It’s been a royally hellish week for Harry and Meghan
It started out badly… and then got a whole lot worse
W hen it rains, it pours. And when it comes to the royal family and the non-stop bad news that came their way last week, those seven days seemed like a torrential downpour of almost biblical proportions.
There has been pressure building for months from all corners – and opposite sides of the Atlantic. Firstly, there’s the ongoing matter of Meghan Markle’s legal case against Associated Newspapers. Last week, the duchess created headlines after it was revealed in court documents that she had consulted with her and Prince Harry’s press secretary before sending a “private and confidential” letter to her father Thomas Markle. In the same legal papers, she also revealed
that she had spoken to a third party she knew had been approached by the authors of the unauthorised biography Finding Freedom – despite still insisting that she didn’t contribute to its content. For many observers, both new pieces of information cast some doubt over the strength of her case.
And then there was the notso-small matter of Harry and Meghan’s infamous deal with Netflix continuing to cause outrage across the pond. Last week, the streaming giant’s flagship show The Crown exploded back onto our screens with its fourth series, sending shockwaves around the world with its controversial portrayal of the royals – especially Princess Diana. As fans questioned how Harry could possibly continue to align himself with a platform that profits from his mother’s personal struggles, insiders reported anger from inside the palace – with Prince William horrified by both the depiction of his parents and his brother’s involvement with Netflix.
Speaking of William, his decision days later to publicly support a BBC inquiry into his late mother’s infamous Panorama interview proved just how wide the gulf had grown between the two brothers, and once again turned the heat on Harry and Meghan, pushing them to breaking point. To paraphrase the Queen, last week really was utterly “horribilis”.
MEGHAN’S LETTER
In an era of instant messaging, it’s surprising to think how much of a furore one handwritten note can cause. But last week, the much-disputed letter that Meghan wrote to Thomas Markle in 2018 caused even more problems for the duchess, despite her recently winning a legal bid to delay High Court proceedings until October 2021. In the meantime, both sides are continuing to file court documents, as Meghan insists Associated Newspapers’ publication of extracts of the letter was a breach of her privacy and copyright infringement. Their lawyers argue she never intended for the letter to remain “private and confidential”.
Last week, after the paper’s lawyers claimed that Kensington Palace had “contributed to the writing” of an electronic draft of the letter, Meghan confirmed that she had shown a draft to the palace’s communications secretary Jason Knauf, but had only taken friendly advice from him. Her legal team explained, “She shared a draft with her husband and Mr Knauf for support, as this was a deeply painful process they lived through with her… Mr Knauf provided feedback on that draft but no actual wording, as this was a personal letter from daughter to father”.
Meghan’s legal team maintained this did not discredit her complaints, as she alone had written the final letter – but the fact it was discussed with a palace press officer still sparked debate. Added to that, Meghan also confirmed in court documents that she’d provided personal information to a third party “who she knew had already been approached by the [Finding Freedom] authors” – although she argued she “does not know to what extent or in what terms” the information was relayed to them. Again,
Meghan argued this changed nothing in the strength of her case – but there’s no denying that it certainly shifted the narrative.
NETFLIX SHOWDOWN
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just legal matters putting pressure on Harry and Meghan last week. In fact, the stress and tension that’s been building between the couple and Harry’s increasingly estranged family reached a crescendo after Netflix released series four of The Crown – which dissects Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s fraught marriage, as well as Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, and Diana’s battle with bulimia. The long-awaited series has shifted focus on to the Sussexes again, as the world awaits the outcome of their $150m Netflix deal. According to insiders, the couple know they now have even more to prove – with The Crown having burnt any remaining bridges between them and the royals, failure is not an option, especially since Netflix’s bigwigs have made it clear that they expect a big return on their investment.
“Harry and Meghan are under no illusions that they need to hit
‘There’s pressure on them to create must-watch content’
this project out of the park,” says an insider close to the Sussexes, who said in September they wanted to create “inspirational family programming [and] powerful storytelling” for Netflix “that informs but also gives hope” – though they have yet to formally announce any specific projects. “There’s a lot of pressure on them right now to come up with compelling, must-watch content.”
According to reports, Harry and Meghan were initially hesitant to step in front of the camera, but now that The Crown’s out and their decision to sign with Netflix is causing so much controversy, they’re even more determined to show their side of the story through a docuseries that “gives people a glimpse into their lives and [shows] all the charity work they do”. Still, they defiantly stayed quiet last week, and it was Harry’s brother doing all the talking – with William taking a very different approach to protecting their mother’s legacy.
WILLIAM SPEAKS OUT
Until very recently, Harry and William had stood united when it came to discussing Diana. Earlier this year, it was reported that both princes were furious to hear that documentary makers were pitching a series based around her inner demons. They’ve always preferred to pay tribute to their mother with charity work, as well as commissioning a statue and garden in her honour. But last week, William stood alone as he publicly backed the BBC’S decision to appoint the former Head of Civil Justice Lord Dyson to conduct an independent probe into Diana’s infamous Panorama interview with Martin Bashir in 1995. The inquiry comes following allegations that Diana was blackmailed into taking part.
William said in a statement, “The independent investigation is a step in the right direction. It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time.”
And, while Harry was 5,000 miles away, his silence was deafening. He may still issue his own response but, for now, it seems communication has totally broken down between the once-inseparable princes.
As last week drew to a close, royal pressure was at an all-time high, with Harry and Meghan in their own living hell and bearing the brunt of scrutiny and doubt. Meanwhile, TV drama and real life turmoil sent jaws dropping in equal measure proving that, sometimes when it rains, it doesn’t just pour – it builds and blusters its way into an almighty storm. ■