Prince Harry and Meghan’s attempt to take the reins of the story of their separation from the House of Windsor and cash in on it is stirring strong emotions in the UK ahead of the premiere of a series about the couple’s ups and downs.
At the end of the trailer released by Netflix, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, looks into the camera and asks, “Doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from our mouths?”
Some royal watchers in this country might say: no, not really.
Unlike in the United States, where the couple, who left their royal jobs to move to California, are viewed more benevolently, the British public views the Sussexes with more hurt and wary eyes.
Some agree with Harry and Meghan that the palace has not been supportive enough and that the tabloids have been racist.
But especially in winter, when rising rents and heating bills are a recurring topic of conversation, people don’t seem to have much sympathy for the royal rebels – and don’t think taxpayers should continue to pay their security bills.
But that doesn’t mean people won’t watch the series, which Netflix is optimistically touting as a “worldwide event.”
This isn’t the first time Harry and Meghan have talked about their relationship.
The six-episode series is part of the multi-million dollar deal with Netflix. The first three episodes will air on Thursdays and the final three on December 15.
It all comes ahead of the release of Harry Spare’s memoir next month, which promises to be a “ruthless” account of real life.
Harry and Meghan have said they have relinquished editorial control in the creation of the docu-series. “We’re outsourcing our story to someone else, and that means it will be through their lens.” – Meghan told Variety magazine.
But the couple not only collaborated on interviews, they also granted selective access and shared some video footage. Their for-profit media company Archewell is listed as one of the two producers.
Netflix did not respond to questions from the Washington Post about whether the couple had any influence on the script, editing or final version.
The British royal family’s efforts to cultivate its image are nothing new. The palace’s public relations department was an established influencer long before Instagram. Harry’s parents, King Charles III and Princess Diana, were available for interviews with sympathetic journalists and collaborated on biographies.
Harry and Meghan simply took a new approach to telling their story. At first, it was about consolidating their media presence. But since stepping away from their royal role and relinquishing their Sussex accounts, they have turned to podcasts, as well as TV interviews, notably with Oprah Winfrey. They have also filed lawsuits against the British tabloid press.
They have already addressed many of the obvious issues in the documentary series.
In one clip, Harry talks about the “pain and suffering” of women who marry someone in his family, including, presumably, his wife and mother.
The trailer shows never-before-seen footage, including images of the couple in happy moments, jumping up and down and kissing during the wedding. But there are also many other dark moments in which Meghan appears distraught.
The trailers suggest that media harassment and online bigotry are to blame.
It’s about hate, it’s about race,” says Christopher Bouzy, whose technology company has developed a tool to track hate on Twitter.
As he told the Post, he was interviewed for two hours in March for the documentary.
“Based on what I know about specific campaigns, it’s important for people to understand what this couple went through. It’s important to know their side of the story,” he said.
Her side of the story also involves members of the House of Windsor.
“There is a hierarchy in the family,” Harry says at one point. “There are leaks, but there’s also the seeding of stories. It’s a dirty game.“
And if it’s a dirty game, who’s playing it – Harry’s brother William, the heir to the throne? Or their father, the new king?
If relations between Harry and Meghan in California and their relatives in the UK are thawing, it’s not in the trailers.
The second clip ends with Harry saying, “No one knows the whole truth. We know the whole truth“
