Fresh off Meghan Markle’s successful podcast run and Prince Harry’s autobiography announcement, the formerly silenced royals are gearing up for yet another (controlled) reveal about their interior lives. The first look at the upcoming six-part Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan dropped December 1, promising to give fans a peek at what happens out of sight and off the record. Directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Liz Garbus, the series promises new revelations from friends and family who have never spoken publicly about what they witnessed. And the couple is set to share tidbits about the “clandestine days of their early courtship,†according to a press release. Juicy.
In the official trailer, Harry looks back on the events that led to their eventual departure from their full-time roles in the royal family. Detailing the couple’s honeymoon period with the British public before “everything changed,†the prince says, “There’s a hierarchy of the family. You know, there’s leaking, and there’s also planting of stories.†Interlocutors describe the royal and racial politics at work, with historians attempting to contextualize the events within the frame of British society. For Harry, though, the matter is personal. “The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution, this feeding frenzy,†he says, referring to his mother, Princess Diana. “I was terrified. I didn’t want history to repeat itself.â€
The highly anticipated docuseries arrives at a tumultuous time for the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth’s death in September prompted the first royal succession in a little more than 70 years, while a recent racist comment from Prince William’s godmother and the late queen’s lady-in-waiting on November 28 led to her resignation. It was previously reported that Harry and Meghan held off releasing the tell-all documentary out of respect for the queen, after first signing a multiyear deal with Netflix in September 2020 to produce their own content. The revelations are coming in two volumes. The first three episodes air December 8, while the last trio drops December 15.
This post has been updated.