Behind-the-scenes photos give viewers glimpse into couple’s life together
The second instalment of the Harry & Meghan documentary series included unseen images from their wedding day and baby shower.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared a number of private photographs for their Netflix series giving viewers a glimpse into their lives together.
The second instalment of the Harry & Meghan documentary series began with a number of unseen photographs from the royal couple’s wedding, including their first dance to Land Of 1,000 Dances.
Harry can be seen dipping Meghan in a ballroom hold during the dance and pictures also captured the couple dancing face-to-face among their family and friends, which included Sir Elton John who was spinning Meghan on the dance floor.
Narrating the images, Meghan said: “Mashed potato, do the alligator. That was our first dance, it was so fun. Just spinning like a whirlwind, it was so great.”
Another image captured Harry laughing with actor Idris Elba who appeared to be stood on a booth DJ’ing with his headphones on, while another showed all the party guests stood outside watching an elaborate fireworks display.
Also in the episode, footage taken by Harry in Nottingham Cottage showed Meghan dancing in the farmhouse-style abode, which had a cobbled walkway and a lemon tree near the doorway.
Speaking of his wife dancing in a gilet and walking boots, Harry said in the video: “Oh my god. It’s my favourite video. Thursday afternoon, someone’s happy.”
In the documentary interview, he said: “As far as people were concerned, we were living in a palace, and we were. But in a cottage on palace grounds.”
Meghan said: “Kensington Palace sounds very regal, of course it does it has palace in the name, but Nottingham Cottage was small. He (Harry) would just hit his head constantly in that place because he’s so tall.”
Harry continued: “The whole thing is on a slight lean, really low ceilings so I don’t know who was there before but they must have been very short.”
Other photographs showed Meghan in a light-blue shirt and a floppy sunhat posing with a garden tool and Harry varnishing an outdoor shed, while another showed Harry sat on a white sofa cuddling Meghan’s beagle Guy.
Meghan said: “It was just a chapter in our lives where I don’t think anyone could believe what it was actually like behind the scenes.”
Harry added: “Oprah (Winfrey) came over for tea didn’t she and she sat down and she goes ‘no-one would ever believe it’.”
Later in the fourth episode, an ultrasound picture of the couple’s first child Archie was shared.
Narrating an image of Meghan and her growing bump taken in the kitchen of a house, she said: “One of the things we connected with early was you (Harry) always wanted to be a dad, and I always wanted to be a mum.”
A black-and-white picture of the royal couple smiling while bathing toddler Archie was also shared, alongside a colour photo of Harry feeding his son who was sat in a high chair.
The documentary also shared pictures from Meghan’s “beautiful” surprise baby shower in New York organised by her friends, with the duchess sporting a navy-blue polka-dot dress and smiling while appearing to attend a flower arranging masterclass.
Actress Abigail Spencer, tennis star Serena Williams and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney were also pictured in attendance.
The fifth episode of the documentary showed black-and-white photographs of Harry and Meghan packing up Frogmore Cottage during their “farewell week” in March 2020, having decided to leave for the US.
One image showed Meghan with her hands on her head and Harry looking at a number of boxes and a stack of books, while another showed the couple looking at each other amid a background of cardboard boxes.
Narrating the pictures, Meghan said: “We were going through so many boxes, just literally looking at everything going ‘Oh my gosh this blanket I miss, that hat was so funny’, just taking it all in. And it really gave us a chance to just, to look back at our whole love story … That last week, it was bittersweet.”
Other photos showed the couple looking through a scrapbook of printed photographs, Harry smiling and kissing Meghan’s growing baby bump in a photo booth, and the royal couple looking onto the Queen’s Pond at Frogmore Cottage.
Narrating that image, Harry said: “We always saw Archie running around in the garden at Frogmore Cottage and maybe jumping in the Queen’s Pond, that was all part of our future and everything changed really, really quickly.
“We knew we were going to get some breathing space from this very painful experience that we’ve been stuck in but also at the same time it was really sad.”
The episode also saw unseen footage of Meghan carrying baby Archie, who was wrapped up from head-to-toe, in Vancouver Island in Canada in December 2019 where it was snowing.
Another clip showed baby Archie giggling as Harry squeezed a yellow rubber duck which blew out a candle, and Meghan on a stepladder putting lights on a large Christmas tree in Canada.
Narrating a video of walking her dog along the seashore while the sun set, Meghan said: “I just loved being there, it was just so peaceful. You could breathe for a minute.”
A clip saw the duke pushing Archie, who was sat on a suitcase and giggling, along the living room floor while another showed Harry jumping into the cold sea on New Year’s Day sporting turquoise swimming shorts.
He said: “I came out refreshed, I was like 2020 what have you got.”