On December 8, 2022, Harry & Meghan debuted on Netflix. In their self-titled documentary, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sought to address their retreat from the Royal Family, having abandoned their titles and pledged financial independence in 2021. Aided by commentary from friends, family, and historians, the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex delved into details of their romantic relationship, as well as their battle with public scrutiny, racism, and tabloid media.
The docuseries granted the couple an educational platform to reveal any untold truths that may have been concealed from the public. As Markle herself voiced, ““The past six years of my life, books have been written by people who I don’t know. Doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?” This was an opportunity for redemption– to explain why their decision to leave was done out of necessity rather than spite or disloyalty to their people. Now poses the critical question– is this something that Harry and Meghan had managed to achieve?
The couple successfully exposed the tabloid-hungry nature of the British press. They often filled the screen with a stream of the merciless and fabricated headlines that were present in the media during their time in power. These tabloids went beyond mere commentary on their actions as royals, but cruelly attacked Harry and Meghan as human beings. “Not every story was false,” admitted Harry, “but there was a lot of typical exaggeration and rehashing.”
However, many critics have noted that the documentary is heavily one-sided. Harry and Meghan were primarily focused on alleviating the backlash against them and failing to acknowledge the other side. Upon the Duke and Duchess’ departure, the British public felt betrayed. This is something the two seemed to overlook.
As Royals, they were expected to deal with brutal press, yet the safety of the Duke and Duchess should truly be the ultimate priority. And this concern was absent in many stories beside their own. For this, viewers must open their minds to recognize their exit as a necessity. “This is about a duty and service,” says Harry, “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.”
Viewers should extend their sympathy for Meghan especially, having revealed that she was coping with suicidal thoughts after her own wedding day, when she faced a rise in brutal comments and even death threats. The documentary depicted how Meghan’s new presence in the Royal Family was widely perceived as a threat to tradition, rather than embraced as an opportunity to modernize an ancient institution. As a woman of color, Meghan truly represented progressive change that was arguably essential for the monarchy to survive in modern times.
The docuseries also confronted themes of romance, childhood struggles, racist undertones of a traditional monarchy, and the ultimate downfall of their rule. Still, one of the problems of the series was its length– a total of six hours, in which the couple often spent lingering on insignificant details and repetitive ideas. Nevertheless, the glimpse into both their relationship and journey through parenthood allowed viewers to further separate Harry and Meghan from their high-profile public identities and see them for human beings.
Harry expressed, “The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution, this feeding frenzy…I didn’t want history to repeat itself.” However, it was then a question to many for why the couple decided to invite cameras into their private lives for several months to make the documentary itself. Although trying to convey the toxicity of living alongside British media, a docuseries would only draw more attention towards the couple and fire up the press once again.
The decision contradicted the intentions that the couple claimed on-screen, which led many viewers to question their true intentions: was this simply a desperate plea to regain public favor? Yet Meghan refuted these claims for the final time: “I’m not going to say that it’s comfortable, but when you feel like people have gotten any sense of who you are for so long, it’s really nice to 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.”
