Truth vs Reality: Meghan and Harry’s web of Netflix narratives
Prince Harry has ruffled some feathers in the Palace for his portrayal of the Queen in his Netflix docuseries. See why.
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Palace insiders have criticised Prince Harry for the way he represented the Queen in revealing his “truth” around what took place when he was stripped of his royal duties.
In the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the Duke of Sussex said the Queen sat quietly in a room during a meeting with his father, then Prince Charles, and brother Prince William who screamed at him. He also said Her Majesty was influenced by her aides in making the decision that he would no longer be a working royal.
He explained that as Queen, she had to take into account the various implications on the “institution” because that was her responsibility and “ultimate mission”.
“People around her are telling her that proposal or these two doing x, y, or z is doing to be seen as an attack on the institution, then she’s going to go on the advice she’s been given,” Prince Harry said in the second part of the Netflix series.
But Palace courtiers have dismissed that, saying his claims are “outrageous” and he painted the Queen as a passive “diminutive figure” because he did not get his way.
One person told the UK’s The Sunday Times: “It’s outrageous. Harry never wanted to admit to himself that is was the Queen who said, ‘no you’re out’”.
“He couldn’t fathom that he wasn’t the cheeky chappy who was going to sweet-talk grandma into getting what he wanted.”
Another said Prince Harry was manipulating the facts to suit his story.
“It was always ‘my commander-in0chief, the boss’ but when he was not getting the support from her he wanted, she is represented as a diminutive figure sat in the corner.
“That is another manipulation of the narrative to suit the outcome as helft by Harry.
“Adviser have made recommendations to her Majesty, but there was only one person making the decisions.
“To look the truth squarely in the eye, to realise your relationship has been damaged and to know it was his commander-in-chief who decided he couldn’t have the half-in, half-out role he wanted, is probably too painful for him to accept.”
HARRY AND MEGHAN’S ‘TRUTH’ VS REALITY
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continued their version of the “truth”, but Volume II posed more questions than it answered after the finale conflicted with both historical accounts of reality, and with the Volume I telling of their Netflix story.
The final three episodes of Harry & Meghan delved into the couple’s strained relationship with their family, the media, and the infamous “Megxit” from the United Kingdom.
After the first three episodes, major claims of the series were disputed by the palace either officially (they weren’t given a full chance to comment), on background (Ms Markle was fully briefed on royal protocols), or through anonymous sources (Catherine is, indeed, a hugger).
The full six-part series has likewise drawn some early scrutiny on conflicting accounts of the Netflix narrative, from their treatment by the media to keeping their royal titles.
RACIST TABLOIDS VS GUSHING JOURNALISTS
Old truth: In Volume I, Prince Harry and Ms Markle traced negative media coverage back to the beginning of their relationship, with an even more toxic shift from their engagement announcement in 2016.
“Truth be told — no matter how hard I tried, no matter how good I was, no matter what I did, they were still going to find a way to destroy me,” Ms Markle said in the first three episodes.
In the 2019 interview with Oprah, the pair blamed the “toxic” coverage of the UK tabloids on her ethnicity. “Rude and racist are not the same,” Ms Markle told Oprah at the time.
Netflix (Volume II) truth: Actually, the media didn’t turn on them until 2018 because the Duchess was becoming too popular. Despite previously saying the racist media was against her from the jump, the Netflix series claimed it was the media being too friendly during her tour of Australia that marked the dramatic shift in coverage.
“The issue is when someone who’s marrying in, who should be a supporting act, is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who was born to do this, that upsets people,” Prince Harry said.
That tour was a “turning point”, according to friend Lucy Fraser.
“The internals at the palace were incredibly threatened by that,” friend, Lucy Fraser, said.
As Ms Markle’s popularity blossomed, the Palace launched an investigation into allegations of bullying.
The “penny dropped”, Prince Harry said, after Remembrance Day in November 2018 when all the positive press coverage focused on Ms Markle.
PALACE SPIN DOCTORS VS MAVERICK MEDIA
Old truth: Buckingham Palace controls the media, and the royal family and the UK tabloids are “in on it”. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they were the only ones that know the “truth” because it was being hidden by a compliant media apparatuses at the direction of the Monarch.
Netflix truth: After the UK’s Telegraph splashed the pair on their front page, instead of the Queen, for its Remembrance Day coverage, suddenly the media couldn’t be as easily controlled by palace dictates.
“I went, ‘Oh, my God,’” Ms Markle recalled at seeing the positive, non-racist, headlines.
“It shifts the balance because you’ve been led to believe that the only way that your charities can succeed and the only way that your reputation can be grown or improved is if you’re the front page of those newspapers.
Prince Harry chimes in as Ms Markle said it’s not her fault. “And I said, ‘I know. And my mum felt the same way,’” he said, referring to Princess Diana stealing the spotlight during her 1983 tour of Australia.
“You’ve been led to believe that the only way that your charities can succeed and the only way that your reputation can be grown or improved is if you’re the front page of those newspapers,” Prince Harry said.
“But the media are the ones who choose who to put on the front page.”
DIRECT LINE TO THE QUEEN VS PALACE GATEKEEPING
Old truth: Ms Markle often kept in touch with Her Majesty the Queen, “just to check in”, according to her comments to Oprah in 2019.
“I just pick up the phone and I call the Queen — just to check in,” she said. “That’s what we do, it’s like being able to default to not having to every moment go, ‘Is that appropriate?’”
Netflix truth: Prince Harry and Ms Markle were prevented from seeing the Queen despite being invited by Her Majesty herself on a return visit to Canada.
“We were getting on the plane and an urgent, urgent message comes through to Harry saying, ‘You are not allowed to meet Her Majesty. She has plans, she is busy all week’,” Ms Markle said in episode five.
Harry added that was the “exact opposite” of when she told him earlier when inviting the pair for tea and to stay the night.
“Once we were back in the UK I rang her and said, ‘I’m now told that you’re busy’ and she said, ‘Yes, I didn’t know that I was busy’,” Prince Harry said. “I was like, wow.”
SOUTH AFRICAN MEGXIT VS CALIFORNIA DREAMING
Old truth: The Queen wanted her grandson and his new wife to move to South Africa for a few years to carve out a new role within the Monarchy, according to Royal historian Robert Lacey in his 2020 book, Battle of Brothers.
Their desire to live an “ordinary existence” reminded her of her years with Prince Philip in Malta, and she thought Johannesburg could serve a similar role for the newlyweds, giving them “honour and responsibility” within the Commonwealth.
Netflix truth: Their plan to move to South Africa was foiled by the press after “it became public debate”.
“The Palace signed off on us moving to South Africa so my father’s office knew about it – my brother’s office knew about it and my grandmother’s office knew about it,” he said. “No one else knew – then it was leaked to The Times newspaper.
DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX VS MR AND MRS MARKLE
Old truth: Following Megxit, Prince Harry and Ms Markle retained their titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They still use “HRH”, for His/Her Royal Highness, Ms Markle signed off her children’s book, “Duchess”, and her stationery includes a crown.
Netflix truth: They never intended to keep their royal titles. Prince Harry said “the plan” was to give up their titles as the Sussexes once they gave up their royal working duties.
“So I put it in writing, sent him emails on the 1st and the 2nd and the 3rd of January,” Prince Harry said.
“And in one of those I had mentioned that if this wasn’t going to work out, then we would be willing to relinquish our Sussex titles if need be.
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Originally published as Truth vs Reality: Meghan and Harry’s web of Netflix narratives
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