Netflix released the first three hour-long episodes on Thursday, with three more scheduled for December 15.
LONDON, UK – Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have launched a massive indictment of the UK media and the racism they believe fueled the coverage of their relationship in a new Netflix series. , which promises to tell the “full story” of the couple’s split. Royal Family.
Relying on interviews with the couple as well as their friends and race and media experts, the first three episodes of “Harry and Meghan” examine the close relationship between tabloid newspapers and the royal family while discussing the history of racism in Britain. are Empire and how it still pervades society. The episodes do not include dissenting voices and there has been no response from any of the media organizations mentioned. Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.
“Sometimes in this family, you know, you’re part of the problem rather than part of the solution,” Harry said in an episode released Thursday. “There’s a huge level of unconscious bias. The thing about unconscious bias is that it’s not really anyone’s fault. But once it’s identified, or recognized within yourself, you have to correct it. need to.
The media’s treatment of Meghan – and the couple’s perceived lack of sympathy from royals for the coverage – were at the heart of their grievances when they stepped away from royal life and moved to Southern California nearly three years ago. . Promoted with two dramatically edited trailers hinting at a “war on Meghan,” the “Harry and Meghan” series is the couple’s latest attempt to tell their own story.
The series comes at a critical moment for the monarchy as King Charles III tries to show that the institution will continue to play a role after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose personal popularity has fueled her 70-year reign. I downplayed the Crown Prince’s criticism. Charles is making the case that the House of Windsor can help unite an increasingly diverse nation by using the early days of its reign to meet the many ethnic groups and faiths that make up modern Britain.
Harry’s 2018 marriage to ex-Meghan Markle, a biracial American actress, was once seen as a boost to the royal family’s efforts to move into the 21st century, making it a multicultural one. Become more representative of the nation. But the fairytale, which began with a star-studded ceremony at Windsor Castle, soon turned sour amid stories that Meghan was selfish and bullied her staff.
Netflix released the first three hour-long episodes on Thursday, with three more scheduled for December 15. The program includes video diaries recorded by Meghan and Harry – apparently on their phones – in March 2020, amid the couple’s acrimonious split from the royal family. “It is my duty to expose abuse and bribery in the British media,” Harry said in an entry.
“Nobody knows the whole truth,” he adds. “We know the whole truth.”
The series begins with the story of Harry and Meghan’s courtship and the initial excitement that greeted their relationship. But the tone changes when Harry mentions the intense media scrutiny Meghan faces, reminding her of how her mother, Princess Diana, was treated before her death in a car crash as she posed for photographers. were walking
“Seeing another woman in my life that I love, it’s hard to go through this feeding frenzy,” says Harry.
“It’s basically predator versus prey.”
Harry and Meghan said they initially tried to follow the palace’s advice to stay quiet about press coverage because other royals said it was a ritual they all had to go through. . But the couple said they felt compelled to tell their story because there was something different about how Meghan was treated.
“I said, ‘The difference here is the race factor,'” Harry said.
Historian and author David Olusuga said at the event that this bias had deep roots in the history of the British Empire, which was enriched by the enslavement of black people and the acquisition of wealth from colonies in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Large numbers of black and Asian people immigrated to Britain since World War II, changing the face of the nation.
These changes are reflected in the British media. Olusoga said that while black people make up about 3.5 per cent of the UK population, they make up only 0.2 per cent of journalists.
“We have to recognize that this is a white industry…,” he said. “So the people who come up with these headlines, they’re doing it in a newsroom that’s almost entirely white, and they have to decide whether something has crossed the line into being racist. “
King Charles III was asked if he had watched the series when he got engaged in London on Thursday. He didn’t answer.
In March 2021, race became a central issue for the monarchy following Harry and Meghan’s interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Meghan alleges that before her first child was born, a member of the royal family commented on how dark the baby’s skin could be.
Prince William, heir to the throne and Harry’s older brother, defended the royal family after the interview, telling reporters, “We’re not a very racist family.”
But Buckingham Palace faced fresh accusations of racism last week after a black advocate for survivors of domestic abuse said a senior member of the royal family spoke about her origins during a reception at the palace. I inquired. Coverage of the affair flooded the British media, overshadowing William and his wife Kate’s highly anticipated visit to Boston, which the palace hoped would highlight their environmental credentials.
Media attention was also diverted by Netflix’s decision to release the first trailer for “Harry and Meghan” in the middle of the trip.
Whatever the series ultimately reveals, palace officials hope to weather the storm by portraying William and Kate as a young royal family tackling tough issues like climate change and early childhood education. , unlike Harry and Meghan, who critics have described as Only celebrities are selling their story to the media.
The BBC and the Daily Telegraph, one of Britain’s most influential newspapers, took up the issue in their coverage of William and Kate’s three-day visit to Boston, where they handed out environmental awards, campaigned against violence. Meeting people, playing basketball.
“While Prince Harry and Meghan continue to paint themselves as victims, head in hands, tearing their hair out at the injustice of it all, the Prince and Princess just get on with the job,” wrote the Telegraph. Graff wrote.