Harry and Meghan - live: Conflicting reports if ‘royal family was asked to comment’ for Netflix documentary

Neither Palace officials nor members of the royal family were approached for comment over the content of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix docuseries, it has been alleged.

It was suggested that representatives for Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, as well as the royals themselves, were not offered the opportunity to reply to the accusations lodged by the couple during the first three episodes of their highly anticipated series.

This accusation is now being challenged by reports that both palaces were contacted, but only via email from an unknown organisation claiming to be a third-party production company.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tell-all documentary began streaming on Thursday, with Harry accusing the royals of having a “huge level of unconscious bias” and Meghan saying the media wanted to “destroy” her.

In the first installment of the six-part show, Meghan also claimed “salacious stories” were “planted” in the lead-up to their wedding, with the couple “playing whack-a-mole” as the articles appeared.

A senior source in the royal household countered the written statement of “Members of the royal family declined to comment on the content within this series,” which appeared on a black screen at the start of episode one.

The second part of Harry and Meghan’s docuseries will begin streaming on 15 December.

Key Points

• Palace officials ‘weren’t contacted for comment’ over new Netflix series

• Meghan Markle says her race was only ever ‘made an issue’ when she came to UK

• Duke vows to not make ‘same mistakes’ as Charles and Diana

• Prince Harry attacks ‘huge level of unconscious bias’ in the royal family

• Meghan discovered her father was not attending her wedding ‘through tabloid’

• Duke expresses shame over Nazi costume

Review: Intimate, self-aggrandising and wildly entertaining

14:03 , Emily Atkinson

At some points, it’s hard to tell if the couple are naïve or disingenuous. But, at other times, the couple are endearing or deeply sympathetic. Read this review by Jessie Thompson:

Harry and Meghan is intimate, self-aggrandising, and wildly entertaining – review

22:00 , Chelsea Ritschel

During the early days of the couple’s relationship, Meghan also revealed the important rule that she and Harry followed: that they had to see each other at least once every two weeks.

According to Harry, during this time, it was easier for Meghan to visit him. “It made much more sense for her to come to me so that then she can come and stay with me on Kensington Palace grounds,” he recalled, adding that the couple would take walks together around Frogmore.

The couple ultimately announced their engagement in November 2017.

You can read more about Meghan’s thoughts on their engagement interview, which she described as a “orchestrated reality show,” below.

Meghan Markle calls engagement announcement an ‘orchestrated reality show’

21:20 , Chelsea Ritschel

In another scene, the couple fondly looks back on their first dates, and the week they spent together in Botswana in 2016.

The pair embarked on the trip after having only met twice before, with Prince Harry revealing that he was “astonished” Meghan said yes.

“This woman, that I’ve really met twice, she’s coming to Botswana and we’re gonna be living in a tent for five days,” he recalled, before noting how important that time together was. “We had to get to know each other before the rest of the world, before the media sort of, you know, joined it,” he added.

In 2019, the couple shared a never-before-seen photo of a trip they took to Botswana together, in which they could be seen working together to place a satellite collar on a bull elephant.

20:40 , Chelsea Ritschel

The docuseries also contains many sweet moments, including footage of Meghan showing the couple’s son Archie a photo of his grandmother, Princess Diana.

Meghan Markle shares Archie’s sweet reaction to photo of Princess Diana

20:20 , Chelsea Ritschel

As for the reaction to Meghan and Harry’s Netflix docuseries so far, fans were divided, with some grateful to see the insight into the early days of the couple’s relationship, while others found the first three episodes “boring”.

From Meghan’s shock upon realising the “formality” of the royal family, even behind closed doors, to the couple’s first date, these are some of the biggest talking points.

The 6 biggest talking points from Harry and Meghan on Netflix

20:00 , Chelsea Ritschel

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex covered a lot of ground in the first three episodes of their Netflix docuseries, however, more is yet to come, as the last three episodes are set to be released on 15 December.

As for what we can expect from the couple in volume two, Kate Ng reports below.

What to expect in Harry and Meghan’s second volume on Netflix

19:40 , Chelsea Ritschel

During the candid docuseries, Meghan also opened up about the conversations about her family that took place in the lead-up to her and Prince Harry’s royal wedding in 2018.

According to the duchess, she was told by Palace aides not to invite her niece, who she described as being like a “little sister,” to the weddding because of her tense relationship with her niece’s mother, Samantha Markle.

Details about the Palace’s guidance, and her niece’s reaction, can be found below.

Meghan Markle reveals Palace aides told her not to invite niece to royal wedding

What were Harry and Meghan paid for their Netflix documentary

19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

This is the first project to emerge from the multi-year deal the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed with Netflix in 2020, made shortly after they stepped down as working members of the royal family.

So how much are Meghan and Harry getting paid? Peony Hirwani reports.

How much did Harry and Meghan get paid for Netflix documentary?

‘She has this warmth about her’: Harry compares Meghan to Princess Diana

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Prince Harry said that Meghan Markle has the “same compassion”, “empathy”, and “confidence” as Diana, as he opened up about how he wanted to “protect” his family from his mother’s tragic fate.

Kate Ng has more of what the prince revealed in his Netflix docuseries.

Meghan is very similar to Princess Diana, says Harry

Harry recalls ‘panicking’ after turning up 30 minutes late to first date with Meghan

18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

In their Netflix docuseries the couple recalled their first date in 2016 after being set up by a mutual friend.

Kate Ng has the details.

Prince Harry recalls ‘panicking’ ahead of first date with Meghan at Soho House

Who’s who in Meghan Markle’s family?

18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Aside from what we know about her husband and in-laws including King Charles III, Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are Meghan Markle’s own family?

Everything you need to know about Meghan Markle’s family

Royal men ‘marry someone who fits in the mould’ over love, says Harry

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

In the first episode of the Netflix docuseries, Prince Harry said: “For so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or urge to marry someone who fits in the mould, as opposed to somebody who you are perhaps destined to be with.”

Kate Ng reports.

Harry says royal men tend to ‘marry someone who fits in the mould’

Meghan shares Archie’s sweet reaction to photo of Princess Diana

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Meghan Markle shared a sweet moment of her and Prince Harry’s son, Archie, reacting to a photo of Princess Diana in the royal couple’s new Netflix documentary series.

In the first episode of Harry & Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is seen holding her son when he was still a baby and looking at a black and white photo of Diana on the wall.

Amber Raiken has the story.

Meghan Markle shares Archie’s sweet reaction to photo of Princess Diana

Royals dismissed concerns about press coverage of Meghan as ‘rite of passage'

17:35 , Oliver O'Connell

“As far as the family was concerned, everything she was being put through they’d been put through as well, so it was almost like a rite of passage,” Prince Harry recalls in the docuseries. “Some of the members of the family were like, ‘My wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated differently?’ And I said, ‘The difference here is the race element.’”

Ellie Harrison reports on Meghan’s experience of race in the UK.

Meghan Markle says her race was only ever ‘made an issue’ when she came to UK

Harry and Meghan lay out intention in opening scenes

17:25 , Oliver O'Connell

“This is about duty and service and I feel as though, being part of this family, it is my duty to uncover this exploitation and bribery that happens within our media,” Prince Harry says in the opening scenes as he prepares to leave the UK in early 2020.

Meghan is seen separately, filming herself in Vancouver wearing a towel on her head and saying: “Unfortunately, in us standing for something, they are destroying us.”

Laura Elston reports.

Meghan says royal family were ‘destroying us’ as Sussexes’ Netflix show airs

Something worth remembering...

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Fans of the couple have shared versions of the same message to their critics on social media, all echoing a similar sentiment: If you don’t care, then don’t watch.

Harry and Meghan viewers share reminder to critics while watching Netflix docuseries

‘Is that meant to be funny?’: Viewers criticise ‘disrespectful’ curtsy scene

17:05 , Oliver O'Connell

One of the more cringeworthy parts of the docuseries involves Meghan reenacting her awkward curtsy when first meeting the late Queen.

On social media, the scene in the Netflix docuseries has been described as “uncomfortable” by viewers, with many expressing discomfort over the duchess’s “disrespectful” recollection and Prince Harry’s reaction.

Chelsea Ritschel gauges the reaction online.

Viewers criticise ‘disrespectful’ curtsy scene in Harry and Meghan Netflix series

From first dates to racism: The biggest talking points from Harry and Meghan’s Netflix series

16:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Ellie Harrison takes a look at what we’ve learned from the first three episodes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix docuseries.

The 6 biggest talking points from Harry and Meghan on Netflix

Prince Harry says he has blocked out many early memories of his mother

16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

“The majority of my memories are of being swarmed by paparazzi,” Prince Harry says in the docuseries, recalling his childhood. He adds that they rarely had a holiday without someone jumping out of a bush with a camera.

Laura Elston reports on what the duke says of his early memories.

Harry says he has internally blocked out early memories of Diana

Was the Harry and Meghan documentary worth it?

16:35 , Oliver O'Connell

As members of the royal family reportedly braced themselves for the revelations promised in Meghan and Harry, viewers were eager to see what the “full truth” – as promised by the Duke of Sussex – would entail.

Volume one — the first three episodes of six — contained little that the public were not already aware of, writes Kate Ng.

After all the hype, was the Harry and Meghan documentary worth it?

‘It’s a big family like I always wanted’: Meghan recalls ‘amazing’ first Christmas with royals

16:25 , Oliver O'Connell

“I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham,” Meghan said. “Calling my mom, and she’s like, ‘How’s it going?’ and I said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s amazing. It’s just like a big family like I always wanted.’”

She adds: “There was just this constant movement and energy and fun.”

Meghan Markle recalls ‘amazing’ first Christmas with royal family

Engagement interview was ‘orchestrated reality show'

16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

In the third episode of the docuseries, the couple’s engagement is covered. Meghan Markle reveals that the interview they gave after the announcement felt like an “orchestrated reality show”.

“It was rehearsed,” Meghan said. “We did the thing out with the press, then we went right inside, took the coat off and did the interview. So it’s all in that same moment.”

Asked if she meant that they were told how the interview would play out, she explained: “Yeah, but also like, ‘Then there’ll be a moment where they’ll want to see the ring, so show the ring’... We weren’t allowed to tell our story because they didn’t want [it].”

Isobel Lewis reports on what the duke and duchess say about their engagement.

Duchess of Sussex calls engagement announcement an ‘orchestrated reality show’

Meghan ‘surprised’ royal family’s ‘formality’ continues behind closed doors

16:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Meghan Markle has said she was “surprised” about the formality of the royal family, which continues even behind closed doors, in the new Netflix documentary Harry and Meghan.

“I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside,” she recalls.

Ellie Harrison reports.

Meghan Markle ‘surprised’ by aspects of royal family’s ‘formality’

Final ‘fun grenade’ with Princess Eugenie before romance was exposed

15:55 , Oliver O'Connell

As a tabloid newspaper got wind of the royal romance, Prince Harry and Meghan decided to “pull the pin on the fun grenade” and go out in costumes to a Halloween party in Toronto with Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, her then-boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, and Meghan’s friend, Marcus.

Meredith Clark has the story.

Harry and Meghan had final ‘fun grenade’ with Princess Eugenie before romance exposed

Netflix source says both palaces were contacted for comment

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie reports that a source at Netflix says both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace were contacted for comment.

He tweeted: “Netflix have entered the chat. A source at the streamer says that household offices for both the Prince and Princess of Wales, and King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort were contacted and given sufficient time to respond.”

Kensington Palace did receive email about docuseries, report says

15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Kensington Palace did receive an email from a third party production company about the Harry and Meghan Netflix docuseries, according to Mail on Sunday assistant editor Kate Mansey.

When the Palace tried to contact Archewell and Netflix to verify its authenticity there was no reply, she tweeted.

Viewers celebrate ‘Mama Doria’ finally getting her voice heard

15:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, 66, is seen in the docuseries discussing her daughter’s childhood and her belief that Meghan’s race was a factor in negative press reports.

As Ragland is introduced in the show, she says: “I’m ready to have my voice heard, that’s for sure.”

Ellie Harrison reports.

Harry and Meghan viewers are celebrating ‘Mama Doria’ finally getting her voice heard

Watch: Duchess feared her father’s phone was ‘compromised'

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Harry says claims Meghan ‘broke royal protocol’ were often false

15:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Prince Harry has said that media claims Meghan Markle broke protocol when she joined the royal family were often fabricated.

The Duke of Sussex said the press often “invented protocols”.

Isobel Lewis reports.

Prince Harry says claims Meghan Markle ‘broke royal protocol’ were often false

Snapchat dog filter played key role in couple’s relationship... no, really

14:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Royal fans have expressed their amusement over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “millennial love story” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they met through Instagram, after he saw her in a Snapchat-filtered video.

Chelsea Ritschel has the story.

Harry and Meghan viewers amused after learning couple met because of Snapchat filter

King Charles wishes volunteers and public ‘Happy Christmas’

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As Harry and Meghan’s docuseries dominates royal coverage, King Charles continued with his schedule, wishing volunteers and members of the public a “Happy Christmas” ahead of an advent service in central London.

Rebecca Speare-Cole reports on Charles’s visit to King’s House community hub and the Ethiopian Christian Fellowship Church in King’s Cross.

King Charles wishes volunteers and public ‘Happy Christmas’

What to expect in the second volume of the Netflix series

14:35 , Oliver O'Connell

After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released the first part of their six-episode documentary series on Netflix, the streaming giant has given viewers a short preview of the second volume,

The first three episodes of the highly anticipated series, Harry and Meghan, launched on Thursday morning (8 December), with the second volume containing the last three episodes set to drop on 15 December.

Kate Ng looks at what we might expect from part two.

What the expect in Harry and Meghan’s second volume on Netflix

Archie speaks with American accent in Harry and Meghan Netflix series

14:25 , Emily Atkinson

Archie speaks with an American accent in private footage shared by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as part of their new Netflix programme.

The first three episodes of the docuseries offer insight into their family life in Montecito, California and glimpses of Archie, three, and daughter Lilibet, 18 months.

These include revealing Archie’s favourite song as being “Bennie and the Jets” by Sir Elton John and showing a photo from what appears to be his first birthday.

Archie speaks with American accent in Harry and Meghan Netflix series

Watch: Meghan Markle struggles to choose between Prince Harry and William in resurfaced clip

14:15 , Emily Atkinson

Royal family ‘not contacted’ over Harry and Meghan Netflix series

13:55 , Emily Atkinson

Now to Andy Gregory, who has more detail on suggestions Palace officials were not contacted over the Sussexes’s new series.

No other member of the royal family was approached for comment on the content of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix documentary, palace sources have said.

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.

Read his report in full here:

Royal family ‘not contacted’ over Harry and Meghan Netflix series

Docuseries slapped with stinging two-star review

13:45 , Emily Atkinson

The Times newspaper has slapped the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ Netflix docuseries with a stinging two-star review, dubbing the show – accused of being “no different” to scripted reality TV – “The Only Way is Sussex.”

“The confetti of carefully selected photos of Harry and Meghan set to tinkling, sad piano music had the suspenseful feel of one of those TV documentaries about a terrible murder. Happy, carefree days leading up to horrific tragedy,” the review reads.

“’They are DESTROYING us,’ said Meghan to a video diary in a voice that suggested she and Harry were refugees running for their lives from trained assassins not simply opting to swap royal castles for a mansion in California. “I really just want to get to the other side of this.” Of what?”

Biggest talking points from Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary

13:35 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s documentary series, Harry and Meghan, has landed on Netflix, with the couple sharing revelations about everything from their first date Meghan’s experiences of racism in the UK.

The couple, who stepped down as senior royals in 2020, give intimate interviews in the series, alongside family and friends who have never spoken publicly about the couple’s relationship before.

Harry and Meghan was directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus, who has worked on a number of documentaries about public figures including Marilyn Monroe, Bobby Fischer, and Nina Simone.

Ellie Harrison has the details:

The 6 biggest talking points from Harry and Meghan on Netflix

Harry and Meghan say they hope docuseries will help to ‘heal’ others

13:25 , Emily Atkinson

Harry and Meghan have said they hope their newly released docuseries will “inspire” and help to “heal” others.

In a statement, the couple said: “We are grateful to have the ability to share our love story through such an esteemed creative team and with the global reach of Netflix.

“We hope it helps others to heal, and to feel inspired.”

Liz Garbus, the director of the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, added: “It has been a privilege to be able to work with Harry and Meghan, who bravely allowed themselves to be vulnerable by sharing their personal stories and archive.

“I hope that when Netflix viewers press play, whatever preconceptions people have, they will be open to the discovery of what we’ve shared in this documentary series.

“It’s an incredible love story set against the context of huge stakes and their journey is a historical event that will be examined for a long time to come.”

Watch: Meghan records moment Harry proposed to her

13:15 , Emily Atkinson

Harry defies William’s request that Diana Panorama interview never be aired again

13:10 , Jane Dalton

The Duke of Sussex has defied his brother, the Prince of Wales’s wish for their mother’s controversial Panorama interview to never be aired again, and compares Meghan to their mother, writes Kate Ng:

Harry goes against William by airing Diana’s Panorama interview

How much did Harry and Meghan get paid for Netflix documentary?

13:05 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix docuseries’ first part was released on Thursday (8 December).

Meghan & Harry was directed by Liz Garbus and features archival footage and interviews with the couple’s friends, family, and historians.

This is the first project to emerge from the multi-year deal the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed with Netflix in 2020, made shortly after they stepped down as working members of the royal family.

Peony Hirwani reports:

How much did Harry and Meghan get paid for Netflix documentary?

Watch: Meghan Markle explains why she never wore colour as a royal

12:55 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry says claims Meghan Markle ‘broke royal protocol’ were often false

12:47 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry has said that media claims Meghan Markle broke protocol when she joined the royal family were often fabricated.

On Thursday (8 December), the first three episodes were released from Prince Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary Harry and Meghan.

The documentary sees Meghan discuss joining the royal family after their engagement was announced in November 2017.

Isobel Lewis has more:

Meghan Markle says her race was only ever ‘made an issue’ when she came to UK

12:39 , Emily Atkinson

Philip Schofield claims there are no ‘bombshells’ in Harry and Meghan documentary

12:31 , Emily Atkinson

Phillip Schofield has declared that there are no “bombshells” in Netflix’s Harry and Meghan documentary.

Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby discussed the recently released docuseries on Thursday morning’s episode (8 December) of This Morning.

The first three episodes of Harry and Meghan are now available to watch on the streaming platform.

Annabel Nugent has the details:

Philip Schofield claims there are no ‘bombshells’ in Harry and Meghan documentary

Harry says he was ‘terrified’ Meghan would be ‘driven away’ by press

12:23 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke of Sussex said he was “terrified” that Meghan would be “driven away by the media”.

Speaking in the first episode , he said: “The same media that had driven so many different people away from me.”

He added: “I knew that the only way that this could possibly work was by keeping it quiet for as long as possible.”

Meghan said: “At the beginning, our relationship was this guarded little... guarded treasure.”

This part of the episode shows an image of a phone screen showing a FaceTime call and the name “Haz” as well as what appears to be a screenshot taken during a video call of a smiling Harry.

Meghan tells the Netflix show: “It was long-distance from the beginning. Everything was just texts and Facetimes and we’d just talk for hours, and it just felt exciting, which is so weird because it wasn’t exciting in the way that I think people would assume that it would be.

“It was just relaxed and easy. We just got to know each other. Truly like any other couple where you’re figuring out like ‘What do you like to eat? What do you like to cook? What kind of movies do you like?”’

Palace officials ‘weren’t contacted for comment’ over new Netflix series

12:20 , Emily Atkinson

Neither Palace officials nor members of the royal family were approached for comment over the content in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix docuseries, it is understood.

It has been suggested that representatives for Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, as well as the royals themselves, were not offered the opportunity to reply to the raft of accusations lodged against them across the first three episodes of the hotly anticipated series, which landed on screens this morning.

More as we have it.

Watch: Meghan 'had a beautiful life' before relationship with Harry, says Duchess's former assistant

12:17 , Emily Atkinson

Harry addresses ‘harassment’ suffered by Diana

12:10 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry has spoken of the “harassment” his mother suffered and his fears about finding someone “willing and capable” to withstand being with him.

Speaking in episode one of the Netflix documentary, he said: “My mum was harassed throughout her life with my dad, but after they separated the harassment went to new levels.”

He adds: “The moment that she divorced and the moment she left the institution, then she was by herself.

“Yeah she may have well have been one of the most influential and powerful women in the world but she was completely exposed to this.

“I saw things, I experienced things, I learned things. The pain and the suffering of women marrying into this institution.

“I remember thinking ‘how can I ever find someone who is willing and capable to be able to withstand all the baggage that come with being with me?’

“Every relationship that I had, within a matter of weeks or months, was splattered all over the newspapers and that person’s family harassed and their lives turned upside down.”

Meghan is very similar to Princess Diana, says Harry: ‘She has this warmth about her’

12:01 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke of Sussex compared the Duchess of Sussex to his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in the couple’s new Netflix documentary series.

Prince Harry said that Meghan Markle has the “same compassion”, “empathy”, and “confidence” as Diana, as he opened up about how he wanted to “protect” his family from his mother’s tragic fate.

In the first episode of the series, Harry and Meghan, which aired on Netflix on Thursday morning (8 December), Harry said: “So much of what Meghan is, and how she is, is so similar to my mum. She has the same compassion, she has the same empathy, she has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”

Kate Ng has more:

Meghan is very similar to Princess Diana, says Harry

Watch: Prince Harry says couple 'disguised' themselves to avoid paparazzi

11:53 , Emily Atkinson

Harry says he has internally blocked out early memories of Diana

11:45 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke of Sussex has said he does not have many early memories of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, believing he has internally “blocked them out”.

Diana died in a car crash when Harry was just 12, but the duke, in his new Netflix documentary, said he still remembers her “cheeky laugh”.

Archive footage of Diana and Harry’s father, the then Prince of Wales, with Harry and his older brother William at Harry’s christening and during other arranged photocalls were shown in the tell-all series Harry and Meghan, which began streaming on Thursday.

Read our report in full here:

Harry says he has internally blocked out early memories of Diana

Watch: Harry compares Meghan to Diana

11:38 , Emily Atkinson

Meghan reveals moment she feared dad Thomas’s phone was ‘compromised’

11:30 , Emily Atkinson

Meghan Markle has recalled the moment when she believed her father’s phone had been “compromised” in the days building up to her wedding to Prince Harry.

In episode three of the new Netflix documentary Meghan and Harry, the Duchess of Sussex remembered the moment when she was told to call her father and ask if he had been taking money from tabloids to stage photos.

“‘No,’” Meghan’s father said, according to her interaction with him, as she recalled: “And on that call, I’d said to him, ‘Look, if they can’t stop this story then it’s going to come out tomorrow so why don’t we send someone to your house right now to get you out of there.’

Peony Hirwani reports:

Meghan reveals moment she feared dad Thomas’s phone was ‘compromised’

Harry praises Diana for efforts to ‘protect’ him and William from media

11:22 , Emily Atkinson

Harry praised his mother, Diana, for her efforts to “protect” him and his brother from the media.

Speaking in the first episode of the Harry & Meghan documentary, he said: “My mum did such a good job in trying to protect us.

“She took it upon herself to basically confront these people.”

This part of the episode shows footage of Diana walking over to members of the media on a skiing holiday and putting her hands over their camera lenses.

Diana says to them: “As a parent, could I ask you to respect my children’s space?”

Watch: Prince Harry says men in royal family 'marry someone who fits in the mould’

11:13 , Emily Atkinson

Harry says royal men ‘marry someone who fits in the mould’ instead of choosing love

11:05 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke of Sussex has claimed that men in the royal family have a “temptation” to choose to marry women “who fit in the mould” instead of choosing to love.

In his new Netflix documentary series, Harry and Meghan, Prince Harry speaks out about how he and the Duchess of Sussex were treated by the media when it was first announced that they were dating.

He also spoke of the way his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, made decisions based on her “heart”, compared to “many people” in the royal family.

Kate Ng reports:

Harry says royal men tend to ‘marry someone who fits in the mould’

Duke vows to not make ‘same mistakes’ as Charles and Diana

10:57 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke of Sussex has said he and Meghan Markle were keen “not to make the same mistakes our parents did” while bringing up their own children.

In part two of the couple’s tell-all Nextflix documentary series, Harry and Meghan spoke about how the breakdown of their parents’ marriages had affected their approach to raising son Archie, three, and daughter Lilibet, one.

Meghan said: “There’s so much from anyone’s childhood that you bring with you into the present. Especially when you’re the product of divorce.”

Prince Harry added: “What’s most important to the two of us is to make sure that we don’t repeat the same mistakes that perhaps our parents made.”

“I think most kids who are the product of divorced parents have a lot in common, no matter what your background is.

“Being pulled from once place to another or maybe your parents are competitive, or you’re in one place longer than you want to be or in another place less than you want to be. There’s all sorts of pieces to that.”

Harry appears unimpressed as Meghan mocks curtseying to Queen

10:52 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry appeared to be unimpressed by Meghan Markle’s reenactment of the first time she curtsied to Queen Elizabeth II.

In Netflix’s hotly anticipated Harry & Meghan series, Meghan recalled the moment she was introduced to Harry’s grandmother.

“She had no idea what it all consisted of, so it was a bit of a shock to the system for her,” Harry explained.

Continuing, he added: “How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother, and that you will need to curtsy? Especially to an American. Like, that’s weird.”

Our video team reports:

Harry appears unimpressed as Meghan mocks curtseying to Queen

Meghan Markle says her race was only ever ‘made an issue’ when she came to UK

11:56 , Emily Atkinson

Meghan Markle has opened up about her experiences of racism, in the new Netflix documentary Harry and Meghan.

Speaking in the second episode of the programme, which arrived on the platform on Thursday 8 December, Markle reflected on the first time she heard the n word in the US. She also talked about how, when she came to the UK, she experienced much more racism.

“We were in the parking lot leaving [a concert] and my mom honked her horn at this woman… and the woman turned around and screamed the n word at my mom,” she said. “We never talked about it... I’d never in my life heard someone say the n word.”

Ellie Harrison reports:

Meghan Markle says her race was only ever ‘made an issue’ when she came to UK

Prince Harry calls Nazi costume scandal ‘biggest mistake of my life’

10:43 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry has described his choice to dress up in a Nazi uniform as “probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life”.

In January 2005, the Duke of Sussex attended a friend’s fancy dress-themed birthday party in a Nazi uniform, complete with swastika armband.

The royal, who was 20 at the time, later apologised, saying that he was “very sorry if I caused any offence or embarrassment to anyone”, adding: “It was a poor choice of costume and I apologise.”

Isobel Lewis has the details:

Prince Harry calls Nazi costume scandal ‘biggest mistake of my life’

Meghan says press would seek to ‘destroy’ her no matter how ‘good’ she was

10:30 , Emily Atkinson

The Duchess of Sussex said the press would seek ways to “destroy” her “no matter how good” she was.

Episode two of the couple’s new Netflix show appeared to link the Brexit referendum to a “culture war” in the UK at the time of their engagement in 2017.

Speaking about the press coverage of her, Meghan said: “At that point, I was still very much believing what I was being told, which was ‘it will pass it will get better, it’s just what they do right at the very beginning’.

“This promise of ‘once you’re married, don’t worry, it’ll get better, once they get used to you it’ll get better, of course it’ll get better’.

“But truth be told, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how good I was, no matter what I did, they were still going to find a way to destroy me,” Meghan added.

Prince Harry was ‘late’ for first date with Meghan

10:23 , Emily Atkinson

Much of the second episode has seen Harry and Meghan recall the early days of their courtship.

The Suxesses’ say they had their first date at 76 Dean Street - and Prince Harry was late.

Meghan said: “You were late. And I couldn’t understand why he would be late.”

She said he kept texting to apologise and to explain he was stuck in traffic.

Harry said: “I was panicking. I was freaking out. I was, like, sweating.”

Meghan said she feared Harry may be a guy with an ego who would make a woman sit waiting, but when he arrived she could see he was genuinely embarrassed about being late.

“He was just so fun, just so refreshingly fun, and that was the thing, we were like child-like together,” Meghan said in the first episode.

Meghan discovered her father was not attending her wedding ‘through tabloid’

10:16 , Emily Atkinson

The third episode of the explosive docuseries has seen the Duchess of Sussex tell of how she discovered her father Thomas Markle wasn’t going to attend her wedding “through a tabloid”.

Meghan spoke about her estranged father while reflecting on the immediate lead up to her wedding on 19 May 2018.

She said: “The week before our wedding we get a call from our joint communications secretary who said this story is going to come out tomorrow saying your father has been staging pictures and taking money from press. That was the first I was hearing of it.”

Meghan then explain the following conversation with her father, in which she said he denied the allegations but refused to be flown to the UK a day early for the wedding.

Meghan said: “(I said) ‘We’ll just come and get you out a day early to get you out of Mexico’, and he said ‘No no I have things I need to do’.

“And it felt really cagey. I said ‘it doesn’t make sense’. And when we hung up I looked at H (Harry), I was like ‘I don’t know why but I don’t believe him’.

“Paps and journalists were following him all day, every day, the unravelling happened that week when he wouldn’t pick up my call, and instead you’re talking to TMZ and I’m find out that you’re not coming to our wedding through a tabloid.”

Watch: 'Hunter v prey': Harry and Meghan reveal 'feeding frenzy'

10:10 , Emily Atkinson

Meghan Markle recalls ‘amazing’ first Christmas with royals at Sandringham: ‘It’s a big family like I always wanted’

10:05 , Emily Atkinson

Meghan Markle has recalled her “amazing” first Christmas spent with the royal family.

On Thursday (8 December), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released the first three episodes of their tell-all Netflix documentary series Harry and Meghan.

The couple announced their engagement in Nocember 2022, with Meghan spending her first Christmas with the royals at the Sandringham Estate the following month.

Isobel Lewis has the details on Meghan’s recollection of the royal festivities:

Meghan Markle recalls ‘amazing’ first Christmas with royal family

Duke was ‘pulled from one place to another’ during parents’ divorce

09:58 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry has spoken of being “pulled from one place to another” during his parents’ divorce.

Speaking in episode two of the six-part docuseries, he said: “I think most kids who are the product of divorced parents have a lot in common, no matter what your background is.

“Being pulled from one place to another, or maybe your parents are competitive, or you’re in one place longer than you want to be in, you’re in another place less than you want to be...

“There’s all sorts of pieces to that.”

Duke expresses shame over Nazi costume

09:51 , Emily Atkinson

Prince Harry has addressed a 2005 incident which saw him wear a Nazi uniform to a private party.

“It was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I felt so ashamed afterwards. All I wanted to do was make it right,” he said.

Meghan Markle says she was ‘surprised’ to find that royal family’s ‘formality’ continues behind closed doors

09:50 , Emily Atkinson

Meghan Markle has said she was “surprised” about the formality of the royal family, which continues even behind closed doors, in the new Netflix documentary Harry and Meghan.

Speaking in episode two of the six-part Netflix docuseries, she said: “When Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot.”

Markle continued: “I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.

Ellie Harrison reports:

Meghan Markle ‘surprised’ by aspects of royal family’s ‘formality’

Prince Harry attacks ‘huge level of unconscious bias’ in the royal family

09:44 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke of Sussex said there is a “huge level of unconscious bias” in the royal family during episode three of his Netflix series Harry & Meghan.

The documentary referenced when Princess Michael of Kent wore a Blackamoor-style brooch to an event the Duchess of Sussex attended in 2017.

Harry said: “In this family, sometimes you are part of the problem rather than part of the solution. There is a huge level of unconscious bias.

“The thing with unconscious bias, 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.

“It is education. It is awareness. It is a constant work in progress for everybody, including me.”

Harry then spoke about when he wore a Nazi uniform to a private party in 2005.

He said: “It was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I felt so ashamed afterwards. All I wanted to do was make it right.”

Watch: Meghan Markle recounts moment racial slurs were screamed at mother

09:43 , Emily Atkinson

Meghan Markle’s mother speaks out

09:04 , Peony Hirwani

In episode two of the bombshell docuseries, Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland speaks about her daughter’s relationship with Prince Harry.

“The last five years have been challenging,” she says. “I’m ready to have my voice heard, that’s for sure. A little about my experience as [Meghan’s] mom.”

Ragland recalled the first time her daughter told her she was “going out with Prince Harry”.

“I started whispering ‘oh my god,’” Ragland said. “I remember first time I met him too. [He was a] 6’1 handsome man with red hair and great manners.”

Watch the full interview here:

Meghan Markle says 2017 engagement interview was an ‘orchestrated reality show’

08:54 , Peony Hirwani

Meghan Markle has referred to her 2017 engagement interview with Prince Harry as an “orchestrated reality show”.

“It was rehearsed,” Meghan said in episode three of Harry & Meghan. “We did the thing out with the press, then we went right inside, took the coat off and did the interview. So it’s all in that same moment.”

Asked if she meant that they were told how the interview would play out, she explained: “Yeah, but also like, ‘Then there’ll be a moment where they’ll want to see the ring, so show the ring’... We weren’t allowed to tell our story because they didn’t want [it].”

Isobel Lewis has the full story:

Meghan Markle says 2017 engagement interview was an ‘orchestrated reality show’

Archie has an American accent in new Harry and Meghan documentary

08:51 , Peony Hirwani

08:51 , Peony Hirwani

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met at Soho House, 76 dean street in London for their first date.

The duke of Sussex was apparently 30 minutes late to his date.

Prince Harry says his previous girlfriends were hounded by the media

08:48 , Peony Hirwani

In episode one, Prince Harry revealed that his previous girlfriends were hounded by the media.

The duke of Sussex said he was “terrified” when he “got to Meghan” because he was afraid she would be “driven away by the media”.

Prince Harry admits he and Meghan met on Instagram

08:42 , Peony Hirwani

Meghan Markle struggles to choose between Prince Harry and William in resurfaced clip

08:28 , Peony Hirwani

Meghan Markle says meeting Prince Harry was a ‘plot twist’ in her life

08:18 , Peony Hirwani

“I had my career, I had a life. I had my path. Then came [Harry],” she says in episode one.

Prince Harry highlights his concern ‘for the safety of my family'

08:11 , Peony Hirwani

In the first episode of the series, Prince Harry highlights his concern “for the safety of my family”.

“My job is to keep my family safe,” he says. “But the nature of being born in this position and everything else that comes with it and the level of hate that has been stirred up in the last three years, especially against my wife, and my son.

“I’m generally concerned for the safety of my family.”

08:06 , Peony Hirwani

The documentary carries a “first-hand account of Harry and Meghan’s story, told with never before seen personal archive.”

Netflix also revealed that all interviews for this series were completed by August 2022 and that the royal family declined to comment on the contents of it.

First part of ‘Harry & Meghan' is out

08:02 , Peony Hirwani

First three episodes of Harry and Meghan released on Netflix

07:50 , Peony Hirwani

Harry & Meghan is directed by Liz Garbus and will feature archival footage and interviews with the couple’s friends, family, and historians with the purpose of going beyond “one couple’s love story” but rather, “[painting] a picture of our world and how we treat each other.”

Meghan Markle responds to her 2022 People’s Choice Awards win

07:40 , Peony Hirwani

Meghan Markle’s Spotify podcast Archetypes won an award for The Pop Podcast of 2022 at the People’s Choice Awards this week.

“Thank you to all the supporters and fans of Archetypes who voted for us for this special People’s Choice Award,” the duchess of Sussex wrote in a statement on Wednesday (7 December).

“I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative. And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them, and with each of you listening.

“Above all, huge thanks to each of you who voted,” she concluded her message. “Your support means the world.”

07:10 , Peony Hirwani

As for whether Americans really care about the royals, Meredith Clark writes that it seems US fascination with the British royal family may have come to an end.

Read the full analysis below.

Do you actually care about the royals?

Harry & Meghan hours away from premiere

06:56 , Kate Ng

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell Netflix docuseries will premiere in less than two hours.

06:50 , Peony Hirwani

For all you need to know about the royal family tree ahead of the release of Meghan and Harry’s docuseries tomorrow, you can look below.

The royal family tree explained

06:00 , Peony Hirwani

In the new documentary trailer, Harry admits he was “terrified” for his wife, before comparing her experience to that of his mother Princess Diana’s.

“The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution, this feeding frenzy,” he says in the trailer. “I was terrified. I didn’t want history to repeat itself.”

All of Meghan Markle’s TV and film roles

05:30 , Peony Hirwani

Meghan Markle’s TV and film roles

05:04 , Peony Hirwani

From estranged half-siblings to her two children with Prince Harry, here’s everything you need to know about Meghan Markle’s family.

Everything you need to know about Meghan Markle’s family

04:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

Although it is not yet known what the royal couple will say in the docuseries, the trailer saw Prince Harry suggest stories were “planted” against Meghan during their time as senior royals.

“There’s a hierarchy of the family,” he says in the trailer, which was released on 5 December. “You know, there’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories.”

Prince Harry promises ‘the full truth’ in dramatic Netflix trailer

04:02 , Peony Hirwani

The Independent’s Victoria Richards shares her opinion on how Harry and Meghan will always be conceived as wrong in the public eye.

Opinion: Harry and Meghan will always be wrong, no matter what they do

03:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

The docuseries will air in two “volumes,” with the first three episodes to be released on 8 December. Netflix will then release the remaining three episodes a week later, on 15 December.

02:00 , Chelsea Ritschel

The couple is said to have softened its portrayal of the royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, with reports suggesting Harry and Meghan wanted to specifically edit portrayals of King Charles II, the Queen Consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Sussexes to edit their Netflix show to make it ‘kinder to royal family’

00:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

The docuseries is said to have begun filming in September 2021, with the couple seen with a videographer and photographer during their last trip to New York City.

The couple’s latest trip to New York took place this week, when the duke and duchess arrived via private plane on Monday.

Wednesday 7 December 2022 23:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

As for what we can expect from the couple’s docuseries, Netflix says the “unprecedented and in-depth” project shows the “other side” of the duke and duchess’s “high-profile love story”.

“Across six episodes, the series explores the clandestine days of their early courtship and the challenges that led to them feeling forced to step back from their full-time roles in the institution,” the description reads. “With commentary from friends and family, most of whom have never spoken publicly before about what they witnessed, and historians who discuss the state of the British Commonwealth today and the royal family’s relationship with the press, the series does more than illuminate one couple’s love story, it paints a picture of our world and how we treat each other.”

When is the Meghan Markle and Harry Netflix documentary?

Wednesday 7 December 2022 22:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

For the occasion, Meghan wore a white gown by Louis Vuitton. She accessorised the outfit with Princess Diana’s aquamarine ring, an accessory she previously wore as her “something blue” during her and Prince Harry’s royal wedding.

Fans delight as Meghan stuns in custom Louis Vuitton and Diana’s ‘freedom ring’

Wednesday 7 December 2022 21:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

The release of the Sussexes docuseries tomorrow comes after the couple accepted the prestigious Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Foundation on Tuesday evening.

During their acceptance speech, Meghan and Harry noted that, as they continue to follow in Kennedy’s footsteps, they “choose the path of optimism of care for each other and our communities”.

Wednesday 7 December 2022 21:00 , Chelsea Ritschel

Piers Morgan has also been a constant critic of the couple in the lead up to the docuseries’ release, with the TV presenter describing the pair as “whining millennial windbags with a victim complex”.

You can find all the reactions from royal reporters to the docuseries, despite it not yet being released, below.

British royal reporters condemn Meghan and Harry docuseries before it’s aired

Wednesday 7 December 2022 20:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

Royal reporters have also criticised the use of photos from the couple’s visit with Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Cape Town, as many have claimed the photographs were taken by an “accredited pool”.

“This photograph used by @Netflix and Harry and Meghan to suggest intrusion by the press is a complete travesty,” Robert Jobson, the royal editor for the Evening Standard, tweeted, before noting that he was “there”.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website