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

Prince Harry claims his wife was 'doing the job better' than 'those born to do it'

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.

Key Points

• Prince Harry claims brother ‘screamed and shouted’ at him at Sandringham meeting
• Palace ‘lied to protect William,’ Duke of Sussex claims
• ‘Palace briefed negative stories about Harry and Meghan to help other royals’
• Duke blames miscarriage on Mail in Netflix documentary
• ‘It broke my heart’: Meghan Markle’s mother recalls hearing daughter was suicidal

[16 December 2022 17:45 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Elsewhere in the series, Prince Harry reflected on some of the things he misses about the royal family, including the time spent together as a family.

“I miss the weird family gatherings, when we’re all brought together under one roof for a certain time of the year. That I miss,” he admitted.

[16 December 2022 17:51 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The reaction to the six-hour docuseries has been largely divided, with many applauding the Sussexes for sharing their story, while others have accused the couple of rehashing old arguments.

The hosts of The View were in disagreement over the docuseries during Thursday’s episode of the talk-show, with Joy Behar questioning why the couple has not stepped away from the spotlight in light of the treatment of both Meghan and Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.

“You would think after his mother was basically a victim of the paparazzi and all of the attention she got all over the place that he would shy away from all of that,” Behar said.

[16 December 2022 17:55 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg also argued that the rift between Harry and his brother Prince William is up to them alone to fix.

“Family is family, and they’ll figure it out,” she said. “They’re not boys. They’re two men. They’re not children. So they have to figure out their own stuff. Charles can’t fix that for them.”

Goldberg made the suggestion while admitting that she has not watched the Sussexes’ docuseries, because she has “other stuff on my mind”.

[16 December 2022 18:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

There were also moments that the couple looked back on their time as senior royals with anger, and sadness.

In one scene, the duke and duchess reflected on the moment it seemed Meghan’s popularity would prove to be an issue among the royal family, with the series describing her and Harry’s concern after she was featured on the front page of a newspaper instead of the Queen.

“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, it shifts the balance,” Prince Harry said of the pivotal moment.

[16 December 2022 19:01 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The royal family, who have declined to comment on the docuseries, conducted business as usual amid the release of the latest episodes, with the family reuniting for the Princess of Wales’ second annual Christmas carol concert on Thursday evening.

For the occasion, Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte wore matching maroon coat dresses, in what appeared to be a display of unity.

[16 December 2022 19:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The matching outfits worn by the Princess of Wales and her daughter for the Christmas concert should not come as a surprise, as the royals are known for sending messages through their sartorial choices.

Joanna Whitehead breaks down the meaning behind the matching outfits, and the ways the royals use fashion to make certain statements, below.

[16 December 2022 20:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The Duchess of Sussex also discussed the ways in which her own fashion choices have been used to send messages in the couple’s docuseries, in which she recalled wearing a lot of muted tones when she was a senior member of the royal family so she wouldn’t stand out.

However, according to Meghan, during her and Prince Harry’s final week of royal engagements, she wanted to “look like a rainbow”.

[16 December 2022 21:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The couple also spoke candidly about the moments after they’d officially concluded their royal duties.

According to Meghan, there was one moment that stands out, when a crew member on her flight to back to Canada from the UK after her final royal appearance thanked her for her service.

“I get on the plane and not the pilot, but whoever overseeing the crew, he came and he knelt next to my seat and took his hat off,” Meghan said. “I just remember looking at him and he goes, ‘We appreciate everything you did for our country.’”

Meghan said it was the “first time” someone recognised the “sacrifice” she had made.

“Not for my own country, for this country. It’s not mine,” she said.

[16 December 2022 22:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

One of the more enjoyable aspects of Harry & Meghan was the celebrity cameos, with Serena Williams and Tyler Perry interviewed for the six-part Netflix series.

The docuseries also included a virtual cameo from Beyonce, who texted the duchess to commend her bravery.

In the scene, a surprised Meghan tells Harry that she just received a message from the singer, before admitting she “still can’t believe she knows who I am…” 

As for what the message said, Meghan revealed that Beyonce reached out to tell her she “admires and respects my bravery and vulnerability and thinks I was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed”.

[16 December 2022 23:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The series also included heavier moments, such as the scene where Harry and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland reflected on Meghan’s mental health struggles.

According to Prince Harry, he “hates” himself when he thinks of the way he reacted to his wife’s admission that she was having thoughts of suicide, as he said he dealt with it as “institutional Harry” as opposed to “husband Harry”.