What to expect from Harry and Meghan's Netflix show?

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What To Expect From Harry And Meghan's Netflix Show?
The first three episodes of the docuseries will be released on Thursday, leaving the Windsors bracing themselves for the latest bombshells. Photo: PA Images
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Laura Elston, PA Court Reporter

Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries is sparking controversy before it has even aired.

The pair faced shouts of “Are you putting money before family?” and “Are you harming your family Harry?” from the media in New York as they posed for photographs on the red carpet at an awards gala.

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Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards Gala
Meghan and Harry arrive at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards Gala in New York (PA)

The duke brushed off the remarks, saying: “So many questions”, just hours before the tell-all “Harry & Meghan” series is released by the streaming giant on Thursday.

Any claims, criticisms and bombshells the couple make in their six part series will face intense scrutiny and challenge in the British press, but what issues are they expected to raise and what questions could be left lingering?

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Press

In the trailer for the series, Harry speaks of a “dirty game” and the “leaking” and “planting of stories”.

His turbulent relationship with the press and distrust of the media has long been documented.

His mother Diana died in a car crash while being chased by the paparazzi, and Harry has been open about his fears his wife was “falling victim to the same powerful forces”.

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Diana/Wedding and Engagement rings
Harry’s mother Diana (PA)

Soon after he began dating the then Suits actress Meghan, Harry attacked the media over its “abuse and harassment” of his girlfriend.

“This is not a game – it is her life,” Kensington Palace warned on his behalf.

In 2019, he blasted certain sections of the media for what he called a “ruthless campaign” against Meghan.

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But trailers for the Netflix show appeared to use footage of the press filming events unrelated to the couple to depict them being hounded by paparazzi.

Bullying

Meghan has faced allegations she bullied Palace staff, with the story published in March 2021 just days before their Oprah Winfrey interview was aired.

Buckingham Palace said it was “very concerned” and began an investigation into claims in The Times that Meghan drove out two personal assistants and “humiliated” staff, leaving them in tears, which she denies.

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Meghan has been accused of bullying Palace staff, which she denies (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Jason Knauf, Harry and Meghan's then communications secretary, made the bullying complaint in October 2018 in an apparent attempt to force the Palace to protect staff.

The Times’ royal correspondent Valentine Low wrote in his book Courtiers how Harry and Meghan’s team referred to themselves as the “Sussex Survivors’ Club”.

The investigation into the handling of the claims has never been published.

Romance

Private snapshots of the couple kissing while Meghan sits on a kitchen island, as newlyweds dancing with joy at their evening wedding do, cuddling in a photobooth and Meghan cradling her bump while pregnant feature in the trailers.

Duke and Duchess of Sussex Netflix documentary
Harry and Meghan in a photo booth as part of a Netflix trailer (Duke and Duchess of Sussex/Netflix/PA)

The series will detail the “clandestine” early days of the pair’s relationship, before sharing “the other side of their high-profile love story” and the “challenges that led to them feeling forced to step back from their full-time roles in the institution”.

Meghan is seen snapping her fingers and saying “and then”, with Harry adding: “Everything changed”.

William

Will Harry shed more light on his rift with his brother William or cause further damage?

Harry told Oprah he loved William, but their relationship “was space” and they were on different paths.

He also suggested William and his father Charles were “trapped” in the system, saying: “They don’t get to leave.”

Royal wedding
Harry and William have a troubled relationship (Jane Barlow/PA)

Broadcaster Tom Bradby, a friend of Harry’s, has said the fallout began at the time of Harry and Meghan's wedding.

“Really damaging things were said and done. The atmosphere soured hard and early, but few meaningful attempts were made by anyone to heal the wounds,” Bradby said.

The Finding Freedom biography of the couple by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed Harry was angered by what he perceived as his brother’s “snobbish” attitude to Meghan after William advised him “take as much time as you need to get to know this girl”.

Kate

Meghan told Oprah that William's wife Kate made her cry ahead of her wedding at a flower girl dress fitting – not the other way round as had been reported.

She added that the false reports were a turning point, and “everyone in the institution knew that wasn’t true” but it was not corrected.

Wimbledon 2019 – Day Twelve – The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Kate and Meghan at Wimbledon in 2019 (Mike Egerton/PA)

Royal watchers will be waiting to see if Kate faces further criticism from Meghan, with teaser footage including an image of Kate looking stony-faced at the Commonwealth Day service in 2019, when Meghan was pregnant with Archie.

The Finding Freedom book accused Kate of not reaching out to Meghan to help her settle into royal life and of snubbing her sister-in-law at Harry and Meghan's final public royal engagement in 2020.

The couple denied co-operating with the authors.

But court documents from Meghan’s legal action against the Mail on Sunday’s publisher revealed she allowed an unnamed individual to speak to the book’s writers to prevent “further misinformation” about her relationship with her father.

Charles

Harry told Oprah he felt let down by Charles and that “there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened”.

Harry said: “I feel really let down because he’s been through something similar, he knows what pain feels like, (and) Archie’s his grandson.

Royal visit to Luton
Britain's King Charles travels in a DART carriage for the three-minute journey to the Luton DART central terminal (Yui Mok/PA)

Harry said his father stopped taking his calls and his family “literally cut me off financially” in the first quarter of 2020 and he went for the Netflix and Spotify deals to pay for his security.

But Clarence House later said that Charles carried on supporting Harry and Meghan with a “substantial sum” until summer 2020.

Harry has since lambasted Charles’s skills as father, criticising him for expecting his sons to endure the pressures of royal life, and suggesting his parenting left him with “genetic pain and suffering”.

Camilla

Harry’s stepmother Camilla is now at her husband's side as queen and will be crowned at his coronation.

Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace
Britain's Queen Camilla (Victoria Jones/PA)

Any criticism of Camilla would be likely to do considerable damage to Harry’s relationship with his father.

Harry is also preparing to publish his own memoir, due out in January, entitled Spare, leaving the royal family fearing further revelations.

Racism

Will Harry and Meghan unmask the unnamed royal they accused of making a racist remark about her son Archie before he was born or make further accusations of racism against the monarchy?

Meghan said, when she was pregnant with Archie, a member of the royal family – not Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip – raised “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born”.

Archetypes podcast
Meghan with son Archie meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu in cape Town (Toby Melville/PA)

Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of the aueen saying: “Some recollections may vary”.

Meghan also suggested Archie was not made a prince because of his race – even though rules set by George V meant Archie was not entitled to be one at that time.

Archie is entitled to be a prince now his grandfather is king, but it has not been clarified whether he will use the title.

The British royal family was embroiled in a race row once again last week when the queen’s former lady in waiting and William’s godmother repeatedly asked a prominent black domestic violence campaigner “where she really came from” at a royal reception.

Mental health

Harry and Meghan have accused the institution of failing to help a suicidal Meghan, but will they shed further light on the matter and who they claim failed to help them?

Queen Elizabeth II death
Meghan (Gregorio Borgia/PA)

Meghan said she went to “one of the most senior people” and sent emails and begged for help and people said “Yes, yes, it’s disproportionately terrible… but nothing was ever done”.

Harry has also told of his own struggles in the past, saying he turned to drink and drugs as he tried to deal with the trauma of his mother’s death later in life.

The late Queen

The couple returned to the UK for the queen’s funeral in September, but will they speak about their experience and their dealings with the family during their time of grief?

Queen Elizabeth II funeral
William, Harry and Peter Phillips follow the State Gun Carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II (Emilio Morenatti/PA)

In their Oprah interview, the couple were careful to praise Harry’s grandmother.

Diana

In one trailer, Harry talks of the “pain and suffering” of women marrying into the royal family, accompanied by footage of his mother and Kate surrounded by photographers.

Meghan’s family

Meghan has been estranged from her father Thomas Markle since he was caught staging paparazzi photographs ahead of her wedding.

The topic was not a major focus of the Oprah interview, but will Meghan open up about her family rift?

There is also speculation her mother Doria Ragland could make an appearance in the series in support of her daughter.

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