Netflix has released another bombshell trailer for its smash-hit Harry & Meghan series, featuring the duchess upping the ante on claims of a “real war” at Buckingham Palace.
The latest trailer came hours before the streaming giant drops the final instalment of the couple’s “huge stakes” love story on Thursday night (AEDT).
In it, Meghan Markle accuses the palace of being part of a conspiracy to feed stories about her to the media so that other royal stories will “go away”.
“You would just see it play out,” the duchess says.
“A story about someone in the family would pop up for a minute and they’d go: ‘We’ve gotta make that go away.’
“But there’s real estate on a website homepage, there is real estate there on a newspaper front cover. And something has to be filled in there about someone royal.”
Later, one of Meghan’s lawyers, Jenny Afia, declares there is a “real war” against the duchess.
“There was a real war against Meghan and I’ve certainly seen evidence that there was negative briefing from the palace against Harry and Meghan to suit other people’s agendas,” she says.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s documentary series, which began streaming on December 8, has already featured Prince Harry accusing the royals of having a “huge level of unconscious bias” and Meghan saying the media wanted to “destroy” her before and after the couple’s wedding.
The first three episodes addressed the early days of the Sussexes’ romance, their joint back stories, their parallel passions, and exposed the “exploitation and bribery” of the media.
On Thursday night, the final three episodes drop in what has been billed as “one of the most high-profile love stories in history”, with “even the most plugged-in fans and followers” never having heard it told like this before.
“Unprecedented,” says Netflix.
In a touch of irony, the docu-series beat The Crown for the largest premiere in Netflix history – 2.4 million watched H&M, compared to 1.1 million on the first night of The Crown.
The first three episodes debuted with 81.55 million hours viewed, a record for any documentary title in a premiere week, according to the streaming giant.
It appeared in the top 10 TV list in 85 countries, including hitting No.1 in Britain.
After just four days, over 28 million households have seen the first three episodes (81.55m divided by 2.9 hours).
Great ratings. Mixed reviews.
So, what’s in Part 2?
Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers, who slammed the Sussexes’ attack on the media, said the first three episodes were “a bit sweetness and light” compared to the final instalment, which is expected to be “the knockout blow”.
“There have been personal references towards members of the royal family, they’ve opened up the family album, they’ve opened up all the videos … that genie is well and truly out of the bottle now … it puts them on a bit of a sticky wicket,” he told Nine’s Today Show.
With the teaser trailer for the last episodes showing the former senior royals’ “freedom flight” (in Harry’s words) to the US in 2020, there’s every indication there will be more criticism of the royal institution and the tabloids.
In interviews cut with images related to London tabloids, Harry described what he called “institutional gaslighting” and Meghan said that she was not just “thrown to the wolves – I was being fed to the wolves”.
“This is when a family and a family business are in direct conflict,” Meghan says in the trailer for part two, adding, “suddenly, what clicked in my head was, ‘It’s never gonna stop’.”
Seeking to justify their dramatic ‘Megxit’, Harry drops the following: “There was no other option at this point. I said, ‘We need to get outta here.’”
The couple also share intimate family moments with children Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, as they speak of their desire to “be free” and build a home together.
“They’ve tried to whitewash their reputations in all of this. I don’t think it’s working out for them,” Myers says.
“The people I have spoken to [who are] close to the King and the Prince of Wales say they are both absolutely bereft of this situation. But you can bet your bottom dollar there is no way back for Harry and Meghan.
“Instead of just slipping away into the background and taking their money with them, they’ve turned their family over for $100 million in order to invite the Netflix cameras into their home, give them all the home movies and pictures that we thought were sacrosanct and private.
“It’s purely, purely for money.
“I would assume the next three episodes are going to be pretty punchy.
“They’ve roped us all in, got us all hooked and the next one is potentially going to be the knockout blow.
“You can bet that all the royal family and their aides are going to be glued to the rest of the series.”
‘There’s always more to the story’
The series is directed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy award-winning director Liz Garbus, who said the Sussexes “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,” she told Netflix’s fandom website.
“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.”
Harry and Meghan said they were “grateful to have the ability to share our love story” through Netflix.
“We hope it helps others to heal, and to feel inspired.”
Endgame
Coincidentally, two days before the world stops turning over Harry and Meghan’s great escape to California, journalist and co-author of their biography, Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie, gave an update on his next work.
He is one of the few international journalists who have remained on good terms with the Sussexes.
Scobie shared the official HarperCollins synopsis for his latest book, titled Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, on December 14.
“On September 8, 2022, the world stood still as news broke of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
“Her death dismantled the protective shield around the world’s most famous family and saw a long-simmering crisis of confidence in the British monarchy begin to resurface.
“Now, with unique insight, deep access and exclusive revelations … Scobie pulls back the curtain on an institution in turmoil – exposing the chaos, family dysfunction, distrust and draconian practices threatening its very future.
“This is the monarchy’s endgame. Do they have what it takes to save it?”
Harry & Meghan Part 2 lands on Netflix at 7pm, December 15
