London — The first three episodes of a new Netflix documentary series by and about Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were released Thursday morning. The six-part series has been promoted as a deep insight into the royal couple’s early relationship, and their version of the events that ultimately led them to step back as full-time working members of Britain’s royal family.
Harry made it clear from early in the series that one of the main focal points of the couple’s frustration has been Britain’s media, which he accused of complicity in “exploitation and bribery.”
“I’m not going to say that it’s comfortable,” Meghan said about why the couple decided to make the documentary. “But when you feel like people haven’t gotten any sense of who you are for so long, it’s really nice to just be able to have the opportunity to let people have a bit more of a glimpse into what’s happened and also who we are.”
“It’s about duty and service, and I feel as though, being part of this family, it is my duty to uncover this exploitation and bribery that happens within our media,” Harry says. “This isn’t just about our story. This has always been so much bigger than us. Who knows the full truth. We know the full truth. The institution knows the full truth, and the media knows the full truth, because they’ve been in on it.”
Since moving to the United States, Harry and Meghan have spoken out about the racism Meghan experienced while living as part of the royal family in the United Kingdom, and the toll it took on her mental health. During her time in Britain, she was faced with an onslaught of negative, racist stories in the tabloid press, and last month, a senior British law enforcement officer said there had been multiple, credible threats to her life from the far right.
The couple ultimately decided to move to the U.S. and step back from their royal duties. Last year, Harry told Oprah Winfrey that they “did what they had to do,” given what they were facing.
Harry and Meghan met on a blind date in 2016, when the latter was working as a television actress on the sitcom, Suits. Just a few weeks after their first date, Harry invited Markle to go with him to Botswana. The two got engaged the next year and were married on May 19th, 2018. They had their son, Archie, on May 6th, 2019.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
