Buckingham Palace and other members of the royal family were not approached for comment on the content of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix documentary, a senior source in the royal household has claimed.
The allegation runs contrary to a statement displayed on-screen at the start of the opening episode of the new series about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, stating that “members of the royal family declined to comment on the content within this series”.
However, a Netflix source countered the claim, saying that the communications offices for King Charles and the Prince of Wales were contacted in advance and given the right to reply to claims within the series.
The first three episodes of the six-part series, titled Harry & Meghan, were released on Thursday, and see the couple discuss press intrusion, racism, and their life in the royal family.
Among the topics discussed is Buckingham Palace’s handling of what Prince Harry criticised as early as 2016 as a “wave of abuse and harassment” by the media against his partner after their relationship become public.
“The direction from the palace was don’t say anything,” Prince Harry says in the documentary, adding that “it was almost like a rite of passage” for royal family members to experience such treatment by sections of the press.
He recalled saying that “the difference here is the race element”, and alleged that there is a “huge level of unconscious bias” in the royal family. “It is actually no one’s fault. But once it has been pointed out, or identified within yourself you then need to make it right,” he said.
Elsewhere in the series, the duke claimed that his wife being an American actress “clouded” his family’s view of her, while Meghan said she felt the media would find a way to “destroy” her “no matter how good” she was.
Prince Harry said it was important for the couple “to make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes that perhaps our parents made”, and also suggested that there is a temptation in the royal family to marry someone who “fits the mould”.
Speaking in the first episode of the Netflix documentary, he said: “I think, for so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mould, as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with.”
In the same instalment, the duchess alleged that “salacious stories” were “planted” in the lead-up to their wedding, with the couple “playing whack-a-mole” as the articles appeared.
Netflix and Buckingham Palace have been approached for comment.
Additional reporting by PA
