Netflix Docu-Series of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (2022)

[Erin9]

Why would the RF want to "negotiate" with Harry and Meghan? What do they gain? If it's a political thing, it amounts to zero. The Sussexes are no threat to the monarchy. If it's personal, surely it would require not diplomats but psychologists.



No matter what Charles does (and at this point we have no idea if he's really this forgiving or welcoming, or fed up and following a strategy), he can't have them back in any meaningful official capacity. They can't represent the monarchy after the contempt to it they demonstrated. And for the personal part, no negotiators are needed. Just psychologist.



I see no gain for the RF of any kind of negotiations. With this book, they fired their last arrows and they have nothing more.

Agreed. There’s nothing left to negotiate. No need for a mediator. Professionally- they’ve burned their bridges. It seems everything had to be their way anyway. So- was there ever anything to negotiate?

Possibly a counselor could help. The Sussexes would of course have to actually look at their own behavior and keep their mouths shut for it to even be potentially useful. But that’s all on the personal side. However- they like being the victims too much. So I doubt this is a viable option right now.

 

[Ista]

Links to articles should be from reputable sources, not to other forums or blogs. Links along those lines will be removed without notice.

 

[Erin9]

Even Hollywood A-listers don't respond to every negative stories about them, they learn to ignore. Or maybe Harry thought his grandmother or father could stop every negative story à la Xi Jinping or Kim Jong Un, or maybe Britain could adopt Thai's les majeste?

Indeed. You can’t control the media- or what people think of you.

They’ve cited negative media stories as a reason to leave the UK. (This has evolved though- as another poster noted. We’re at blaming William.)

The negative media stories in the US are getting louder.

If they truly have a problem with negative media- then they may want to re-think their current business plan.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

IMHO, the Sussexes should not be invited to the coronation they have no reason to be there especially since his book is coming out in January months before the coronation. They should just stay in America and peddle as many silly movies and documentaries and let their credibility sink quicker than the titanic. I don’t get why some posters are saying the BRF would look petty for not inviting those two? It has not been a year since the Queen died and they had the nerve to edit her speech and put it in the documentary to fit their narrative about the Commonwealth when they took on posts on the Commonwealth Trust before the late Queen died. What kind of person who claims to love his grandmother does that?

 

[Granada]

SirGyamfi 1, I completely agree with you. The Coronation is for the UK and Commonwealth People, and The Royal Family.
As our United States Presidential Inaugurations are for Americans.

I guess Charles,The Family and their Advisors want to be seen taking the high road in inviting the malicious and malevolent Sussex's as the right thing to do. I don't at all. I think they will be a great distraction in that awesome cultural, historical and spiritual occasion. Suck a lot of the air out of the room so to speak.
Days ahead, during and after too.
Lets remember, Meghan unbelievably AND dismissively referred to her OWN Wedding as a Spectacle. What would She make of the Pomp, Pageantry and Religious Invocations in the Coronation Ceremony ?

Why, if even true, announce it now ? I would have waited to see what's IS in Harry's poison pen Book coming out in 3 weeks. Isn't he allegedly doing the talk show circuit to promote it also ?
I honestly can't imagine the majority of Britain is happy about them coming. They insulted and smear the Country's traditions and values constantly. Also throwing around the Racism-Colonialism card.

Why are they being indulged ? Almost rewarded .Yet another olive branch that at some point will be thrown back at the Family.
I bet except for Charles, no one else wants them there either. Especially William.
I'm still not sure how I feel if they would go anyway. Meghan in a heartbeat for PR, but does Harry have ANY shame or regrets ? Or is he a souless
Zombie ?

 

[FigTree]

Indeed. You can’t control the media- or what people think of you.

They’ve cited negative media stories as a reason to leave the UK. (This has evolved though- as another poster noted. We’re at blaming William.)

The negative media stories in the US are getting louder.

If they truly have a problem with negative media- then they may want to re-think their current business plan.

You can’t control them. I just felt incredibly sorry for them. The are delusional, angry, bitter and uncomprehending.

 

[tommy100]

I think it would be fine not to invite them to the coronation and most the UK public would understand and most would support it. If anything this series has made it more understandable for them not to be invited - they've shown they record their reaction to everything and its not at all a stretch to imagine them recording themselves before and after the service ready for broadcast on Netflix for season 2.

That said, I think Charles wants to keep things "open" and knows that not inviting them may close doors. I assume if he is willing to invite them they felt comfortable with the way the Jubilee panned out and they engineered it in a way that meant H&M attended without the rest of the family being impacted.He may see not inviting them as not worth the upset it will cause H&M - polling suggests it won't upset the UK public. I don't think we'll hear anything official any time soon and certainly not until after Harry's book comes out. I think, just IMO, that letting it be known "unofficially" that they still plan on H&M attending now is a bit of a marker - if the book is worse than the TV series they may well not be invited.

 

[Erin9]

It really is amazing that Harry and Meghan thought they could keep their Security Team after moving out of The UK and leaving as working members of The Royal Family.
Such little foresight and giant ego. They were such important VIP global figures they deserved it.
That being pulled, obviously galled them and still does.
Not just the millions it is costing them a year, but the hit to their prestige that they never saw coming. A demotion in importance. Why they didn't, I'm not sure.

Speaking of Sussex's money, I don't believe that they are worth a hundred million dollars either. No where near that. And I think that plays into their actions.
They are worried about long term viability, as they should be now, after the release of the Netflix Series.

It wasn't anything that was ground breaking or game changing. Just more details and updates about the mean- rotten Royal Family and UK that Oprah got FOR FREE. We have been hearing about for years now........
The Spotify Podcasts ? Same, nothing interesting or edifying in them either. Except when Meghan got dragged for her comments about Deal or No Deal Game Show objectifying women, and the ridiculous comments about the smoke -fire situation in South Africa with Archie, that She blew up out of proportion.
I think the Netflix Series backfired on them. And I think the negative fallout will continue. It seems People here in the States view them as arrogant complaining quitters OR worse.....boring.

Why Meghan and Harry thought that after a mere two years in ( actually less) they could quit after the 'half in-half out' model was refused, and they could become Global Icons ala Diana, I will never understand.
They grossly underestimated People caring about them as a Couple.

Diana had a solid "Resume" filled with Charities, Causes and "Public Exposure". A charismatic, but vulnerable woman who at age 19 became a Public figure. We watched her become a Wife, Mother and beloved world wide figure. For nearly two decades People watched her grow into a woman of substance as well as yes, a Celebrity of sorts. Who didn't look forward to seeing her at a Royal function or Sandringham Christmas Walk with her Sons ?

People were invested in her, so to speak, do to her personality, causes like Aids awareness and likeability. Her championing of Aids victims was simply groundbreaking then. Then her sudden death, as She embarked on in a new single life, simply unimaginable.

Sorry to upset the Meghan fans, but I see very few ' invested ' in Meghan as a new Diana. Only Harry.

They left too early in the game. And now they are trying to find a new playbook.

I think you make a good point that losing security is a financial issue- AND a demotion in importance. That galls, I have little doubt. They see themselves as pretty important imo.

I don’t think they have that kind of money either. Agreed- that plays into their behavior. I don’t think they can afford to “retire.” It’s worth noting- they have a very expensive lifestyle. Their mortgage on that extravagant home, maintenance and basic upkeep on the home, taxes, security, private planes, private schools for the kids (I’m sure), Hermes blankets (couldn’t resist throwing that in- but there’s a certain “keeping up with Jones’s” and a need for everyone to see just how well they’re doing that I see)….and so on.

Agreed about US opinion continuing to drop.

The constant comparisons they like to make to Diana really only serves to show how very little Meghan has in common with her. Starting with her royal resume and- quite frankly- likability.

 

[Mirabel]

I think it would be fine not to invite them to the coronation and most the UK public would understand and most would support it. If anything this series has made it more understandable for them not to be invited - they've shown they record their reaction to everything and its not at all a stretch to imagine them recording themselves before and after the service ready for broadcast on Netflix for season 2.

I agree that it would be better not to invite them, since it would remove one source of tension for the rest of the RF, wondering what negative stories will come of it.

If (as I expect) they are invited, they'll need to be sidelined as they were for the funeral, and even then, we can expect another round of complaints.

I believe the best outcome would be to invite them to the coronation ceremony, but not to any private events.

 

[Emmily]

According to this article in The Times, Harry and Meghan now want to sit down with the family to address the issues raised in the Netflix series. They apparently feel they are owed an apology for how they were treated.

They have to be kidding!

 

[Emmily]

A friend of mine (who doesn't follow the Royals) commented that she had long lost any sympathy she ever had for them because "they whine all the time."

The comment in the media that summed up Harry and Megan's recent actions for me was a comparison to the ex who leaves late night voice messages insisting that they are happy and better off without you.

It's tiresome, they need to move on but seem to be incapable of doing so (despite what they say). Meghan's been out of the royal family longer than she was in it and yet, they can't seem to stop complaining. It isn't either financially or emotionally sustainable or healthy.

The problem for them is they have nothing to offer except the drama. Your friend made a great comparison!

 

[Moonmaiden23]

This is what I wanted to say about Kate’s situation, people just assume the palace were denying stories about Kate to leave the Sussexes to hang out to dry, when there were issues of Kate being linked to a business that was exploiting her image to make money which was false. No one exploited Meghan’s image to make money for business so the situation isn’t comparable at all.

I am pretty sure that there was also strong pushback from official Palace sources regarding the unflattering, very personal headline story about Kate and her family in Tatlers' "CATHERINE THE GREAT" issue a couple of years ago.

They condemned it immediately and Meghan was reportedly deeply hurt and angry that the same actions were never taken in her own defense.

 

[TLLK]

I am pretty sure that there was also strong pushback from official Palace sources regarding the unflattering, very personal headline story about Kate and her family in Tatlers' "KATE THE GREAT" issue a couple of years ago.

They condemned it immediately and Meghan was reportedly deeply hurt and angry that the same actions were never taken in her own defense.

There was definitely a push back from Kensington Palace(the Cambridges), but not Buckingham Palace(QEII and DoE) or Clarence House (then Prince of Wales/Duchess of Cornwall.)


If the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had objections, they still had their communications team in place at Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace sent the publication letters threatening legal action.

Kate
At the time of publication, the Palace issued a rare comment, and said that the story “contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication.”
The Cambridges were reportedly particularly upset over the criticism of the Middletons, as well as the remarks over Kate’s thinness.

https://observer.com/2020/09/kate-middleton-tatler-profile-story-edited-kensington-palace/

 

[Purrs]

-They are both "perfect" for each other and yet also bad for each other IMO. They bring out the worst in each other.

I agree with this statement. I'm sure that they love each other very much but their relationship doesn't seem to be good for each other & I think they reinforce each other's worst traits. They have become increasingly bitter.

 

[Denville]

I
The constant comparisons they like to make to Diana really only serves to show how very little Meghan has in common with her. Starting with her royal resume and- quite frankly- likability.

Diana actually dropped most of her charities when she got divorced.

 

[Heavs]

Speaking of Sussex's money, I don't believe that they are worth a hundred million dollars either. No where near that. And I think that plays into their actions.
They are worried about long term viability, as they should be now, after the release of the Netflix Series.

They aren't. If they were then Harry wouldn't be talking about Duchy money and how unfair it is that his father "cut him off" in his mid 30s. The deals bandied about wasn't just liquid money for them, it was also included production costs and what they project was "worth" to the platforms.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure by 99% of the world's standards they are wealthy but it's expensive to maintain the "superrich" lifestyle that Meghan bragged about in The Cut, especially if you have to pay for your own security.

 

[kimebear]

I stand by my assessment that they have become professional whingers.

If the BRF is so awful, then H&M don't need to bother themselves with the family any longer, especially when it comes to taking Daddy Charles' money. And if Meghan is such a bright and radiant star that people compare her wedding to the joy of Mandela's release and the brave service of military personnel, then she should have no trouble finding well paid acting jobs in Hollywood on her way to winning loads of gongs.

In any case, they've made their distaste and displeasure of royal life known, and nothing more needs to be said. Certainly, it's getting to the point where no one wants to hear it anymore.

 

[Claire]

You can’t control them. I just felt incredibly sorry for them. The are delusional, angry, bitter and uncomprehending.

This is exactly the problem - Meghan and Harry want to micro manage their image - it is beyond control at this point.
That is impossible in the time of social media and the internet to do this. They just have to live with the fact that some people will dislike them.
The more they are on this you will love me at all cost campaign of theirs - people start looking under the carpet and in the cracks and that is not where they want them to look - they were very ill advised in the last four years.
Image control is not what you say and present to people in documentaries - it is what your actions are over time. You build a reputation - piece by piece. That way one rumour will not know it down. They have build their house of cards on sand and now are angry that it is unstable.
They are either foolish for not taking advice or foolish at whose advice they listen to. One day we will probably be told which.

I was once told by a teacher that complaining is the action of a coward. Any fool can complain. It is even a bigger fool who demands an audience for their grievance.

 

[duchessrachel]

You mean as more important than all but 4/5 adults and the 0.05% of the world's population? Whilst also giving them the opportunities to go off and do their own thing because they *won't* cause a constitutional crisis by deciding California is their dream? They never complain that it's unfair that Princess Anne was once 2nd in line but supplanted by two much younger brothers and their kids. They're perfectly happy being above so many others.

I think it's absolutely the right thing to do to invite them to the coronation but I fully expect another round of complaints regarding uniforms, status, precedence, Archie's Birthday (and titles), events attended, transport used, people not wanting to talk to them ad infinitum as usual.

I agree. My original thinking was that I hoped they would not be invited to the Coronation, but now I think they should be. They will definitely complain, but I say let them talk. The more they complain, the more they act petty, and the more tone deaf the reveal themselves to be will cause people to get more and more tired (more than they are already) of their constant ungratefulness and whining. The more they do that, the less and less people listen.

 

[Curbside]

Whether they are invited or not I cannot see them coming. They will be booed by the crowds on the streets.

Having now watched the full series I feel that they have been horribly treated by the media. There was definitely a double standard in terms of the headlines relating to Meghan.

However the underlying thing for me (and my husband) was that at the end of the day they just didn’t come across as being very likeable. They seemed totally full of themselves with blown up egos. Able to criticise all around them without taking a moment to consider any fault on their own parts. I feel that they have completely misunderstood what this series would do for the public perception of them as a couple.

If you believe they’ve been horribly treated by the media, then why on earth would you trust the inaccurate reporting to form an opinion on them? I don’t get it. The BM created the inaccurate narrative about this couple and I don’t understand why anyone would go along with it.

 

[Magnolia471]

In my experience, there is a large percentage of people that support them despite being proven liars. Above all gen Z, the american woke public and a large part of the black community. And this group of people hate the royal family regardless and don't understand that much about the institution whatsoever, so they don't care how honest or legitimate what Meghan and Harry say is as long as they can continue with the narrative that the royal family it is absolute evil on earth. The conspiracy theories on Diana's death have much following to this day...so any negative story about royal family it's just another prove for them

 

[duchessrachel]

I agree that it might actually be in everyone's' best interests if they sat down with a mediator who knows the BRF inside out. For their mental health if nothing else because this *isn't* healthy or happy However:

From everything thy have said (from their own mouths and via Scobie in FF) they both define "support" as 100% agreement with whatever they want. Even well meant explanations or alternative offers don't count.

Harry has made it abundantly clear that he believes he is entitled to taxpayer security for life (and is even suing the government!) and that he wants Duchy money.

They have never once said anything nice about "the other side" or considered anyone else's POV but their own. They have never acknowledged that they could even have done things differently. Everything in the last 3 years is about justification. Not even "we could have handled Mexgit better".

They have no regard for other people's privacy or confidentiality. The second things didn't go their way we'd have another Gayle King moment about "not productive" talks and more material for the next "bombshell interview".

Given that it seems impossible for talks to work out. And besides, what is there to say. They aren't going to get a public apology beyond they "we're sorry to year (for the first time) that H&M struggled and wish they well" from Oprah because a lot of what they claim is lies or one sentence out of a whole page of writing.

I missed that part. What Duchy money does he want? From Sussex?

 

[Curryong]

Harry and Meghan haven’t taken any Duchy money for the last couple of years. Nor is there any evidence that either of them want William to provide any.

 

[SLV]

I missed that part. What Duchy money does he want? From Sussex?

They were financed by Charles from the Duchy of Cornwall. Since William is now Duke of Cornwall, that is no longer an option.
The King is the Duke of Lancaster, so perhaps Harry wants money from that sourse.

 

[Curryong]

When has Harry ever stated that he wants Duchy of Lancaster money? I think people are forgetting that not only is there the nest egg from Diana, but the Queen (and probably Prince Philip) almost certainly left their grandchildren (besides William) money from her private fortune, and that would include Harry.

 

[Ista]

We're now at the point where there is not much more news coming out due directly to the Netflix series, so here are a couple of reminders:

This is not a general discussion thread about the Sussexes, so comments should relate to the docuseries.

Be prepared to back up comments with a citation to your source for the information. That is a general forum rule, and it's especially important here.

Comments that don't adhere to those rules will be deleted, and may eventually result in this thread being closed.

 

[Alison H]

Harry complained to Oprah Winfrey about being "cut off" by the then Prince Charles. So clearly he was expecting money from the Duchy of Cornwall, or he wouldn't have complained about it.

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/t...uenssberg-backlash-Meghan-Markle-Prince-Harry

People complained when the BBC included a discussion about Harry and Meghan's Netflix series in what's supposed to be a discussion about serious items in the news. The complaints were that the Netflix "documentary" is a non-story, and that the BBC should have been discussing important things such as the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine. That says a lot about how people feel about Harry and Meghan - they aren't important, and nor is the rubbish they spout.

 

[FigTree]

Harry complained to Oprah Winfrey about being "cut off" by the then Prince Charles. So clearly he was expecting money from the Duchy of Cornwall, or he wouldn't have complained about it.

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/t...uenssberg-backlash-Meghan-Markle-Prince-Harry

People complained when the BBC included a discussion about Harry and Meghan's Netflix series in what's supposed to be a discussion about serious items in the news. The complaints were that the Netflix "documentary" is a non-story, and that the BBC should have been discussing important things such as the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine. That says a lot about how people feel about Harry and Meghan - they aren't important, and nor is the rubbish they spout.

I am sure a Harry just didn’t ever consider being cut off. I mean they don’t even carry their own money. What did he know, he was born and had everything provided to him. I am sure now that his father would still have been covering his costs from Lancaster.

 

[Heavs]

I missed that part. What Duchy money does he want? From Sussex?

Cornwall mostly. He complained more than once about being cut off by his father (in his mid 30s) and there are plenty of stories that Charles stopped taking his calls because he was tired of always being asked for money, albeit this is allegedly.

Now in the documentary from the detailed descriptions I read it seems that he's talked about how unfair it is that certain people hold all the purse strings, which is how primogeniture works and why his father was in a position to fund him rather than having to share it out among his own siblings as well.

It seems pretty clear to be that they expected to be bankrolled for much longer for doing nothing and that their website SR mentions only that they were giving up the Sovereign grant but no mention of anything else.

I tried to keep this as close to the docu series as possible but from other sources as well I think bitterness over money is a major factor in their continuing tantrum IMHO.

 

[Moran]

Overall, the Netflix series proves how right the BP was. Recollections may vary, indeed. Sussexes' recollections certainly did because I remember how after the Oprah interview, their friends claimed he loved his family and wanted to repair the relationship. Charles and William were victims of the evil system. At this time, it was still mainly the press which was the glaring problem. Now, it's suddenly William and Charles, with The Queen he claimed to respect so much just watching passively. Their recollections certainly metamorphose in a way that would make Ovid green with envy. Where are they headed for? I once said, jokingly, that if it goes on like this, it would be evil George and Charlotte who were to blame, and soon. Now, I'm not so sure it's a joke. Perhaps not in Spare, since it was all wrapped over before this series came on screen. But in one of their next appearances, I fully expect that the kids will be to blame somehow as well. It's the same thing over and over - the Sussexes insinuate, make vague hints, insult, expect an apology, friends appear to say that they love the family and want to reconcile but when the RF offers no apology, they keep dishing out the same, only more pointedly. It's going to repeat once again, I think. After the series.