Harry & Meghan: Volume I

Only weeks after the release of a hot-topic season of The Crown, Netflix have released the first volume of their revealing documentary series that aims to tell the true story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s experiences in their own words. While the series is set to span six episodes in total, the streaming platform has only released the first half (the second volume is set to drop on 15^th December), which follows the couple’s secretive early months of dating in the runup to their celebrity wedding. Running parallel to the fairy-tale romance, however, is the sleaze and racism the pair faced from the press and public.

For portions of the interviews, the Sussexes sit beside each other on their couch. They tease one another and laugh while thinking fondly on their first few meetings. They look like they’re very much in love, a sentiment that’s reinforced with a selection of family home videos and photographs which portray them as the perfect happy family. But we know they’ve encountered years of hardship to get to where they are now. It’s at this point the series turns its attention to Harry’s past, and uses his early experiences with paparazzi (particularly surrounding his mother) to establish a baseline for the performative relationship royals are expected to have with the media.

The second episode then delves into what Meghan’s childhood was like and how issues surrounding race began to creep in as she got older and dipped her feet into show business, and again when she became under fire from the tabloids. There’s nothing especially new that’s learned that audiences won’t already be familiar with, but this information is nevertheless vital in providing context for the wider discussions on historical racism in media and the British Empire.

Despite what viewers may assume, the docuseries is at its most interesting when the spotlight shifts from the Sussexes to focus on these hard-hitting themes. Weaving between topics of British colonialism and Brexit, these three episodes sketch a thorough and damming picture of the UK’s relationship with race, and how these toxic elements of society have evolved into the digital age.

Volume I may not contain the scandalous details some were expecting. However, it succeeds in laying the groundwork to reopen necessary discussions.

Andrew Murray

Harry & Meghan: Volume I is released on Netflix on 8^th December 2022.

Watch the trailer for Harry & Meghan: Volume I here: