When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped away from their royal duties, they waltzed right into the arms of Netflix to wheedle the most lucrative deal possible to “create content”. Today we get a first look at the “Harry and Meghan” trailer.
Although they have frequently and loudly complained about the lack of privacy that their position forced on them, they opted to do a docuseries that lets Netflix viewers into their intimate lives. Indeed, for Meghan, everything is about love and despite her former protests, she now doesn’t mind sharing every moment of theirs with the world.
In the interview with Oprah, Meghan explained that she fights constantly to maintain her privacy, and she doesn’t see that as excessive. She said her need for privacy doesn’t go beyond what “a normal person would expect in their personal life.” The question is, is she “a normal person”?
“So much of how my husband and I see things is through our love story. I think that’s what people around the world connected to, especially with our wedding. People love love. I’m not excluded in that sentiment. And our definition of love is really expansive: Partner love, self-love, the love of community and family. We use that as the baseline of the kind of shows and documentaries we want out there,” she said.
Now, after months of mystery and coyness, distributor Netflix released a first-look trailer for the highly anticipated docuseries on Thursday. The project, which is directed by Liz Garbus of “What Happened, Miss Simone?”, promises an intimate account of the couple’s courtship — and unprecedented access to their tumultuous years as senior royals—the very years that they did not at the time, want the public to see.
In the trailer, which shares an array of romantic photos, Garbus is heard asking, “Why did you want to make this documentary?” to which Harry responds — in voiceover — “No one knows what’s happening behind closed doors,” implying that he is now inviting us into his home to peek behind those closed doors. Meghan added, “I had to do everything I could to protect my family…When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”
“The story” that she refers to has been much discussed in the press both in the US and in Britain, and her accusations against the royal family have been relentless, as she has washed all the dirty linen in public. She now has full control over the narrative, especially since Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth, has died there are no more restraints—emotional or otherwise.
A Forbes article reminds us that this project is actually a public discussion of their own relatives—something that the most brazen and bitter people might avoid doing just for modesty’s sake—even worse if those relatives are globally known and the symbol of a nation. The British public are appalled and “accuse the couple of profiting from their royal status.” Just as telling is that the first-look trailer has been released while Prince William and Kate are visiting the US. Page Six suggests that it is believed to be a “coordinated campaign” to overshadow the Prince and Princess of Wales’ big US visit.
The viewer may be justified in wondering how the privacy that they guarded so ferociously when they were part of the working royal family now is up for sale at Netflix, and why the public is now invited into their “most romantic and intimate moments”. Could it have something to do with the deal that reportedly is worth $100 million?
Their next project is rumored to be a reality show, thereby joining the likes of the Kardashians in selling off their privacy and their family.
