OAN Newsroom Correspondent Shannon Kelland
UPDATED 7:02 PM PT – Thursday, December 15, 2022
On Thursday, the final three episodes of Netflix’s original series, “Harry & Meghan” dropped.
In the episodes, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, revealed behind the scenes insight as to why they left the family and the innerworkings in the palace.
Back in March of 2020, the Duke and Duchess decided to leave the family due to a series of controversies. Harry claimed that aides who worked for Prince William had played a role in the negative stories that appeared about the couple. Harry believes that as a result of the constant scrutiny from the press, the negative impact had a toll on Meghan’s mental health. In turn, this could be a factor as to why she had a miscarriage.
These events resulted in Harry’s decision of wanting to separate from the family being “half in and half out” for the couple’s own wellbeing. The family held a summit to discuss his future role.
“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and take it all in,” Harry said while referring the summit with Prince William, then-Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth II.
The decision to leave was announced to the press before it was told to the family. This may have played a part in the royal family’s intense reaction to the news.
While the couple are recognized for their humanitarian efforts, many British citizens are not big fans of theirs. The Savanta poll displays that six out of 10 Brits thought that it was a bad idea for the couple to release the Netflix documentary. The same poll also showed that both Harry and Meghan have negative approval ratings of -3 and -19 compared to his brother Prince William who has an approval rating of +60.
The consensus in the British press is that this venture is an opportunity for the Duke and Duchess to cash in on their previous royal status, while pushing their anti-monarchy narrative. It is not yet known if the docuseries venture will improve their reputation in their current post-royalty chapter. However, there are unconfirmed rumors by Netflix or the couple that the deal was worth $100 million. The palace has stated that they are not going to comment on the series.
The episodes came out right before the current royal family attended mass at London’s Westminster Abbey. The service was called “Royal Carols: Together at Christmas.” It was hosted by Kate, the Princess of Wales. She was accompanied by her Husband Prince William and their two oldest children. King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, along with other royals also attended the event.
The Royal Carols was dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Her funeral was also held at this venue in September. Even though, she is no longer here, she still had a presence at the event as she delivered a taped Christmas message to the nation.