The Duke and Duchess of Sussex threw open the doors to behind-the-scenes royal life in their brand-new Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries. They revealed some anecdotes fans already knew and many they didn’t, touching on everything from the beginning of their love story to the heavy media attention around their life.
If you haven’t caught the series yet, we give you the gist in 8 Harry Meghan revelations. Read our 8-minute read and get a recap of the 2 part docuseries that’s now out on Netflix!
Harry & Meghan Met Over Instagram
Early on in the documentary, when the couple claims they met over Instagram in 2016. Harry recalled that he was intrigued when he came across a friend of theirs’ tweet a video of Meghan with the now-famous dog ears filter.
According to a different friend, Meghan was enjoying a “single girl summer” while on vacation in Europe in between Suits seasons. Meghan was asked if she would be interested in going on a date with Prince Harry by a common friend, and she asked to view the prince’s Instagram account to better understand him.
Before embarking on an hour-long date at London’s Soho House on 76 Dean Street, where Meghan claims Harry was nervous, they began messaging each other here. They met at the same place the next day.
Diana & Meghan – Soulmates From 2 Different Yet Similar Worlds
Harry discussed Meghan’s similarities to his mother, Diana, who passed away when he was 12 years old.
“So much of what Meghan is and how she is, is so similar to my mum. She has the same compassion, she has the same empathy, she has the same confidence, she has this warmth about her,” said Harry.
“I accept that there will be people around the world who fundamentally disagree with what I’ve done and how I’ve done it. But I knew that I had to do everything I could to protect my family, especially after what happened to my mum.”
“Unconscious Bias” In The Royal Family
Harry said that there was a “great level” of unconscious bias in the royal family, in contrast to Meghan’s experiences growing up mixed-race.
“The thing with unconscious bias is that 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,” he said.
Harry Alleged That Harry & Meghan’s Private Plans Were Leaked
Harry says he sent his father a plan in the early 2020s while the couple was vacationing on Vancouver Island, asking that he and Meghan “find an alternative way of working” and move to Canada for at least two years.
“I was speaking to my father, ‘This is the plan,’ and he says, can you put it in writing? And I said, ‘I’d rather not, because of what happened last time,'” Harry recalled, referring to the South African plan that was made public. “He says, ‘I can’t do anything unless you put it in writing,’ so I put it in writing, sent him emails on the 1st and the 2nd and 3rd of January. And in one of those, I’d mentioned in one of those, if this wasn’t going to work out, then we would be willing to relinquish our Sussex titles if need be, so that was the plan.”
“His dad said, ‘Put it in writing,’ and he did and five days later it was on the front page of the newspaper,” said Meghan.
“It became clear that the institution leaked the fact that we were going to move back to Canada and the key piece of that story that made me aware that the contents of the letter between me and my father had been leaked was that we were willing to relinquish our Sussex titles. That was the giveaway,” Harry said. “I was like, wow, like our story, our life literally got taken from underneath us.”
On 8th January 2020, Harry and Meghan publicly announced in an Instagram post their plans to “step back as senior members of the royal family.”
Sandringham Family Feud
In order to discuss the couple’s potential future involvement in the family, Harry remembered how he had to fly to the royal estate of Sandringham. The duke claims that the Queen was present at crisis talks over his and Markle’s plans to stand down from royal obligations that were held at Sandringham in January 2020. Markle claims that despite being a mother, a wife, and the “focus” of concerned parties, she had requested such talks when she was in the U.K. but they had been turned down until she departed.
Options ranging from “all in, no change” to “all out,” according to Harry, was presented to him. He said that he requested a “half in, half out” model so that he and Meghan could each have their “own careers” while also continuing to serve the monarch. He claimed, however, that he had come to realize that this was not a viable alternative and was “not open to discussion or debate.”
“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” said Harry.
“The saddest part of it was this wedge created between myself and my brother so that he’s now on the institution’s side,” said Harry.
Harry mentioned a joint statement the brothers made in January 2020 in which they refuted a claim made in the press that William’s “bullying attitude” was to blame for a rift in the royal family. Harry claims he was unaware of the statement. No one had requested my consent to sign such a statement, he claimed.
“They were happy to lie to protect my brother and yet for three years they were never willing, to tell the truth, to protect us,” he added.
Meghan’s Experience With The Media
The documentary touches on how a hate campaign against the couple was built on social media, with the primary focus on Meghan.
“The seriousness of what has happened to her and what … happened to us, and what continues to happen to her, that needs to be acknowledged,” said Harry.
Meghan recalls how the family’s security team has a protocol for when a tweet such as “Meghan just needs to die” is spotted online.
“That’s, like, what’s actually out in the world because of people creating hate. And I’m a mom,” she said. “That’s my real life.”
“And that’s the piece when you see it and you go, ‘You are making people want to kill me,’” added the duchess. “It’s not just a tabloid. It’s not just some story. You are making me scared. Right?
The Duchess Contemplated Suicide
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, said how her daughter confided in her that she had considered suicide after continually being “picked at by these vultures” in the media.
“That she would actually think of not wanting to be here … That’s not an easy one for a mom to hear,” said Ragland.
Harry said he “never thought that it would get to that stage,” and the fact it did leave him feeling “angry and ashamed.”
Meghan said she wanted to get help but was prevented from doing so amid concerns that it could affect the image of the institution.
The duchess later discussed her struggles in an official royal documentary, thanking a journalist who asked her how she’d been feeling. “Not many people have asked if I’m OK,” she said.
Harry Blames The Media For The Loss Of Their Child
In July 2020, amid a legal battle against one of Britain’s tabloids, The Daily Mail, Meghan said she suffered a miscarriage.
“I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what The Mail did,” Harry said. “I watched the whole thing.”
Meghan claimed that the newspaper had violated her privacy by publishing details from a private letter she sent to her estranged father in 2018.
“Now, do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was created, caused by that? Course we don’t,” he said while noting that the legal battle led to stress and loss of sleep.
“I can say, from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her,” he said.
Have you watched it? Let us know your thoughts!
