The first three episodes of "Harry & Meghan," a documentary about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were released on Netflix Thursday after much suspense. We watched it so you don’t have to.
The hotly anticipated show explores the couple’s upbringings, in their words, before discussing their first meeting and falling in love. It also tracks their current lives in California, with interviews and footage shot on mobile phones. The remaining three episodes, which can be watched on Dec. 15, were teased and look to show “how a family and a family business became in direct conflict.” "Harry & Meghan" was made by Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus.
The show attempts to educate viewers about the history of the British empire, with interviews from historian David Olusoga and author Afua Hirsch. She said that slavery fueled the early empire, adding that Britain had a deep south that was just as brutal and enslaved as many Africans as the U.S. — but it was the Caribbean, and therefore disregarded. Meghan Markle’s introduction to the Royal Household, according to those interviewed, was regarded as an opportunity to reflect multicultural Britain.
In a trailer for the documentary, the couple described it as a chance to tell their story. There are no opposing views shown so far in the documentary, and the royal family declined to comment to the show. The show made clear that filming was completed by August of this year, before the death of Queen Elizabeth in September.
These are some of the biggest revelations from the first three episodes:
Unconscious bias in the royal family
Prince Harry said “there is a huge level of unconscious bias [within the family]. The thing with unconscious bias is it’s actually no one’s fault, but once it’s been pointed out or identified within yourself, you then need to make it right. It’s education.” Harry is depicted as wanting to educate himself to become an anti-racist person and says he grew up in a bubble. He said he received no support from the family after Meghan was scrutinized in the media, with some saying that their partners had gone through something similar. “The difference here is the race element,” he said.
The show also makes reference to Princess Michael of Kent wearing a “blackamoor” brooch, described by some as a racist piece of jewelry, to an event Meghan attended in 2017, and the many racist depictions on portraits and art in palaces and stately homes in Britain.
Press intrusion
The first episode focuses on the impact of the press on Prince Harry’s life, particularly his childhood. He said he was chased dozens of times on foot by photographers, and on other occasions cars followed him through red lights. He described the relationship as being like “the hunter versus the prey.” Harry also spoke about how his mother, Princess Diana, had to deal with the press without any support after her divorce.
Awkward moments when Meghan met the royals
Meghan said there were a few awkward moments when she first met the other royals. The late Queen was the first “senior” member that she met. She did a deep and low curtsey, which she compared to a reenactment at the Medieval Times diner. She also said she wasn’t prepared for the “formality” in the family, both in public and private settings.
While his family joked about his ability to “land” Meghan, Harry said they had reservations about the fact that she was an actress, which initially acted as “the biggest problem” in her integration into the family.
Meghan’s relationship with her biracial identity
Meghan spoke several times about being biracial and the feeling of not fitting in. She said that “people didn’t treat me like a Black woman” when she was younger, so she was unprepared for racist abuse she received online after joining the royal family. She said her lighter skin tone also led to people questioning her mother, Doria Ragland, when they were out, asking whether she was Meghan’s nanny.
In her acting career, her agent said he was sometimes questioned when he sent her out for Black roles, with some casting directors asking about her heritage.
That Nazi uniform
Harry was spotted at a party wearing a Nazi uniform in 2005. In the documentary, he said he was still ashamed of that and called it one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He said he spoke to the chief rabbi in London and to a Holocaust survivor later to learn from his mistakes.
Prince Harry has a secret Instagram
It was revealed that Harry had a private Instagram account, where he uploaded pictures of wildlife and himself on trips to Africa. He first saw Meghan when scrolling through his feed, when he spotted a video of her put through a Snapchat filter with dog ears, which had been uploaded by a mutual friend.
He sent a message to their mutual friend asking to meet. The friend passed on the information to Meghan who was told that “Prince Haz” thought she was attractive and wanted to meet.
First two dates were at Soho House, third in Botswana
The pair’s first date was a drink at 76 Dean Street in London, a branch of the Soho House private members’ clubs. Harry was half an hour late after getting stuck in traffic and arrived flustered. Their second date was dinner at the same place a few days later, before Meghan flew out of London. Their third date was five days in Botswana where they slept in tents. The prince was in the country doing charity work.
The palace team didn’t think Meghan’s niece should come to her wedding
Meghan is close with Ashleigh Hale, the biological daughter of her half-sister Samantha Markle (Ashleigh was adopted by her paternal grandparents). She wanted to invite Ashleigh to her wedding at Windsor, but aides thought the “narrative” would be too confusing, given that her biological mother Samantha was publicly attacking Meghan and not attending herself.
There were no princess lessons
Meghan referenced "The Princess Diaries," the films starring Anne Hathaway, mentioning that unlike the fictional character, she had no Julie Andrews to teach her how to be a royal. She learned the national anthem by Googling it. And no one taught her how to wave, she just didn’t want to do it like an over-enthusiastic American.
