Harry and Meghan – as it happened: World reacts to bombshell documentary as royals stay silent on Sussex claims

Royal households accused of war against Duchess of Sussex to protect palace

Prince Harry claims his wife was 'doing the job better' than 'those born to do it'

The Duke of Sussex has described how “terrifying” it was to have his brother, the Prince of Wales, shout and scream at him at the Sandringham summit in front of the Queen during the Megxit crisis.

The duke’s claim is one of many revelations outlined in the final episodes of the couple’s Netflix docuseries, which also saw the pair condemn the treatment of Meghan at the hands of the media, and speak openly about her mental health struggles during their time as senior royals.

The final episodes also included lighter moments, such as when the couple mock the size of Nottingham Cottage, the residence on the grounds of Kensington Palace where they lived temporarily after their royal wedding.

Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment on the latest episodes. However, the royal family put on a united front when they attended the Princess of Wales’ second annual Christmas carol concert Thursday evening (15 December), just hours after the final episodes of the Sussexes’ bombshell Netflix series aired.

On Friday (16 December), the Palace also reiterated its dedication to “inclusion and diversity” while revealing that the Queen’s former lady-in-waiting, Lady Susan Hussey, apologised in person to Black charity founder Ngozi Fulani over comments she’d made two weeks prior.

Key Points

• Prince Harry claims brother ‘screamed and shouted’ at him at Sandringham meeting
• Palace ‘lied to protect William,’ Duke of Sussex claims
• ‘Palace briefed negative stories about Harry and Meghan to help other royals’
• Duke blames miscarriage on Mail in Netflix documentary
• ‘It broke my heart’: Meghan Markle’s mother recalls hearing daughter was suicidal

[15 December 2022 17:55 · Chelsea Ritschel]

According to Prince Harry, as his brother “screamed” at him, his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, “quietly sat there” to “take it all in”.

[15 December 2022 18:10 · Chelsea Ritschel]

In the aftermath of their decision to step down, the couple reflected on their final moments as senior royals.

According to Meghan, there was one moment that stands out, when a crew member on her flight to back to Canada from the UK after her final royal appearance on their farewell tour thanked her for her royal service.

“I get on the plane and not the pilot, but whoever overseeing the crew, he came and he knelt next to my seat and took his hat off,” Meghan said.

“I just remember looking at him and he goes, ‘We appreciate everything you did for our country.’”

Meghan said that it was the “first time” someone recognised the “sacrifice” she had made.

“Not for my own country, for this country. It’s not mine,” she said.

[15 December 2022 18:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The release of the latest episodes coincides with Kate Middleton’s second annual Christmas concert.

On Thursday, the Princess of Wales arrived at Westminster Abbey for Royal Carols: Together at Christmas, which will pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

For the occasion, the princess wore a maroon coat dress with padded shoulder details, while her and Prince William’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, wore a miniature version of the same outfit.

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

[15 December 2022 18:45 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Following some back and forth about whether the royal family was contacted by Netflix over the first three episodes of the Sussexes’ docuseries, both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have declined to comment following the release of the remaining three episodes.

The silence comes as the royal family reunites at the Princess of Wales’ Christmas concert.

[15 December 2022 18:55 · Chelsea Ritschel]

As for where the Sussexes see themselves now, the couple said that they view California as their home, as it is where their son Archie has grown up, and where daughter Lilibet was born.

“This is home to him, this is home to Lili, and this is our home,” Harry said, adding: “I get to do things with our kids that I would never be able to do in the UK.”

[15 December 2022 19:06 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The docuseries also saw insight into the couple’s lives as parents, with Archie’s former nanny revealing the duke and duchess are “really hands-on parents”.

[15 December 2022 19:25 · Chelsea Ritschel]

As for how Tyler Perry felt about being asked to be Lili’s godparent, the filmmaker said he was “honoured” by the request.

However, Perry admitted that he did have reservations at first, as he explained that he didn’t want to have to travel to the UK and participate in a ceremony with the rest of the royal family.

“I called them back and go: ‘Uh, hold on a second - does this mean we gotta go over [to the UK] and do all of that in church with [the royal family] and figure all that out? ‘Cause I don’t wanna do that,’” he recalled telling the couple. “‘Maybe we can do a little private ceremony here and let that be that, and if you have to do it there, then that’s okay.’”

[15 December 2022 19:46 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Ultimately, the latest episodes of the docuseries add little additional context to the rift between the Sussexes and the royal family.

In a two-star review, Jessie Thompson writes that the “almost unendurable three additional hours of grudge-rehashing gives very little further insight into why the pair remain so furious at the royal family”.

[15 December 2022 20:00 · Chelsea Ritschel]

“They’re trapped in a royal soap opera of their own creation – feeding the exact beast they so longed to escape from,” Jessie Thompson writes of the final three episodes of Harry & Meghan.

[15 December 2022 20:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

The criticisms of the docuseries have focused on some of the harder-to-believe statements made by the couple, such as Meghan’s claim to have been surprised when she saw people lining the streets for her royal wedding in 2018. “I didn’t know people would be lining each side of the street,” she says.

The couple’s slight mocking of their temporary home of Nottingham Cottage has also sparked backlash, after they claimed people would have been taken aback to see where they really lived.