Harry says we’ll see “what’s happening behind closed doors.”
An upcoming documentary project is set to give us a peek at the behind-the-scenes lives of two of the biggest global newsmakers of the last several years — and we just got a first look at what to expect.
Netflix has officially released a teaser trailer for Harry & Meghan, a six-part docuseries that will give us the most up-close-and-personal insights yet into the lives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who famously left the royal family and moved from the U.K. to the United States to protect the safety and mental wellbeing of themselves and their children.
The actual release date of the docuseries has caused some controversy of its own. Earlier this fall, reports indicated the show had been postponed because of negative reactions to the sixth season of The Crown, Netflix’s prestige drama series about the royals. But according to Page Six, the streaming platform plans to premiere Harry & Meghan on Thursday, Dec. 8. (For what it’s worth, this trailer simply says it’s “coming soon.”)
As for what we’ll see in the series itself, it seems this much-discussed couple is ready to tell their dramatic story on their own terms.
“No one sees what’s happening behind closed doors,” Prince Harry says in the trailer. “I had to do everything I could to protect my family.”
Amid a montage of personal photographs and a shot of Markle wiping away tears, she adds, “When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”
Netflix says the show “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 monarchy. With commentary from friends and family, most of whom had 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.”
This project is part of the royal couple’s gigantic production deal with Netflix. The multi-year partnership, signed in 2020, has been reported to be worth close to $100 million, and the agreement indicates that the couple’s company, Archwell Productions, will “produce programming that informs, elevates and inspires” the streaming service’s subscribers.
But that’s only one of the high-profile business ventures Harry and Meghan are focused on. They’ve also signed a reported $25 million production deal with Spotify, which led to her podcast series Archetypes, in which she spoke with guests including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, and Mindy Kaling.
Following the premiere of their Netflix series, there’s another major project on the horizon that’s sure to include some big reveals. Prince Harry’s upcoming memoir, Spare, is set to be released Jan. 10, 2023.
“With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief,” the book’s publisher said in a press release, adding, “[Harry] shares a remarkably moving personal journey from trauma to healing, one that speaks to the power of love and will inspire and encourage millions of people around the world.”
