Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are dominating headlines around the globe after Netflix premiered the first three episodes of their documentary Harry & Meghan on Thursday.
While the product was compelling and contained a few tidbits about the journey that led The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to California, it is not what was advertised.
Many expected the content to be a bloodbath for the Royal Family. That was not really the case, minus a few digs about the way Prince Harry was raised.
What really stood out was the editing, which brought experts to the segments to add elements of race and slavery into the conversation.
At times, Markle did not appear comfortable bringing racism into what happened to her after marrying into the British royal family.
The producers did not have any problems linking the monarchy to issues like colonialism. It all may seem tacky since the docuseries started airing three months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Moreover, all the interviews were recorded by August 2022. This explains why the power couple wanted to delay the project and make a few changes.
However, the streaming giant refused to hear them and went ahead with the release. In a way, Netflix used the documentary to push so-called “woke” ideas that were not central to the love story that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were trying to sell.
For Netflix, it was an easy business decision that made sense. However, for the Sussexes, the choice might further complicate things with the Royal Family.
Some experts have gone as far as saying that the couple might have been duped when it comes to the final product.
Edward Coram-James, the chief executive at Go Up, a digital agency, told The Dialy Express: “It is Netflix, not the Sussexes, that is trying to apply more sister ties to racism and slavery, via the use of clever cut-to editing, subliminal messaging, music and expert interviews.”
Mr. Coram-James continued: “Overall, I would expect the Sussexes to be very happy with the end product, particularly the light in which it shows them. However, I can also see a scenario in which they feel slightly duped by elements of the production. Their personal attacks on the media are clear and unapologetic.”
He also stated: “However, they notably steer clear (so far) in making too overt an attack on the royal family itself, instead criticizing the ‘institution’ of the Royal Family and staying within the safe zone of calling them formal and implying that they are living in a cage and out of touch.”
The commentator added: “I wonder whether Harry and Meghan may indeed watch elements of this and think, ‘Wait a second – we never said that the Royal Family is a racist institution, so why are their experts in this series that are equating them to such highly charged words.”
It is unclear if the next three episodes will follow the same pattern, but the Sussexes never seemed out to get the Royal Family and King Charles III.
