements in “floods of tears” and she would have 30 seconds to wipe away the tears and “slap on some makeup” when his father Charles would utter “almost there.”
Meghan then mentions that all this led to her contemplating suicide* at one point, saying “all of this will stop if I’m not here…and that was the scariest thing about it.”
This is a developing story.
News Peg
In the first three episodes of the documentary series released by Netflix last week both Harry and Meghan were extremely critical of the actions of the British press. Harry said he feared for the safety of his family due to the hate stirred up against them. The couple also pointed to the racist remarks and taunts made at Meghan and her family by the press and claimed that they received no sympathy from other members of the royal family. The episodes also focussed extensively on Harry’s personal relationship with his mother, the late Princess Diana. Harry said that Diana was also mistreated by the press, adding that she was left on her own to face “new levels” of harassment after separating from his father, Charles. Harry said his mother’s experiences taught him about the “pain and suffering of the women marrying into this institution.”
Key Background
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and moved to California with their son, Archie in 2020. Since then both have briefly spoken about their experiences in various interviews including an explosive one with Oprah Winfrey last year. In that interview, Meghan revealed that she had struggled with suicidal thoughts and revealed that someone at Buckingham Palace had made remarks 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. The Netflix series, which offers an unprecedented look into the closely guarded lives of the British royal family, has been scorned by members of the British press for coming out just months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
*If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
Further Reading
Here’s What We Learned From Harry And Meghan’s Netflix Documentary Part One (Forbes)
‘Harry & Meghan’ Was Netflix’s Largest Documentary Premiere Ever (Forbes)
Meghan Markle Says She Was ‘Fed To The Wolves’ In New Trailer For Netflix Documentary (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/12/15/everything-we-learned-from-part-two-of-harry-and-meghans-netflix-documentary/