Meghan Markle has described the time around her engagement to Prince Harry as an "orchestrated reality show”.
The third episode of the Sussexes' new Netflix show, Harry & Meghan, which dropped this morning, opens with archive footage of the pair being interviewed about their engagement.
Reflecting on the 2018 interview, Meghan describes it as an "orchestrated reality show", before adding: 'It was rehearsed,' and elaborates on how the couple were prepped and told what they had to do.
It then cuts to footage of various royals, including Kate and Camilla, talking about how happy they were at the engagement, and Harry and Meghan describing William and Kate as 'wonderful' and helpful.
It then cuts to the couple being interviewed now, and Meghan adds: 'My point is, we weren’t allowed to tell our story because they didn’t want…’ and Harry adds: 'We’ve never been allowed to tell our story,’ to which Meghan replies 'That’s true….until now.’
Ahead of the series dropping, a friend close to the royal family stressed the situation concerned "real people” and that there was a "great deal of sadness” collectively at the fraught state of affairs.
A dramatic trailer for the show dropped late last week, while the Prince and Princess of Wales were in Boston ahead of William's Earthshot Prize ceremony.
Following the trip, William rushed back to London to hold crisis talks with his dad King Charles ahead of the show's release.
"It’s really important to remember that these are real people. This isn’t a soap opera. They are human beings and a family and there’s a great deal of sadness,” the friend said.
King Charles and Prince William, along with Queen Camilla and Princess of Wales Kate, are not expected to personally watch the show, but royal staff will will watch the series, and considering any possible response to allegations.
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The King and the royal family will be carrying on with royal duties as normal today, while millions are expected to tune in for the first three episodes of 'Harry & Meghan '.
In a trailer Prince Harry teased explosive allegations as he warned "We know the full truth” and spoken of a "hierarchy in the family”, a "dirty game” and "leaking” and "planting of stories”.
The Sussexes signed lucrative deals thought to be worth more than £100 million with Netflix and Spotify after exiting the monarchy amid the Megxit crisis.
The monarchy found itself into crisis after the Sussexes spoke to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, where they accused an unnamed member of the family of racism towards their son Archie before he was born, and the institution of failing to help the suicidal duchess.
The couple exited as senior working royals in 2020 in favour of more freedom and the ability to earn their own money in the US.
Harry said he felt let down by his dad, and "there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened” in their relationship.
In the aftermath of the Oprah broadcast, the Queen issued a statement saying “while some recollections may vary”, the issues would be taken “very seriously”, but dealt with privately as a family.
But on a podcast and a mental health Apple TV series, Harry went on to accuse his family of “total neglect” and appeared to criticise the parenting skills of Charles and the Queen and Philip, suggesting he had suffered "genetic pain”.
The first dramatic trailer for the Netflix offering dropped unexpectedly last week, with another coming at the start of this one.
The trailer for the much-awaited show featured several photos of Meghan and Harry throughout the years, including wedding snaps and photos of them on holiday.
The second set of episodes will drop at the same time next week and are expected to feature even more drama - with the date set to clash with the Princess of Wales's carol concert in memory of the late Queen.
It dropped while The Prince and Princess of Wales were in Boston ahead of William's Earthshot Prize ceremony, and he rushed back to London to hold crisis talks with his dad King Charles ahead of the show's release.
A senior royal source said: "There is a completely united front from the King and his family concerning the numerous attempts to privately make peace with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which sadly have once again resulted in the other side wishing to air their repeated grievances to the world.
"If there is a need to respond to anything in the upcoming series then you can be assured that response will be swift and robust."
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