Harry & Meghan Closed a New Chapter of a Royal Love Story
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s docuseries have come to an end, but not without some revelations. Volume II of Harry & Meghan, which had the final three episodes of the series, dropped on Netflix Thursday.
“Episode 4”
“Episode 4” kicked off the second volume, covering the couple’s magical wedding in 2018. The episode begins by showcasing the excitement in the UK ahead of the couple’s ceremony. Thousands of people lined the streets, cardboard cutouts of the bride and groom stood in stores, and celebration could be seen all around.
The series gave viewers a closer look at the Royal wedding. As with any high-profile wedding, there were several high-profile guests in attendance. David and Victoria Beckham, George and Amal Clooney, and Serena Williams were all among the friends invited to the wedding. Elton John performed at the reception, and for the Duke and Duchess, this was one of the final moments to be enjoyed before chaos ensued.
After the wedding, Markle resumed her devotion to charity work that started long before she joined the family. In addition, the Duchess created a cookbook with the Hubb Community Kitchen, founded by survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire. Shortly after announcing that they were expecting, the couple embarked on their tour of Australia.
Both the cookbook and the tour made the Duchess very popular in the eyes of the public. According to the Duke, someone not born into the royal institution having such an impact “shifts the balance” in the family. The narrative of Markle being labeled “Duchess Difficult” is only further encouraged by the media as the marriage progresses.
Despite these wars with the press, a light shined through when the Duke and Duchess’s son, Archie, was born in May 2019. Unlike royal mothers who came before her, Markle did not take the traditional photo at the hospital right after birth. She and Prince Harry decided to wait until two days after the birth to do a photocall at St. George’s Hall. The palace considered this decision quite radical and somewhat led the Duchess back into the dark place she was in before the birth.
At the end of episode 4, the couple embarks on their tour of Africa, which takes the series into episode 5. The Africa Tour was significant not only because of the couple’s work, but because it was the first time the Duchess expressed to the public that she was “not okay.” Episode 5 delves further into how Markle was targeted by the press, especially because of her father.
“Episode 5”
Markle’s father began doing interviews criticizing her, so under the advice of senior Royals, she decided to write him a letter. The letter was supposed to be mailed discreetly from London to Markle’s father in Mexico. However, the letter was intercepted and then leaked by British news outlets. Markle exclaimed that the letter leaking was “horrendous” and only continued the press targeting her.
In an attempt to escape the “feeding frenzy” as Prince Harry called it, the Sussex family retreated to Vancouver Island for Christmas 2019. The series framed this event as the first step in the Duke and Duchess scaling back their royal roles. After the holiday, Prince Harry approached the family with the idea of his family moving abroad but continuing to do work for the Queen.
Previously unknown, King Charles asked the Prince to either put his requests in writing or he could not do anything about it. The Duke agreed and wrote that he and the Duchess would continue work under Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and receive no UK taxpayer funding. In other words, the Duke and Duchess were rejecting funding because receiving taxpayer money meant that the press could claim a public interest to invade their privacy. Prince Harry also wrote that to do this, he and Markle would be willing to give up their Sussex titles if need be.
Each Royal office had signed off on the couple’s relocation and the plan was set. However, once their plans of how their roles as senior Royals would be different, members of the family started to push back. The Duke even recalled how the couple was snubbed by the Queen at the time. She invited them for a visit when they returned to the UK, then days before the visit, informed them that she was busy.
A shocking moment came next for the couple when Markle returned to Canada to be with Archie. After her departure, Prince Harry was called to a meeting with Prince William, King Charles, and the Queen. The meeting was urgent to discuss the couple’s future in the family, and Markle was not invited. The Duke stated, “It was clear to me that they planned it so that you weren’t in the room.”
The meeting took place at Sandringham, where the Royal Family celebrates Christmas every year. Harry explained he was given five options at the meeting for a way to move forward. He explained that he chose option three, “Half in, half out. Have our own jobs, but also work in support of the Queen.” He then described how the family began attacking him with Prince William “screaming and shouting” at him, King Charles, claiming “things that just simply weren’t true,” and the Queen listening silently.
Meeting with the family created a divide between Prince Harry and Prince William, which was an emotional section of the episode. A joint statement from the brothers went out after a story was written that William had “bullied” Harry and Meghan out of the family. Harry declared that he had never been consulted before the statement was published with his name on it.
Their meeting concluded with no solution. However, the couple’s plan to move proceeded. Following the Royals’ announcement of their stepping back and the shocking meeting, the Duke and Duchess had a farewell week in the UK. During the week, they had various public engagements before the Duchess returned to Canada to be with their son, Archie.
The week of appearances and departing from the UK was extremely emotional for Markle. She described how she “collapsed” into a security guard’s arms upon landing in Canada. The Duchess explained that she was crying, telling the guard, “I tried so hard.” She added how that statement was triggering because “you go, and it still wasn’t good enough.”
“Episode 5” ends with Prince Harry explaining how the Royal Family cut off his family’s security. He explained that Markle expressed fear about security being taken away. The Duke confidently replied, “No, they would never do that. And they did it.”
“Episode 6”
“Episode 6” is perhaps the most shocking of the series. From the moment Harry and Meghan decide to move abroad, a storm of difficulties descends upon them. After security threats in Canada, the family starts to panic. That’s precisely when an unexpected savior steps in, Tyler Perry.
Perry, whom the Duke called, “an amazing friend who we have never met” offered the couple his home in Los Angeles as a safe place to stay after their security was pulled. True to the Duke’s words, Perry had not met the couple at the time of the offer but got in touch with them by sending the Duchess a note. The actor explained that he empathized with Markle, especially due to how her father was treating her in the media. Perry offered his home to the family months after he sent the note, during early COVID when they needed some place secure.
While the couple found happiness and safety while staying at Perry’s house, their royal struggles were still there. Next, “Episode 6” dives into the lawsuit against Associated Newspapers in the UK. The suit was over the Daily Mail leaking the letter from Markle to her father. The situation created an immense amount of stress for the Duchess.
Markle invites her close friend, Abigail Spencer, over to their new home after leaving Perry’s place and reveals that she was pregnant. She miscarried on the family’s first day living in their new home. The Duke explains that the stress took such a toll on the Duchess, which caused her to miscarry. Prince Harry stated, “I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did.”
Shortly after the miscarriage, the family enjoyed a moment of peace in their new space, then the Duchess found out she was pregnant again. After revealing the news, the couple did their infamous interview with Oprah.
This was their first interview since denouncing their royal titles, and Meghan expressed how she did not expect the conversation surrounding race to be the big takeaway from the interview. The couple touching on the Royal Family’s comments on race, specifically about their children, sparked controversy.
The series then segues into the birth of the couple’s second child, a daughter. Lilibet Diana was born in California, unlike her brother, and the series revealed that Tyler Perry is her godfather. The rest of the episode focuses on happy moments in the new family of four. However, Markle winning her case against the Associated Papers was covered as a joyous moment.
Though their royal history will not be soon forgotten, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are creating a spectacular legacy for their family. Harry & Meghan ended with the Duchess reciting a speech she read at her wedding. She finished the speech with the “and above all, love wins.” If there is one thing that can be said for Harry and Meghan’s story, it is that love has truly won.
All episodes of Harry & Meghan are now available for streaming on Netflix.
