Harry and Meghan - as it happened: Duke of Sussex reveals he has internally ‘blocked out’ early memories of Diana
Reactions to Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ Netflix docuseries pour in as couple speak out on first dates, marriage, press intrusion and Meghan’s experiences of racism
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 received mixed reactions over their new Netflix documentary series, Harry and Meghan, which dropped on Thursday (8 December).
Parts of the much-hyped programme, which has been split into “Volume I” and “Volume II”, were described as “moving”, but the first three episodes did not deliver any new explosive allegations against the royal family - who will no doubt be relieved by the lack of revelations.
The Independent’s Arts Editor Jessie Thompson wrote in her review of the series: “There are no major revelations here, nothing so incendiary that it will cancel King Charles’s coronation next year; in fact, certain quotes are becoming a bit pat.”
Meanwhile, the Sussexes’ staunchest critics wasted no time in excoriating the couple for some of the claims made in the show. Piers Morgan accused Harry and Meghan of trying to “brand Britain as a racist country”, while the BBC’s veteran royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell dismissed Meghan’s claims that the media wanted to “destroy” her as “absurd”.
Meanwhile, neither Palace officials nor members of the royal family were approached for comment over the content of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix docuseries, it has been alleged.
It was suggested that representatives for Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, as well as the royals themselves, were not offered the opportunity to reply to the accusations lodged by the couple during the first three episodes of their highly anticipated series.
The second part of Harry and Meghan’s docuseries will begin streaming on 15 December.
Harry and Meghan had final ‘fun grenade’ with Princess Eugenie before romance was exposed
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have shared details from their final date before their romance went public.
In the first episode of their new docuseries Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recalled their last night of freedom before news of their relationship broke to the world. In October 2016, Prince William and Harry’s communications secretary, Jason Knauf, had informed them that a tabloid was about to pick up a story about their under-the-radar romance.
The eve before the news broke, the pair decided to “pull the pin on the fun grenade” and go out in costumes to a Halloween party in Toronto with Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, her then-boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, and Meghan’s friend, Marcus.
Read the full story by Meredith Clark here:
Harry and Meghan had final ‘fun grenade’ with Princess Eugenie before romance exposed
‘If it’s gonna come out tomorrow, let’s go have fun tonight,’ Harry said
In another emotional moment, Prince Harry revealed that he has internally “blocked” out early memories of his mother.
Princess Diana died in a car crash when Harry was just 12, but the duke, in his and Meghan’s new Netflix documentary, said he still remembers her “cheeky laugh”.
Harry says he has internally blocked out early memories of Diana
The Duke of Sussex said, ‘The majority of my memories are of being swarmed by paparazzi’
Harry and Meghan: Viewers are celebrating ‘Mama Doria’ finally getting her voice heard
The Harry and Meghan documentary has dropped on Netflix, and many fans have been obsessing over Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland.
In the new series, Ragland, 66, is seen discussing Meghan’s childhood and her belief that Meghan’s race was a factor in negative press reports.
As Ragland is introduced in the show, she says: “I’m ready to have my voice heard, that’s for sure.”
Fans have been sending a lot of love to “Mama Doria” on Twitter after watching the first three episodes of the series, which were released on Thursday 8 December.
Read the full stoy by Ellie Harrison here:
Harry and Meghan viewers are celebrating ‘Mama Doria’ finally getting her voice heard
‘I’m ready to have my voice heard, that’s for sure,’ Meghan Markle’s mother says as she sits down to be interviewed
ICYMI: ‘I felt so ashamed’: Prince Harry opens up about one of the ‘biggest mistakes of his life’ in Netflix documentary
Prince Harry has described his choice to dress up in a Nazi uniform as “probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life”.
In January 2005, the Duke of Sussex attended a friend’s fancy dress-themed birthday party in a Nazi uniform, complete with swastika armband.
The royal, who was 20 at the time, later apologised, saying that he was “very sorry if I caused any offence or embarrassment to anyone”, adding: “It was a poor choice of costume and I apologise.”
Harry was widely criticised at the time, with the Board of Deputies of British Jews commenting on his “ill-judged actions”.
Read the full story by Isobel Lewis here:
Prince Harry opens up about one of the ‘biggest mistakes of his life’
Royal, who was 20 at the time, apologised amid widespread public condemnation
In what was a surprising moment from the docuseries, the Duke of Sussex defied his brother, the Prince of Wales’s wish for their mother’s controversial Panorama interview to never be aired again.
Segments from the late Diana, Princess of Wales’s interview with BBC journalist Martin Bashir, were shown in the first three episodes, with Prince Harry addressing the interview directly.
“I think she had a lived experience of how she was struggling living that life. She felt compelled to talk about it. Especially in that Panorama interview. I think we all now know that she was deceived into giving the interview. But at the same time she spoke the truth of her experience,” Harry said.
Prince Harry goes against stern request made by William in Netflix documentary
Royal appeared to go against his older brother’s wishes in Volume I of his Netflix documentary with Meghan Markle
Harry and Meghan viewers amused after learning role Snapchat dog filter played in couple’s relationship
Royal fans have expressed their amusement over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “millennial love story” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they met via Instagram after he saw her in a Snapchat-filtered video.
The duke and duchess shared the sweet insight into their relationship during the first episode of their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.
In the scene, Harry recalled that he and Meghan were introduced in 2016 after he saw her in a video posted on Instagram by a mutual friend while he was scrolling through his “feed”. The couple says the video in question saw Meghan using a spotted dog Snapchat filter, which left her with dog ears, a dog nose and a floppy tongue.
Read the full story by Chelsea Ritschel here:
How Harry and Meghan met
The Duke of Sussex says his first reaction was: ‘Who is that?’ after seeing Meghan in filtered video
As Prince Harry reflected on the similiarities between his mother and Meghan, the duke defended the decisions he has made to protect his family.
“I accept that there’ll be people around the world who fundamentally disagree with what I’ve done and how I’ve done it, but I knew that I had to do everything I could to protect my family,” he said. “Especially after what happened to my mum. You know, I didn’t want history to repeat itself.”
Prince Harry goes against stern request made by William in Netflix documentary
The Duke of Sussex has defied his brother, the Prince of Wales’s wish for their mother’s controversial Panorama interview to never be aired again.
In his and the Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix documentary series,Harry and Meghan, segments from the late Diana, Princess of Wales’s interview with the BBC journalist Martin Bashir, were shown.
Footage of Diana talking about the public and press scrutiny on her life first aired in the 1995 interview, which Prince William said made his mother’s sense of “fear, paranoia and isolation” worse.
Read the full story by Kate Ng here:
Prince Harry goes against stern request made by William in Netflix documentary
Royal appeared to go against his older brother’s wishes in Volume I of his Netflix documentary with Meghan Markle
According to Prince Harry, he sees a lot of his late mother Princess Diana in Meghan.
The Duke of Sussex compared the two women in the first episode of the series, in which he pointed out the similarities in their personalities.
“So much of what Meghan is, and how she is, is so similar to my mum,” he said. “She has the same compassion, she has the same empathy, she has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”
Harry shares three reasons Meghan is ‘very similar’ to Princess Diana
The duke opened up about how he wanted to ‘protect my family’ in episode of Netflix’s docuseries
ICYMI: King Charles wishes volunteers and public ‘Happy Christmas’ as Harry and Meghan documentary drops
The King wished volunteers and members of the public a “Happy Christmas” ahead of attending an advent service in central London, as royal fans tuned into the Netflix documentary Harry and Meghan.
Charles met with representatives and beneficiaries of local initiatives before unveiling a plaque at the King’s House community hub in King’s Cross on Thursday morning.
Read the full story Rebecca Speare-Cole here:
King Charles wishes volunteers and public ‘Happy Christmas’
Monarch met with representatives and beneficiaries of local initiatives before attending an advent service in King’s Cross, as people on Netflix tuned into the documentary from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments