15 December 2022

Questions raised by final instalment in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries

15 December 2022

The final part of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix documentary has aired – but what questions did the last three episodes raise?

– What did William, now the Prince of Wales, say when he allegedly screamed and shouted at Harry?

Harry has not revealed the details but said it was “terrifying” and happened when the Queen summoned Charles, now King, and William and Harry to Sandringham in January 2020 to resolve the Megxit crisis.

“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” the duke said.

The tense meeting came in the wake of the Sussexes issuing a statement saying they wanted to step back as senior royals.

– How has Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, William and the rest of the royal family responded?

The palaces have declined to comment on the claims.

It was business as usual for the royal family as they carried on with their duties, including preparing for the Princess of Wales’s carol concert on Thursday evening.

The King appeared in good spirits as he and the Queen Consort visited a London community kitchen at the centre of a new farm project and wished volunteers a happy Christmas.

– What did Charles say that Harry claimed was untrue?

Harry said he heard his “father say things that just simply weren’t true” at the Sandringham gathering but did not elaborate on what they were.

– Why was Harry not allowed to be “half in, half out” of the royal family?

Harry said he chose the third of five options presented to him at the summit. The option was “half in, half out” of the royal family but he said it quickly became clear it was actually “not up for discussion or debate”.

Supporting the Queen while earning their own money was likely to have caused a conflict of interest for the Sussexes and led to accusations they were profiting from their royal connections.

But questions will be asked as to why it was presented to Harry if it was not a viable option.

– Why was Harry not asked permission for a joint statement denying William bullied him?

Harry said he was never asked about a joint statement, from him and his brother, which was released hours after the summit and denounced a story saying William had bullied him .

He has branded the move a “lie to protect my brother”.

The statement followed a story in The Times, which said a source told the publication Harry and Meghan “regarded themselves as having been pushed away by what they saw as a bullying attitude from (William)”.

– What did William’s text to Harry after the Oprah interview say?

The duke is seen holding up his phone to show Meghan a text from William, the day after the Oprah interview aired and just after Buckingham Palace issued a statement in response.

In the sit-down chat, the Sussexes had accused an unnamed royal of making a racist remark about their unborn son, the institution of failing to help a suicidal Meghan and Kate of making Meghan cry ahead of their wedding.

It is not known what the text said but whatever it was shocked Meghan and upset Harry.

Meghan replies “wow” as she looks at the screen, while Harry screws up his eyes, puts his hands behind head and says: “I wish I knew what to do.”

The duchess hugs her husband and says: “I know. Let’s take a breather, get some air and decide.”

The exchange was filmed by the documentary crew.

– Who told Meghan she could not text photographs to her friend?

Meghan suggests the royal household, which would have been Kensington Palace, told her not to text photographs to a friend and controlled “everything”.

It is not clear if Meghan is referring to aides such as a private secretary or her then-communications team.

– Why have they still got their titles?

Harry said he wrote to his father saying he and Meghan would relinquish their Sussex titles if a move to Canada did not work out.

Peerages can only be removed fully by an act of parliament but Harry and Meghan could decide not to use their titles.

Harry was made the Duke of Sussex by his grandmother on his wedding day.

The Sussexes stopped using their HRH style after stepping down as senior working royals in 2020 but they still retain it.

– What does Harry miss about life in the UK?

Harry said he misses “the weird family gatherings” where the royal family were brought together under one roof, as well as missing the country and his friends.

He admitted: “I’ve lost a few friends in this process as well” but did not name them.

– What do the Sussexes have left to say?

There could be much more. Harry’s book, Spare, is out in January and could contain damaging revelations about his relationship with William and Charles.

The pair have not named the royal they accused of making a racist remark about son Archie before he was born, but footage was played in the documentary of Harry telling Oprah he would never share that conversation.

Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry remarked in episode six, speaking about Meghan’s appearance in her Oprah interview: “When I watched it I thought, ‘There is so much more she could have said but because she’s such a classy, elegant woman, she didn’t’.”

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox