Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix documentary is set to give us an unprecedented insight into their lives, both pre and post-royal exit—and naturally, fans are hanging out for its release date.
Harry & Meghan is one of several major projects the Sussexes have worked on after they stepped back from their roles as senior royals almost three years ago. Markle released her podcast, Archetypes earlier this year while Prince Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare, is set for release next month.
But none will deliver the kind of insight that the docuseries is set to reveal—the first trailer confirmed as much by including a slew of intimate, never-before-seen images of the Duke and Duchess from over the years.
Below, we look at everything you need to know about the upcoming documentary series.
What is the Harry & Meghan documentary about?
Harry & Meghan is a six-part documentary series that will explore the Sussexes love story—from their side.
In the first trailer, which features a series of unseen photos of the royals during some of the most significant moments of their intertwined lives, the question is put to them: Why did they decide to make this documentary?
Harry says, “No one sees what’s happening behind closed doors. I had to do everything I could to protect my family,” while in a separate clip, Meghan adds: “When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear the story from us?”
The images used throughout the trailer suggest it will explore the relationship they have with the Prince and Princess of Wales, which has famously been at the forefront of headlines since 2019 when rumours of a rift between Prince Harry and Prince William emerged. In particular, one part of the trailer includes a brief glimpse at a photo of the Sussexes sitting behind William and Kate, who both look stony-faced.
Earlier this year, Markle shared some extra insight on the project: “The piece of my life I haven’t been able to share, that people haven’t been able to see, is our love story,” she revealed. “What’s so funny is I’m not trying to be cagey. I don’t read any press. So I don’t know what’s confirmed. I will tell you Liz Garbus [the director] is incredible.”
In a second explosive trailer, it’s clear the Sussexes are keen to reiterate their experience with the Palace and its alleged lack of support for them during the media storm which enveloped the Duchess in particular following their royal wedding.
At one point, Harry alleges that the Palace was even going so far as to “plant” stories about the pair.
“There’s a hierarchy of the family,” the Prince says. “There’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories. It’s a dirty game.”
He adds, “No one knows the full truth. We know the full truth.”
What is the release date of Harry & Meghan?
The first volume (episodes one to three) of Harry & Meghan will be released on December 8 2022, with a second volume (episodes four to six) dropping on December 15. Bring it on.
Who else worked on Harry & Meghan?
The documentary was directed by Liz Garbus, who has worked on several other major documentaries including Love, Marilyn. She was reportedly also working on another animated project produced by Harry and Meghan, Pearl, so it’s clear she’s very close to the Sussexes.
In Markle’s Variety interview in October, the former Suits star said that she was glad to be working with someone who she wholeheartedly trusted.
“It’s nice to be able to trust someone with our story—a seasoned director whose work I’ve long admired—even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it. But that’s not why we’re telling it. We’re trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens,” she explained.
How much money are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle making from the documentary?
When the couple’s partnership with Netflix was first announced in 2020, it was said they were offered more than US $100 million. The multi-year deal was said to include the production of original content spanning documentaries, movies, series and children’s programming.
However, it’s not known whether the Duke and Duchess have received this sum in full (yet, at least). Back in May, British tabloid The Express published an article claiming that the pair may have only received “a couple of million” so far.
“Sure they may have a couple of million in an advanced development deal to produce ideas, concepts, and film pilots, but they have not been handed one hundred million,” revealed a source, who was reportedly a Los Angeles based TV and film consultant.
Still, it seems that the partnership is all systems go if the intriguing new documentary is anything to go by—and we’ve got a lot more to look forward to where that’s concerned.
