Getting into the thick of it. Volume two of Harry & Meghan dove into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal exit — and they didn’t mince words about how they felt they were treated differently than other senior members of the family.
Episode five picked up in fall 2018, months after Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
“I just wanted all these cousins and these people. I just wanted all of that. And I didn’t have that big family. I was just so excited that we were going to be able to create for him that thing that I had always wanted So I just did everything I could to make them proud. And to really be a part of the family. And then the bubble burst,” Meghan recalled.
After Harry alleged that things were getting worse in the U.K. media because “it was already clear to the media that the palace wasn’t gonna protect her,” Meghan added: “Once that happens, the floodgates open. And I realized that I wasn’t just being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves.”
Harry and Meghan announced their plans to no longer work as senior members of The Firm in January 2020. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement at the time. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
After spending time in Canada, the couple moved to California and completed their last official royal engagement in March 2020. The queen made their exit permanent in February 2021, with the palace noting at the time that “in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible [for Harry and Meghan] to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.”
Harry, who shares son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 18 months, with Meghan, shared footage of their “freedom flight” in the docuseries.
King Charles III, Prince William, Princess Kate and other members of the royal family have yet to publicly comment on the six-part show. Earlier this month, however, a palace source denied Netflix’s claims that the royals declined to comment. The streaming service subsequently doubled down on their statement, per royal reporter Omid Scobie.
Following the release of volume one of Harry & Meghan on December 8, the pair’s spokesperson fired back at the “entirely untrue narrative” that the twosome stepped away from royal life for privacy amid criticism from some viewers. “Their statement announcing their decision to step back mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties,” Ashley Hansen said in a statement to The New York Times on the same day the first three episodes started streaming. “Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series. They are choosing to share their story, on their terms.”
Us Weekly is breaking down every episode of Harry & Meghan. Click here for the biggest takeaways from episode one, episode two, episode three and episode four. Scroll through for the biggest revelations from episode five: