The first three episodes of the Harry and Meghan docuseries are a visual feast of previously unseen images and videos of their life together that tell their love story in their own words in a stylish, beautifully produced way.
As the show takes us back to the excitement of their engagement and wedding day, it serves as a reminder of just how much support there was for them from the British public and how genuinely enthusiastic people were about their union. There are endearing insights into their family life and sense of humor.
Photo: Getty Images
However, the couple also openly discussed the difficulties they encountered when their relationship became known to certain media outlets.
A major theme of the book is Harry’s long-standing mistrust of the paparazzi, and it’s difficult to watch footage of Princess Diana pleading with photographers to leave her sons alone. In the program, he and Meghan are shown being pursued by paparazzi in the US and Canada but not in the UK.
The issue of racism from some in the media and from social media trolls also looms large as commentators explain the couple’s story in the context of Brexit and Britain’s colonial past.
Photo: Getty Images
Harry’s claim that there is a “huge level of unconscious bias” in his family may be the most damaging to the royal family. He does not give names. But he is not afraid to talk about his own troubling past, calling the time he attended a costume party wearing a Nazi uniform his “biggest mistake” in life.
The Duke adds that male members of the royal family might be tempted to wed someone who “fits the mold rather than someone you perhaps are destined to be with.”
That could be interpreted by viewers as a jab at the union of his parents, but it could also be seen as an attack on other royal unions.
Photo: Getty Images
A source close to the royal family told me: “These are real lives, this is a family, and to have this drama playing out so publicly is hard for all involved.” Although the Palace hasn’t commented on the show yet, I have the impression that the overwhelming internal emotion is one of sadness.
The amount of self-shot video, text messages, video calls, and personal photos he and Meghan share on the show is perhaps the biggest surprise of all, and with three more hour-long episodes coming next week, there will be plenty more to pore over.
