Today (Dec. 8), Netflix debuted its newest documentary, Harry & Meghan, in which the couple, yet again, complain about the difficulties of living within the royal family. For people who claim the media is evil incarnate, the pair sure do enjoy getting in front of the cameras to spout gossip and air dirty laundry. However, the new series faced significant criticism – even before being released – and Harry and Meghan could see their popularity sink even more in the coming weeks.
Harry and Meghan
In the official trailers, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claim the palace failed to protect them and accuse aids of “planting” stories against them as part of a “dirty game.” They plan to bring up racism and being bullied, and the senior royals have said they will watch the show and respond if necessary. Daily Mail reported that palace aides had been briefed by King Charles and Prince William, who said, “If there is a need to respond to anything in the upcoming series then you can be assured that response will be swift and robust.” King Charles was seen meeting with religious and charity leaders in London just hours after the show went live. When asked by a reporter if he had seen the show yet, he simply ignored the question and made his way into King's Cross Church.
There is no shortage of critics, though. In fact, there are claims that the official trailer, released just days before the premiere, shows serious inaccuracies, describing events that didn’t take place. Good Morning America revealed the flaws, such as footage of “oppressive paparazzi” – an issue that really doesn’t have anything to do with Harry and Meghan. One picture, for example, shows a mass group of photographers, but it’s actually from 2011, “five years before Meghan and Harry started dating.” In another part, Meghan says: “I realized, they’re never going to protect you” while a swarm of reporters are snapping pictures in the background. But that video clip was from 2019 and the media wasn’t after the Sussexs; they were following Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen. And in a third instance, footage of photographers taking pictures of UK celebrity Katie Price was used.
Robert Johnson, a UK reporter who has followed the royal court for a while, said, “I think these inaccuracies in this trailer are quite worrying, actually.” He spoke specifically of an image of Harry and Meghan touring Cape Town with baby Archie. The picture in the video was taken at Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s residence, and Johnson was one of three approved reporters there. He explained:
“The fact was, there was an implication [in] the narrative that they were being hounded by the media that instant. There were three accredited reporters in the position that they’d agreed, standing next to the press secretary. I found that uncomfortable that that was the narrative they were trying to get across in the trailer which is simply not true.”
The Backlash
Aside from the alleged misrepresentation in the trailer, there also seems to be some obvious absences in the documentary. Publicity material, according to the Daily Mail, promised interviews with the couple’s friends and family, but several notable names were not included. Elton John, for example, wasn’t a part of the show. He was a good friend of Princess Diana and is regarded as an unofficial godfather to both William and Harry. He has also been a huge supporter of the couple, so the fact that he isn’t in the show raises a few eyebrows. Other notable absences include Oprah Winfrey, the Obamas, Vogue Editor Edward Enninful, and music producer David Foster.
Meghan and Harry (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala)
The documentary airs just three months after Queen Elizabeth’s death and during the same week the Prince and Princess of Wales are visiting America, causing many to question the timing of the release. On Tuesday (Dec. 6), Harry and Meghan went to a charity gala hosted by Alec Baldwin, where they were honored for daring to speak out about racism. At the Ripple of Hope Awards, organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, the couple were named “Ripple of Hope” laureates for “exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equality, justice, and human rights.”
Reporters criticized the pair for making yet another production to tell their side of the story and tattle on the royals. One journalist shouted out: “Do you have a message for your family, Harry? Are you harming your family, Harry?” Another reporter yelled: “Harry, are you putting money before family – are you putting money before family?”
The documentary was directed by leftist Liz Garbus, who has won numerous awards for her films that usually focus on telling stories from a survivor’s point of view and pieces about oppressed women. Her most recent work includes the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale. “[T]he director's Instagram page is openly political, with recent posts urging for women's abortion rights and comments about 'brilliant' Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams,” reported Daily Mail.
The first three episodes of Netflix’s Harry & Meghan were released today, but we will have to wait another week for the final installments to see if there really will be any big reveals, which critics doubt, saying everything that could come out probably already has.
