The first trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s highly anticipated Netflix series has arrived.
Sharing the 59-second clip on Twitter, which features never before seen private photographs of the couple, the streaming giant declared the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s show “a global event”.
“Harry and Meghan. A Netflix Global Event. Coming soon, only on Netflix,” they wrote in the accompanying caption.
“Why did you want to make this documentary?” an unseen person asks, to which Harry replies: “No one sees what’s happening behind closed doors.
Harry & Meghan. A Netflix Global Event. Coming soon, only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/ysxaCcESP4
— Netflix (@netflix) December 1, 2022
“I had to do everything I could to protect my family.”
Meghan adds: “When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”
A series of candid photos of the couple are shown, including one where Meghan gazes lovingly at her bump while pregnant with one of their two children.
There are happy snapshots of the Sussexes kissing while Meghan sits on a kitchen island, as newlyweds dancing with joy at their evening wedding do and cuddling in a photobooth.
In one section of the footage, Meghan appears to be wiping away tears with both hands as they stream down her face, while Harry sits and tilts his head right back, seemingly in distress.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a massive multi-year deal with the streaming giant in 2020, allowing them to produce documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows, and children’s titles.
A spokesman for Netflix said: “In an unprecedented and in-depth documentary series, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share the other side of their high-profile love story.
“Across six episodes, the series explores the clandestine days of their early courtship and the challenges that led to them feeling forced to step back from their full-time roles in the institution.
“With commentary from friends and family, most of whom have never spoken publicly before about what they witnessed, and historians who discuss the state of the British Commonwealth today and the royal family’s relationship with the press, the series does more than illuminate one couple’s love story, it paints a picture of our world and how we treat each other.”
The streaming service promises “a never-before-seen look at one of the most-discussed couples in history”.
Royal watchers have questioned the timing of the teaser during the Prince and Princess of Wales’ visit to the US for William’s major Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
Harry has had a long reported rift with his brother William and also spoken of his strained relationship with his father the King.
The monarchy is also currently facing a serious race row, after a royal aide repeatedly quizzed a black charity boss on where she “really came from”.
The royals are also adjusting in the aftermath of the Queen’s death.
It is directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director Liz Garbus.
No date has yet been officially announced for broadcast, although it is rumoured to stream from December 8.
