Royal family not contacted over Harry and Meghan Netflix series, says senior palace source

Neither Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace were offered the chance to respond to the claims made in the show about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to a senior source in the royal household.

This allegation runs contrary to a statement that “members of the royal family declined to comment on the content within this series” displayed on-screen at the start of the opening episode.

The first three episodes of the six-part series, titled Harry & Meghan, were released on Thursday, and see the couple discuss press intrusion, racism, and their life in the royal family.

Among the topics discussed is Buckingham Palace’s handling of what Prince Harry criticised as early as 2016 as a “wave of abuse and harassment” by the media against his partner after their relationship become public.

“The direction from the Palace was don’t say anything,” Prince Harry says in the documentary, adding that “it was almost like a rite of passage” for royal family members to experience such treatment by sections of the press.

He recalled saying that “the difference here is the race element”, and alleged that there is a “huge level of unconscious bias” in the royal family. “It is actually no one’s fault. But once it has been pointed out, or identified within yourself you then need to make it right,” he said.

Meanwhile, Netflix gave viewers a short preview of the second volume of the documentary. The last three episodes set to drop on December 15.

A 30-second teaser available at the end of the third episode suggests they will focus on Harry and Meghan’s wedding, as well as their decision to quit the monarchy and ultimately move to the US.

A voiceover can be heard referencing the Sussexes’ decision to “take a step back from their royal duties”.

The clip then shows Meghan saying: “This is when a family and a family business are in direct conflict.”

As images of Buckingham Palace and newspapers being printed flash across the screen, Harry can be heard saying: “Everything that happened to us was always going to happen to us.”

Meghan adds: “Suddenly what clicked in my head was, it’s never going to stop.”

The teaser ends with Harry saying: “There was no other option at this point. I said, ‘We need to get out of here.’”

Viewers see footage of a plane taking off and the couple tightly holding hands.

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020.

In a statement posted to their Sussex Royal Instagram account at the time, they said they wished to “become financially independent” while continuing to “fully support” the late Queen Elizabeth II.

“We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages,” they added.

“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”