Harry and Meghan – as it happened: World reacts to bombshell documentary as royals stay silent on Sussex claims
Royal households accused of war against Duchess of Sussex to protect palace
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The Duke of Sussex has described how “terrifying” it was to have his brother, the Prince of Wales, shout and scream at him at the Sandringham summit in front of the Queen during the Megxit crisis.
The duke’s claim is one of many revelations outlined in the final episodes of the couple’s Netflix docuseries, which also saw the pair condemn the treatment of Meghan at the hands of the media, and speak openly about her mental health struggles during their time as senior royals.
The final episodes also included lighter moments, such as when the couple mock the size of Nottingham Cottage, the residence on the grounds of Kensington Palace where they lived temporarily after their royal wedding.
Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment on the latest episodes. However, the royal family put on a united front when they attended the Princess of Wales’ second annual Christmas carol concert Thursday evening (15 December), just hours after the final episodes of the Sussexes’ bombshell Netflix series aired.
On Friday (16 December), the Palace also reiterated its dedication to “inclusion and diversity” while revealing that the Queen’s former lady-in-waiting, Lady Susan Hussey, apologised in person to Black charity founder Ngozi Fulani over comments she’d made two weeks prior.
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The Sussexes also recalled the intimacy of their wedding, despite having the eyes of the world upon them.
“You know the world was watching us,” Prince Harry said. “But when we were actually at the altar, as far as I’m concerned, it was just the two of us.”
According to Meghan, the ability to drown out the noise, and just focus on one another, is something the couple prides themselves on.
“H and I are really, really good at finding each other, through the chaos,” she said. “When we find each other, when we reconnect to, like: ‘Oh, it’s you, it’s you.’ It’s not that the rest of it doesn’t matter, but the rest of it feels temporary.”
The relationships among family members ultimately took a turn for the worst, however, as the final three episodes document the treatment of Meghan at the hands of the press, and the couple’s claim the Palace declined to intervene.
Prince Harry also speaks candidly about his wife’s mental health struggles, and his regrets over how he and the royal family handled the realisation that Meghan was struggling with suicidal thoughts.
According to Harry, he “hates” himself when he looks back on the way he reacted, as he said he “dealt with it as ‘institutional Harry’ as opposed to ‘husband Harry’”.
The Duke of Sussex also criticised his family’s handling of Meghan’s mental health, as he claimed they “knew how bad it was,” and yet questioned why she couldn’t “just deal with it”.
Meghan echoed the sentiment, with the Duchess of Sussex recalling how she’d reportedly asked to “go somewhere to get help”.
She said the request was declined because “they were concerned about how that would look for the institution”.
Prince Harry says he ‘hates’ himself over response to Meghan’s suicidal thoughts
The Duke of Sussex says he responded as ‘institutional Harry’ as opposed to ‘husband Harry’
According to Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, the press was to blame for the duchess’ declining mental health.
“I remember her telling me that, that she had wanted to take her own life. That really broke my heart,” Ragland said, adding that she blamed the media’s constant criticism of Meghan. “I knew, well, I knew that it was bad, to just constantly be picked at by these vultures, just picking away at her spirit that she would actually think of not wanting to be here.
“That’s not an easy one for a mom to hear. And I can’t protect her. H can’t protect her.”
Prince Harry also blamed the media, and the stress around the couple’s lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited, for the miscarriage Meghan suffered.
“I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what The Mail did,” Harry says in the Netflix series.
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‘I can say from what I saw that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her,’ says Duke of Sussex
One interesting moment during the final three episodes saw the couple criticise their living arrangements after their wedding.
As they entered into married life, the duke and duchess moved into Nottingham Cottage, which is located on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
However, despite sounding “regal,” Meghan said, in reality, their residence was “so small”.
Prince Harry told the camera in episode four: “As far as people were concerned we were living in a palace, and we were, in a cottage…,” and then, Meghan and Harry almost spoke in unison, agreeing: “We were living on palace grounds.”
Harry and Meghan complain their grace-and-favour home was ‘so small’
‘I don’t think anyone could believe what our life was actually like behind the scenes,’ says Duchess of Sussex in episode four
While reflecting on their time in Nottingham Cottage, the duchess described it as a “chapter” in their lives “where I don’t think anyone could believe what our life was actually like behind the scenes”.
Despite their dissatisfaction with the home, the docuseries includes a number of photos of the pair enjoying the time they spent in the cottage, with pictures showing Meghan gardening and dancing.
Harry and Meghan complain their grace-and-favour home was ‘so small’
‘I don’t think anyone could believe what our life was actually like behind the scenes,’ says Duchess of Sussex in episode four
Elsewhere in the final three episodes, the couple discussed their friendship with Tyler Perry.
The duke and duchess first met Perry when he temporarily offered them his home and his security team after they stepped down as senior royals.
The couple and Perry have remained close, with Meghan and Harry revealing they named Perry godfather to their daughter Lilibet.
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The final three episodes of ‘Harry and Meghan’ were released on 15 December
Perhaps one of the biggest revelations in the final episodes took place when Prince Harry claimed that Prince William “screamed” at him during an emergency meeting called by the Queen.
In episode five, Harry details his account of an urgent meeting between senior members of the royal family at the Sandringham Estate in 2020. In the talk between the family members, a decision was made about the involvement of Harry and Meghan in royal life and their duties going forward.
During an interview, Harry claims: “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me.”
Harry claims William ‘screamed and shouted’ at him in ‘terrifying’ row
‘It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me,’ Duke of Sussex says in episode five of his Netflix documentary
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