Article contains topics relating to self-harm and miscarriage
Part two of Harry & Meghan just released on Netflix, with a plethora of new information revealed about the couple. The first part of the series mostly focused on the couple’s early days, how they met, and the resulting media frenzy surrounding their engagement. The second and final part of the series details further tensions that occurred between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family. Additionally, it revealed the effects all this conflict has taken on the couple.
Netflix’s documentary has been considered controversial by many and has particularly upset the Royal Family and the British media. Most of this frustration is a reaction to claims on the show that opponents of Harry and Meghan claim are fabricated or embellished. The British Royal Family has publicly stated that they have no comments on what was revealed in the series. Moreover, they have stated that they will not be watching any of it.
Meghan contemplated taking her own life
In episode 4 of Harry & Meghan, it was revealed that the stress of the media resulting from the couple’s engagement caused Meghan to contemplate suicide. Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, said her heart was broken after Meghan told her mother about the dark thoughts she was having. Ragland would go on to blame the media for her daughter’s mental health, stating the media was “…just picking away at her spirit that she would actually think of not wanting to be here." Prince Harry weighed in on these claims and said his wife and him were both struggling due to the media attention, but he never knew it had gotten that bad for Meghan. Meghan would also state in the episode that she also reached out to the Royal Family for help but did not receive any.
The couple received death threats
In addition to battling thoughts of self-harm, Meghan also revealed during Harry & Meghan that the couple was inundated with death threats due to their relationship. The majority of which were directed at the Duchess. She claimed that she did everything in her power to keep the Royal Family happy but eventually “the bubble burst” and she was “fed to the wolves.” Most of the death threats were transmitted through social media. Meghan would mention in the episode that her security detail actually has a specific protocol for what to do when credible death threats, of which there were many, were circulated online.
The couple received backlash regarding the birth of their son
A large part of the media frenzy and social media uproar directed at the couple centered around the birth of their son Archie. Both Meghan and Harry expressed a desire to keep the birth of their son away from the media spotlight which angered many. This was due to the fact that traditionally babies born into the royal family have a photo shoot done immediately after their birth. The fact that the couple was bucking this trend led many news publications to claim the couple was snobby and selfish. In addition to this backlash, Harry also mentioned that many racist comments were made about the couple’s being mixed race, including one post that depicted the couple’s baby as a monkey.
Harry and Prince William had a falling out at Sandringham
A central focus of part 2 of Harry & Meghan was a falling out between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William at the annual Sandringham summit. Harry had traveled to the summit to discuss his relationship with Meghan with the rest of the Royal Family. This led to a large argument, with Prince William being particularly outspoken about his dislike of his brother's relationship.
Harry would remark during the show that the experience left him deeply hurt saying “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me.” Harry also mentions that he was essentially given the option to be “all in” or “all out” with the Royal Family. Additionally, he also revealed that shortly after leaving the summit, a joint statement was put out saying that Harry denied any allegations of bullying from his brother. In spite of the fact that Harry never made any such statement denying the tensions.
The Couple’s popularity with the Media Caused Tension with the Royal Family
During the final episodes of Harry & Meghan, it was also revealed that the Duke and Duchess’s popularity was a central point of tensions between them and the Royal Family. Harry would mention that the media coverage his wife was getting reminded him of Princess Diana’s popularity. Which it is worth noting during Princess Diana’s life, she too was accused of ‘stealing the spotlight’ from other members of the Royal Family. Additionally, he would muse that Meghan’s popularity with the media stole the limelight from the Royal Family deepening the rift between the two. "The issue is, when someone who's marrying in, who should be 'a supporting act,' is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who is born to do this, that upsets people," he would say.
Media Lawsuit Blamed for Miscarriage
In addition to dealing with death threats and thoughts of self-harm, Meghan also revealed in episode 6 of Harry & Meghan that she endured a devastating loss. Specifically that she suffered a miscarriage in July 2020. During this episode, the couple speculated that this may have possibly been aggravated or caused due to stress Meghan was suffering as a result of a lawsuit the couple was engaged in. This lawsuit stemmed from an incident where the Daily Mail published the contents of a private letter between Meghan and her dad Thomas Markle.
Meghan described the stress shortly before the miscarriage, “I was pregnant. I really wasn’t sleeping." Harry would concur with Meghan's thoughts on the incident stating, "But bearing in mind the stress that that caused, the lack of sleep, and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say, from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they [the media] were trying to do to her.” In addition to blaming stress from the lawsuit, Harry & Meghan also noted Meghan was extremely stressed out by her fraught relationship with her father and his recent health issues. At the time of this writing, that lawsuit currently remains unresolved.