London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Dec 20, 2025

Harry and Meghan: That sigh of relief? It's the Palace watching Netflix

Harry and Meghan: That sigh of relief? It's the Palace watching Netflix

Are Prince Harry and Meghan the victims of an oppressive royal system? Or are they the millionaire moaners of Montecito?

However the public views their TV show, there will be one set of delighted viewers - and that's in Buckingham Palace and the rest of the Royal Family.

They might get a bit of a frosty blast from the series, described as unable to hug and getting married for the wrong reasons. But there are no real bombshells or direct hits and nothing specific about any individuals.

Rather than reaching for their lawyers, they'll be reaching for the family therapists.

If this is the start of the Harry and Meghan's winter offensive - Netflix up to Christmas, then Prince Harry's memoir in the new year - it's begun with something approaching a truce.

The series had threatened to be a tell-all tale of why Prince Harry and Meghan felt they had to step down from royal duties. But this inside story so far hasn't provided much inside information.

The pre-publicity had raised explosive issues of race and planted stories - but so far at least, the series has been much more revealing about how the couple see themselves.

It's a love letter to themselves. They present themselves as under siege, facing prejudice and threats, at war with the media. And as such it's a view looking inwards rather than outwards, with a supporting chorus of friends and experts.

For a Royal Family worried at the prospect of being painted as out of touch and unsympathetic, or even worse as racists, the programmes so far have not revealed anything really embarrassing or awkward.

King Charles, Camilla the Queen Consort, Prince William and Catherine are left in the background.

What it clearly shows is how emotionally raw Prince Harry remains about the loss of his mother, Princess Diana. His romance with Meghan seems inextricably linked to his experience of grief.

In terms of news lines, the biggest criticism is against the news writers, with the press seen as a haunting presence, with paparazzi chasing the royal couple and press attacks on them being amplified on social media, including racist abuse.

Prince Harry bristles at spending a life surrounded by such constant media intrusion.

If there are criticisms of the Royal Family, it's more of a complex, institutional argument than personal attacks. There's discussion of historic royal links to the slave trade and references to "unconscious bias".

Prince Harry talks of realising that his visits to "half the Commonwealth" hasn't been the same as understanding the experiences of communities facing disadvantage - and the series discusses the long legacy of colonialism.

Meghan recalls the pain of racist insults aimed at her mother after going to a concert together.

It's part of a powerful personal story. But the episodes, at least so far, are more about the psychodrama of a couple under pressure, recording their own feelings, more a video diary rather than a documentary.

There are no critical voices or discordant questions. How does a champion of equality feel about the title of 'Duchess'? What do they really make of the rest of the Royal Family?

Is it right for this mega-rich couple to present themselves as victims, when so many people are struggling to pay the bills and buy food? Are they now, with their Netflix and Spotify deals, part of the media they've been criticising?

It's not that kind of programme. It's a selfie on a global stage.


Home video of Archie features in Harry and Meghan documentary


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson proclaims, “For Ukraine, surrendering their land would be a nightmare.”
Microsoft Challenges £2.1 Billion UK Cloud Licensing Lawsuit at Competition Tribunal
Fake Doctor in Uttar Pradesh Accused of Killing Woman After Performing YouTube-Based Surgery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
UK Officials Push Back at Trump Saying European Leaders ‘Talk Too Much’ About Ukraine
UK Warns of Escalating Cyber Assault Linked to Putin’s State-Backed Operations
UK Consumer Spending Falters in November as Households Hold Back Ahead of Budget
UK Orders Fresh Review of Prince Harry’s Security Status After Formal Request
U.S. Authorises Nvidia to Sell H200 AI Chips to China Under Security Controls
Trump in Direct Assault: European Leaders Are Weak, Immigration a Disaster. Russia Is Strong and Big — and Will Win
"App recommendation" or disguised advertisement? ChatGPT Premium users are furious
"The Great Filtering": Australia Blocks Hundreds of Thousands of Minors From Social Networks
Mark Zuckerberg Pulls Back From Metaverse After $70 Billion Loss as Meta Shifts Priorities to AI
Nvidia CEO Says U.S. Data-Center Builds Take Years while China ‘Builds a Hospital in a Weekend’
Indian Airports in Turmoil as IndiGo Cancels Over a Thousand Flights, Stranding Thousands
Hollywood Industry on Edge as Netflix Secures Near-$60 Bln Loan for Warner Bros Takeover
Drugs and Assassinations: The Connection Between the Italian Mafia and Football Ultras
Hollywood megadeal: Netflix acquires Warner Bros. Discovery for 83 billion dollars
×