Netflix just released what could be a fascinating documentary for Netflix users, it is of course Harry & Meghan. The documentary was released on December 8 and became Netflix’s biggest documentary debut at the moment. The documentary racked up 81.55 million viewing hours worldwide.
Harry & Meghan is an American documentary series, starring Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The series has six parts and covers the couple’s relationship from their early courtship to their decision to step back as working members of the British royal family and their subsequent activities. The documentary includes interviews with family, friends, historians, and journalists.
The series directed by Liz Garbus was released in two volumes, three one-hour episodes on December 8 and three more on December 15. The documentary gained popularity, especially in the United Kingdom.
Besides Harry and Meghan, the documentary features some other guests such as Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, Ashleigh Hale, Meghan’s niece, Afua Hirsch, a British writer and broadcaster, David Olusoga, a British historian and writer, Kehinde Andrews (British Black studies academic), Silver Tree, an American writer, producer and director, Abigail Spencer, who is an American actress, Jill Smoller, an American sports agent and former professional tennis player, Serena Williams who is an American professional tennis player, Misan Harriman, a Nigerian-born British photographer and entrepreneur, Nacho Figueras, an Argentine polo player and model, and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
The first episode focuses on the married couple’s early days of their romance, where they share details of the first date and reveal their exchanges via email, their personal nicknames, photos, and footage from their one-week visit to Botswana are also shown. It is also mentioned the time their relationship was made public and all the comparisons with Lady Diana and the treatment she received in the Royal Family.
The second episode focuses on Meghan’s mother, which is her first public interview since her daughter and Harry began their relationship. In this the theme of Meghan’s childhood is broken down, the topic of Meghan within the royal family and its treatment of her is also touched upon again. Then we talk about Brexit and its impact on British society.
In the third and so far the last chapter of this docuseries, Harry and Meghan open up about their engagement interview and their first public appearance in Nottingham. Enter the whole issue with the paparazzi and the media. The chapter takes a turn to a more historical part and mentions racism within the history of the British empire. They are still waiting for the last 3 episodes that will come out on December 15.
In 2020, the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex signed a private commercial deal with Netflix in order to develop a project. Firstly the documentary was supposed t be directed by Garrett Bradley. Later in October 2022, Meghan confirmed that she and Harry were working on a docuseries focused on their life, directed by Liz Garbus.
The documentary received mixed and average reviews from both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, giving it 45% and 57% out of 100% respectively.
Andrea Rich
