Harry and Meghan Netflix documentary

[lisaviolet]

I swear to you all there were moments I looked at the tv and thought " Wait, am I imagining things or does Harry's face look like he himself thinks Meghan is exaggerating or a tiny bit disingenuous on a few of her answers.

One of those times is her reenacting her curtsy because she didn't know she would ever have to curtsy.

Insert big smile.

 

[lisaviolet]

I did have a moment where I really wanted to whip something at the tv. And it was Harry, not Meghan.

He kept saying 'She does not have a father anymore.'" And I feel bad because she had a father, then met me and now she does not have a father.

She ****ing has a father. She chooses to not have a relationship with her father (her prerogative of course), but she ****ing has a damn father.

That talk made me insane.

I think her father absolutely did not do right by her, and made so many mistakes in judgement. But I think like Pea-n-me - I think the man was out of his element and had tremendous stress to be put in such a limelight. And then was poorly advised by other family members. Not to mention health issues. Regardless he made horrendous choices. Not defending him..Doria said it best - that it was disappointing to see his choices.

But he remains her father, whether she ever sees him again. Such poppycock Harry. And disrespectful.in my eyes.

The whole week before the wedding became a spy thriller according to Meghan and Harry with their texts and dialogue. Laughing. Loudly I can't even bother to explain that.

Happily they did show how close they were her entire life. But I wondered if the purpose was genuine or to gain sympathy. I hope genuine.

 

[lisaviolet]

My very favourite part -

"What's a walkabout?"

I love it so much I honestly think I need to run and get a trademark & put it on a t-shirt.

 

[lisaviolet]

Random bits (sounds so cheeky!) -

*Doria's voice. Full stop

*They did not attack the Royal Family as was being publicized. It really was not like that.
So far.

*However, there were subtle digs. They went on about how one is told what to say at every turn And then did a montage of Kate, William & Charles?.saying they were thrilled? Brilliant? (can't remember the word) about how Meghan was doing and her coming into the family. I thought that was so flippin' rude. I can't imagine doing a montage of my brother, sister-in-law & father - friggin' loved ones - to show them being robot like and denoting they were controlled and hence fake. So rude. And I would think they of course had final edit.

*And there was a montage explaining that Harry's homeland has years of being evil. Not arguing, just relaying.

*Meghan called their engagement interview "reality tv". I honestly could not decide if she knew that is when a lot of people thought she looked fake or simply explaining why it came off like that

And last but not least they are deeply in love. And for those who are not on board, you will hear it from friends, see it on *private* texts (insert giggle again) & they themselves will remind you. So don't despair.

-------------

Moving on to say goodbye to Mr. Noah.

 

[Karin1984]

Oh, to add: Harry basically says that he married Meghan because she reminds him of his mom.

We already knew it, but at least that is confirmed now

 

[Karin1984]

Ok, summary of the British reviews were all bad, that was expected. European press are 'meh, seen it before'. Australia somewhere inbetween that.

More interesting will be the American press for who this documentary was made. New York Post was negative, also expected. WSJ was also in the 'meh'-camp. But I haven't seen many others (and a lot is behind a paywall or not available outside the US).
How are the reviews over there?

Also one thing which was an interesting choice to make it feel more documentary, were the experts explaining the workings of the royal family. Those who are interested in this documentary most likely already know.

Can someone make a gif of Meghan's mock curtsy and the Alice in wonderland curtsy?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I watched it. These first three episodes are mostly them talking about their relationship pre-wedding. Benign stuff like their first dates, where they traveled, dealing with the press. (The British press is revolting, btw, but we already knew that.) There’s hardly even any mention of other members of the royal family and certainly nothing “explosive” or shocking. At one point I thought “If I was Kate, William, whomever watching this right now, which parts would I be upset about?” And I drew a giant blank. Someone would have to be incredibly insecure to take offense at anything that’s been said so far. There’s been no mudslinging, no personal attacks, nothing salacious. It’s actually a little dull. Interesting enough that I watched it all the way through, but people who are looking for drama aren’t going to find it (in the first half, at least). The most interesting “revelation” to me was that Meghan has a close relationship with her half-sister’s daughter. But even that was only interesting for the fact that it was about the only piece of new information I got from the thing.

H&M seem more relaxed in this footage than I’ve seen them before. They strike me as decently grounded people who are probably a good match for each other. I think they’re going to have happier, more fulfilling lives outside of the castle walls than they would have had if they’d stayed.

 

[luvthatduke]

I have not seen the opinion I have held since the beginning
of Meghan being apparently overwhelmed with what she was expected to do.
IMHO: Harry is the one who failed her.
He knew exactly what would be expected of his wife & himself.
Either he didn't tell her anything about being a Royal,
or they're both lying about it all.

I began to seriously dislike her after the queen took it
upon herself to invite Meghan on the train ride,
where she wanted to get to know her (presumably)
and at the same time help M. to understand the Pomp & Circumstance
of the royal life & how things operate.
Then, the cracks started appearing.
I don't buy for a minute that she had no idea what being a Royal was like!

I have sympathy for Harry because he was so young
& did not have good relationships after his mother died.
But, I believe he will deeply regret all of this (or at least most of it)
later in life - burned bridges are rarely rebuilt.

 

[lisaviolet]

H&M seem more relaxed in this footage than I’ve seen them before.

Agreed.

I was simply curious to watch it. It was not like the press was making it out to be, not some kind of huge attack. Well so far anyway.

But yes they really did seem relaxed. So different from their energy with the Oprah interview.

 

[Karin1984]

There are not real big lies in this, there are little lies and inconsistencies in their story from what they have said before.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...y-BBC-blasts-Harry-Meghans-untrue-claims.html

- they met on instagram, not a blind date.
- Harry proposed in the garden with an electrical candlelit picnic, not roasting chicken in the kitchen. (One lie is that he had to propose in the UK)
- their engagement talk was an orchestrated reality show is disputed by the BBC, recollections may vary. They did have a pre-talk to prepare.
The footage of their engagement interview was heavily edited, cutting out some of Harry's replies.
-- Meghan says she didn't wear much colour during her time as a royal. Easily disputed. But what she probably meant was, she didn't wear colour while in the presence of other royals.
- Harry says 'royal correspondents' are meaningless titles from newspapers, and at the same time they are an extension of the PR teams from the palace.

And there is an argument, the opening is a disclaimer that the British Royal Family declined to comment. The BRF say they got an email from a third party. They contacted Archewell and Netflix to verify, but got no response.

Apparently there is fake imagery used in the headlines of supposedly bad British press about Harry and Meghan. In reality it was about different subjects or not British.

 

[lisaviolet]

revelation” to me was that Meghan has a close relationship with her half-sister’s daughter. But even that was only interesting for the fact that it was about the only piece of new information I got from the thing.

Yes.
But sad - Meghan and Harry said they were strongly advised not to invite her niece because no one would understand why no one else was invited from the family.

I don't know why Meghan and Harry did not stand up to it all and say "Nope. my niece is coming to our wedding. Pointe finale."

We are all not dumbs dumbs. It wasn't that difficult to understand the why & story behind it, as they were going on about. The niece didn't grow up with her mother, Meghan's sister. Regardless of that background Meghan is not at all close with her sister but is close with her niece, so therefore she is coming to the wedding.

Plus who cares. It is none of our business who she wants or does not want at her wedding. Any of us can judge away but none of our business regardless. So I don't even get the advice.

What a silly and sad decision, to feel such pressure to not invite someone you love to your own wedding..

 

[Karin1984]

Yes.
But sad - Meghan and Harry said they were strongly advised not to invite her niece because no one would understand why no one else was invited from the family.

I don't know why Meghan and Harry did not stand up to it all and say "Nope. my niece is coming to our wedding. Pointe finale."

We are all not dumbs dumbs. It wasn't that difficult to understand the why & story behind it, as they were going on about. The niece didn't grow up with her mother, Meghan's sister. Regardless of that background Meghan is not at all close with her sister but is close with her niece, so therefore she is coming to the wedding.

Plus who cares. It is none of our business who she wants or does not want at her wedding. Any of us can judge away but none of our business regardless. So I don't even get the advice.

What a silly and sad decision, to feel such pressure to not invite someone you love to your own wedding..

That is a very weird story where we do not know everything. They are okay with inviting celebrities they have never met and give them prime seats, but not family.

Also what is also very weird, Meghan claims she hardly knows Samantha, but then what is going on with her niece? As I haven't watched it. Did they mention anything if their closeness developed later in life after the niece was an adult?

 

[lisaviolet]

have not seen the opinion I have held since the beginning
of Meghan being apparently overwhelmed with what she was expected to do.
IMHO: Harry is the one who failed

I did not mention that because my brain simply can not get past both parts - Harry being so naive that he does not seem to explain much until minutes before arrival. And the things Meghan says she had no clue about are absolutely spellbinding. And I am not talking about any complicated protocols or occasions (those are completely understandable)

 

[lisaviolet]

That is a very weird story where we do not know everything. They are okay with inviting celebrities they have never met and give them prime seats, but not family.

Also what is also very weird, Meghan claims she hardly knows Samantha, but then what is going on with her niece? As I haven't watched it. Did they mention anything if their closeness developed later in life after the niece was an adult?

Yes

This is how it was explained. One day Meghan's Dad said, Samantha has found her daughter (Yes it all was introduced that bizarrely).

Meghan decided to reach out to her by email, the daughter/niece.

And their relationship as adults went from there & apparently they went on holidays together and became close.It was not that far back as I believe Meghan said she had started Suits.

It was explained that the niece was brought up by her grandparents and not Samantha. Later she reunited and had a relationship with her mother (Samantha) but later cut ties when she could not handle her ways.

And then ridiculously so they are claiming the firm or family told Meghan not to invite the niece as no one would understand the dynamics of the situation. Sigh.

 

[Karin1984]

It is clear that has a blind spot for his own life and despite claiming being brought up by normal people in Africa and in the army, once in the bubble he seems to forget that his family life isn't normal.

You would think with the history of his previous girlfriends and when you think 'yes, this is the one! I will introduce her to my family and I want them to like her!' then you will do everything to make sure everything will go smoothly.

But, one thing we also knew, Harry has a lot of qualities, he is not the smart one.

 

[mousefan73]

Here are my thoughts.
1. Meghan lived the perfect, I am young, rich, empowered " I am going to spend my summer in europe but got sidetracked by meeting a prince" beautiful Instagram worthy life many can only dream of.. Literally, that is also how they met.
2. Harry has issues, but that is not new news.. Can't blame him seeing what happened to his mom and the press growing up. He actually seems like a nice guy to hang with.
3. Amazed that so many of their friends were able to keep a lid on things and havent really spoke out.. Seeing how the doc features so many other young, rich, instagram worthy friends. so they must have good friends
4. Slight jab at the Cambridges/Wales with the whole "formality is also behind closed doors, I am a hugger" thing.. But my thought was - if you know your boyfriend's brother and wife are coming for dinner, they happen to be Prince William/Kate, wouldn't any normal person put SHOES on and maybe fix themselves up a bit? heck even I fixed my self up when meeting my DHs family for the first time and he's no prince.
5. Got sick of the whole love story thing.. Yes we get it. You guys are in LOOOOOVE.. and Meghan is that list. And I found it poopy how Harry implies that their marriage is the only one based on true LOVE, because in the past other wives were chosen to " fit a mold".. What the heck so Kate, Camilla, Sofie etc... were only chosen to fit a mold?
6. Found it interesting how the family was open about being wary that she is an actor.
7. We get it, The British Empire has its skeletons, all socieities do. So is this their new platform now?
8. I liked her mom and interesting how the press totally attacked, stalked and implied Ghettoness of them.. That is horrible.
9. If I were producing I would have toned down showing off how they are now living a THE life in CA, a life only the .001% have there. Magistic evening views with pool and mountains backdrop. Living room shots in a palatial room in Monticello. Or Stylist scenes of getting fitted and done up. They are not gaining sympthany with that.
10. What happened to her niece is poopy.. You cannot tell me there was no way to 1. Sneak her with a huge hat, and put her in a side wing out of camera shot during the ceremony. 2. Or have her come to the reception - where to this day there has been ZERO leaks or images of who was there or what went on. In fact the Doc just realized the first only image of the party there. It would have been interesting for them to at least tell us,, ok then did the niece get an invite to visit them at Windsor later? or was she ever shut out while they were Royals? I mean if I were in Meghans position then I would have invited as a guest later or maybe to Archies Christianing... We would all feel better for her if we knew more..

Side note: I was watching commentary on ITV and the person summed it up perfectly. Perhaps we had all assumed when they announced they were leaving for a more Private Life we were all wrong to assume they meant totally out of the public eye. There definition is that private means NON-Royal and that their plan was to exchange a royal life in the spotlight to a celebrity life. And the irony is they are exchanging British press (not really) for American pap life.

 

[mousefan73]

Yes.
But sad - Meghan and Harry said they were strongly advised not to invite her niece because no one would understand why no one else was invited from the family.

I don't know why Meghan and Harry did not stand up to it all and say "Nope. my niece is coming to our wedding. Pointe finale."

We are all not dumbs dumbs. It wasn't that difficult to understand the why & story behind it, as they were going on about. The niece didn't grow up with her mother, Meghan's sister. Regardless of that background Meghan is not at all close with her sister but is close with her niece, so therefore she is coming to the wedding.

Plus who cares. It is none of our business who she wants or does not want at her wedding. Any of us can judge away but none of our business regardless. So I don't even get the advice.

What a silly and sad decision, to feel such pressure to not invite someone you love to your own wedding..

@Karin1984 being Dutch can probably comment more here, but when Maxima ( now Queen) married Wilhem, her parents were not there. Her dad was not allowed ( not sure if he was banned from entering due to some political / rebel connection thing in Argentia). so then the mom said if he cant go, I am not going. I believed they watch on TV from London.

Not sure if officially prohibitied or also to save face...

 

[Karin1984]

5. Got sick of the whole love story thing.. Yes we get it. You guys are in LOOOOOVE.. and Meghan is that list. And I found it poopy how Harry implies that their marriage is the only one based on true LOVE, because in the past other wives were chosen to " fit a mold".. What the heck so Kate, Camilla, Sofie etc... were only chosen to fit a mold?

You would think Harry would bond with his dad about (re-)marrying for love ;-)

@Karin1984 being Dutch can probably comment more here, but when Maxima ( now Queen) married Willem, her parents were not there. Her dad was not allowed ( not sure if he was banned from entering due to some political / rebel connection thing in Argentia). so then the mom said if he cant go, I am not going. I believed they watch on TV from London.

Not sure if officially prohibitied or also to save face...

That was a political thing, not because of the man as a person. The Dutch government decided he couldn't be present. Maxima's father was in charge of Argiculture during the Videla-regime in Argentina. When the marriage was announced Maxima read a statement denounincing her father's part in the regime (regardless if he knew about the death flights yes or no). Anything official, like the marriage and the coronation her father wasn't invited. He was present at the baptism of his grandchildren. It was never confirmed whether or not they were in London to watch the wedding. There were other family members present, her brother and godmother were Maxima's witnesses.

These things are complicated, the common man in NL probably doesn't care. But it's about how it comes across as there were heads of states from all over the world were present at the wedding.
That's also a difference with Maxima & Willem Alexander. and also William & Kate, their marriages are political much more important than the second son. So if this thing with the niece had happened at William & Kate's wedding it would have been more understandable. The second son's wedding is a much more casual affair, in comparison.

 

[Karin1984]

Someone would have to be incredibly insecure to take offense at anything that’s been said so far.

There are no big things, but the little things are cause for worry (in the British tabloids ;-) )

1. Meghan's curtsy
Most tabloids, but also other news sources see it as a veiled attack on the monarchy's traditons. How she exaggerated her curtsy and comparing it to a US Medieval Times dinner, really didn't come across well.

2. Calling the Commonwealth Empire 2.0
As the Commonwealth was one of the most important projects of the late Queen, plus Harry & Meghan had no issues with the Commonwealth when they were president and vice president of the Commonwealth Trust.

3. Using Diana's Panorama interview
They say that the one thing William and Harry still agreed on was that the interview should never be televised ever again. Using it in the documentary will be something William is not going to forgive.

4. Basically saying that the entire UK is racist
And that Brexit plays a part in it.

 

[_19disnA]

For a couple who wanted to avoid the limelight - they sure have an odd way of doing it

My thought too. Have ZERO interest in any of these types of documentaires which merely present someone's view of reality. Just because some well known public figure or celebrity says somethings doesn't mean they are necessarily being truthful. I have never understood the British media's obsession with anything/everything to do with those involved with the royal family. Not anything that is of interest to me.