Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s highly anticipated Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan is finally here, and there’s a lot to unpack.
The Liz Garbus-directed project provides never-before-seen insight into the couple’s personal life, including one-on-one interviews with Harry and Meghan. “This is a great love story. The craziest thing is that…I think this love story is only just getting started,” said Prince Harry. The couple, who endearingly refer to each other as “H” and “M,” explain the early stages of their relationship and touch upon other subjects too, like Harry’s memory of his mother, dealing with the British tabloids and more.
“No one knows the real truth,” said Prince Harry. “We know the full truth. The Institution knows the full truth and the media know the full truth because they’ve been in on it. And I think anybody else in my situation would have done exactly the same thing.”
The first three episodes of Harry & Meghan are now available to stream on Netflix, and will be followed by part two on Dec. 15.
Below, GRAZIA USA highlights the buzziest moments from the first three episodes of the six-part series.
Meghan was asked which royal (William or Harry) she liked more
In episode 1, there’s a flashback video of Markle before she ever met her now-husband, when she was being interviewed for HELLO! Canada in 2015. She was asked to name her favorite pick-me-up song, the fiercest female character on television, and to decide between Prince William or Prince Harry. “I don’t know,” laughs Markle. “Harry? Sure.”
Harry and Meghan share a laugh looking back on the footage and note that the interview was conducted less than a year before they met. “Honey, I’m sorry. I, of course, choose you,” said Markle.
Harry and Meghan first met on Instagram
Prince Harry first set his sights on Markle after seeing a SnapChat photo of the actress with a dog-filter over her face. He asked to be set up with the former Suits actress and Markle sleuthed through his secret Instagram feed.
Meghan was introduced to the Queen first
“My grandmother was the first senior member of the family that Meghan met,” said Prince Harry. “She had no idea what it all consisted of. So, it was a bit of a shock to the system for her.”
Markle laughed, remembering having to curtsy for Queen Elizabeth II. Explaining that she didn’t know she was going to meet the Queen until moments before lunch at the Royal Lodge, Markle described her curtsy as something out of Medieval Times. Afterwards, Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank, and Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson advised Markle that she had done well.
“I remember my family first meeting her and being incredibly impressed,” said Prince Harry. “Some of them didn’t quite know what to do with themselves.”
What happened when Meghan tried to hug William and Kate?
Laughing about the protocol that she wasn’t aware of in the early days of her relationship with Prince Harry, Markle recalled the first time Prince William and Kate Middleton came over for dinner. The Archetypes podcaster was wearing ripped jeans with bare feet. “I was a hugger,” she said. “I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.” The Duchess of Sussex explained that she was surprised at the notion that the outside formalities of the British royal family carried over into their personal lives.
How Harry popped the question
“I wanted to do it earlier,” Prince Harry revealed of the proposal. “Because I had to ask permission from my grandmother, I couldn’t do it outside of the UK.” While Markle was making dinner, Prince Harry popped a bottle of champagne, causing Markle to note that the Duke of Sussex doesn’t ordinarily drink champagne and ask what the occasion was. He popped the question in the North garden overlooking the staff apartments, Prince Harry decorated with 15 electric candles and got down on one knee.
Meghan’s relationship with her half-sister
“My half-sister, who I hadn’t seen for over a decade — and that was only for a day and a half — suddenly, it felt like she was everywhere,” said Meghan of Samantha Markle who was constantly speaking to the press about Meghan. “I don’t know your middle name. I don’t know your birthday. You’re telling these people that you raised me, and that you’ve coined me, ‘Princess Pushy?'”
Meghan’s father had children from a previous relationship who were over 17 years older than the Duchess. Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland left her father when Meghan was only 2 years old. “I don’t remember seeing her as a kid, at my dad’s house, if and when they would come around,” said Meghan. “I hadn’t had a fallout with her. We didn’t have a closeness to be able to have that.”
Meghan’s relationship with her father
While Meghan previously had a good relationship with her father Thomas Markle, many suspected he was staging photo-opts and being compensated by paparazzi immediately before the wedding. When her father fell ill before the royal wedding and had a heart attack, Thomas cut off communication with his daughter and instead, began speaking to the press about her.
The Blackamoore Brooch
Princess Michael of Kent, the wife of one of Queen Elizabeth II’s cousins attended the Queen’s annual Christmas Lunch wearing a “Blackamoor brooch.” A racist piece of jewelry sparked an onslaught of backlash and scandal for the royal family. Many found the brooch to be a statement towards Markle’s mixed-race heritage.
Harry addresses wearing a Nazi uniform
“In this family, sometimes you’re part of the problem rather than part of the solution,” said Prince Harry. “And there is a huge level of unconscious bias.” Admitting he has had much to learn as well, the documentary flashes back to when the royal was spotted wearing a Nazi uniform to a party. “It was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life,” he said. “I felt so ashamed afterwards. All I wanted to was make it right.” Prince Harry sat down with the chief rabbi in London and spoke to a Holocaust survivor in Berlin to attempt to remedy his actions and learn from his mistakes.
