This morning, the final three episodes of Harry & Meghan debuted on Netflix, and they portray Prince William as the couple’s chief adversary inside the royal family. Prince Harry begins by lamenting that Prince William broke their agreement to never put their communications teams against one another. He then recalls the “terrifying” Sandringham summit where William screamed and yelled at him in front of Queen Elizabeth II and the present King Charles III. We also see Harry’s emotional response to a text message received by William following the bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, as well as Meghan Markle’s exasperated response, “I won’t say anything about your brother, but it’s so clear.”
If Samantha Markle was the biggest bully in the first half of Harry & Meghan (aside from the British tabloids), then Prince William is the villain in the second half.
Harry & Meghan is a six-part documentary series made by Liz Garbus that attempts to clarify why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed the royal family in March of 2020. In Episode 4, it is revealed that after Meghan Markle wowed the press on her first royal visit of Australia, the media quickly turned on her. The assumption is that other senior royals were frightened by her popularity, just as Prince Charles was previously annoyed by the celebrity power of his first wife, Princess Diana. Therefore, the communications staff of other royals exchanged bad news about Meghan for favorable stories about Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton. Prince Harry unequivocally
In Episode 4 of Harry & Meghan, Prince Harry states, “I would far sooner be destroyed by the press than participate in this game or trade.” And it was painful to see my brother’s workplace do the exact same thing that we both swore we would never do.”
In Episode 5 of Harry & Meghan, the pair attempts to clarify the timeframe of their separation from the Royal Family. In 2018, they reportedly considered relocating to New Zealand, and in 2019, they considered relocating to South Africa. Prince Harry said their plan to move to South Africa, where they could undertake philanthropic work and represent the Commonwealth while avoiding the UK tabloids, was scrapped after it was revealed to the press. Early in 2020, Prince Harry coordinated a plan for their permanent relocation to Canada. Prince Harry was reluctant to provide Prince Charles with written details because that was how the South Africa plans leaked. However, Prince Harry created and provided a plan regardless. And it was disclosed.
Image: Netflix
Prince Harry explains that after the Canada plans were leaked, he and Meghan were prevented from meeting with the Queen by palace staff. In response to the reports, he and Meghan Markle issued a statement that was spun into a bombshell. Prince Harry was summoned to a round table with Queen Elizabeth II, now King Charles III, and Prince William as soon as Meghan returned to Canada. Prince Harry calls the encounter “terrifying.” As he puts it, he and Meghan Markle desired to support themselves financially while serving the Queen, and this objective “was not up for discussion or dispute.”
“It was scary to have my brother yell and shout at me, my father say things that were simply not true, and my grandma, you know, calmly sit there and take it all in,” Prince Harry recalled before empathizing with his family. “The institution is [the Queen’s] ultimate aim, goal, or responsibility.”
“The saddest thing was that a rift was formed between me and my brother, so that he now supports the institution. And I get… I understand some of this. I understand, right? That’s… This is his bequest.”
Prince Harry claims that the final straw for him was the manner in which Prince William’s staff handled bad news on that day alleging that William had “bullied” him and Meghan Markle out of the royal family. Prince Harry was informed almost immediately that a joint press announcement refuting the story had been issued by both brothers. However, Prince Harry asserts that this press statement was fabricated.
“I could not believe it,” remarked Prince Harry. No one had questioned me.
Worse, it indicated that his family could have contested any of the numerous attacks against his wife, but did not. Thus the bombshell statement in this week’s trailer: “They were willing to lie to protect my brother. They were never willing to defend us by telling the truth.
Image: Netflix
Of course, Harry & Meghan Part 2 reveals much more about the royal brothers’ bond. Jason Knauf, a senior member of Prince William’s legal team, may have weakened Meghan Markle’s case against the Mail on Sunday for stealing and releasing a private letter to her father, as shown in the final episode. During the appeals process, he testified that Meghan Markle was aware the letter could leak, which the Mail’s attorneys thought would “show” she was aware the letter would be made public. According to Markle’s attorney Jenny Afia, Knauf’s testimony and its timing were extremely suspect.
In a candid scene captured by Garbus, Meghan and Harry vent to a friend who is perplexed as to why Knauf was identifying himself as their former aide and not as Prince William’s current staffer. Meghan practically raises her hands and exclaims, “It’s your brother. It’s so clear, but I won’t say anything about your brother.”
Following the Oprah Winfrey interview, Prince William sends Prince Harry a secret text message in the same episode. Meghan is shown the text, and her response is simply, “Wow.” She disconnects from her pal Tyler Perry in order to comfort a sniffling Prince Harry. “I wish I knew what to do,” declares Prince Harry.
While it’s possible that the two brothers reconciled after the recent Queen’s funeral, it’s evident that they were still on the outs when Harry & Meghan was filmed. Prince Harry tells an interviewer upon his return from Prince Philip’s burial in 2021 that it was “difficult” to speak with both his father and brother, adding that he did not anticipate an apology from either. After watching how much tea Harry and Meghan spilled, we have a feeling that Prince Harry’s British relatives will not be eager to offer their apologies.