4 Claims in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix Docuseries That Have Been Debunked
Millions of people have streamed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s Netflix docuseries since its release. Sussex Squad members described the couple’s relationship depicted in Harry & Meghan as “a beautiful love story.” Fans also gushed over the never-before-seen photos of the pair and their two adorable children Archie and Lilibet.
But not all of the reviews were glowing. In fact, many critics have been pretty harsh when offering their thoughts on the docuseries as the Rotten Tomatoes reviews are dreadful. And now a number of claims that Sussexes were able to make in the series without being challenged are being debunked. Here are four of those claims.
Police chief says Meghan’s claims her security concerns were ignored are inaccurate
The duke and former Suits star being hounded by the paparazzi was a theme in Harry & Meghan but the duchess’s recollection of being protected when she still lived in Canada is quite different than what Toronto’s top cop remembers.
Meghan alleged that Toronto police ignored her security fears when she started dating Harry. She claimed that they neglected her complaints about feeling she was being stalked by paparazzi at her home in 2016 after the news broke that she and the prince were in a relationship. However, Toronto Police Chief James Ramer disagrees with Meghan’s assertions.
“I was deputy chief at the time, in charge of the Special Enforcement Command that oversaw that situation and can tell you the officers did an excellent job,” Ramer told the Toronto Sun prior to his retirement on Dec. 20 after 42 years on the job.
The chief explained that he personally knows numerous detectives and officers who took Meghan’s complaints seriously and addressed her concerns.
“Our officers were extremely professional,” Ramer said. “I oversaw the area that protected VIPS and I fully support the work they did there.”
Beyoncé’s team doesn’t recall the text Meghan read from the star
A huge celebrity name brought up in the Sussexes’ docuseries was Beyoncé when Meghan tells Harry that she received a text from the superstar. According to Meghan, the text came soon after the duke and duchess’s explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
“I still can’t believe she knows who I am!” Meghan exclaimed, before reading some of the text message aloud telling Harry: “She said she wants me to feel safe and protected. She admires and respects my bravery and vulnerability and thinks I was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed.”
After the Sussexes’ interview with Oprah aired, a message of support to Meghan was posted on Bey’s website that read: “Thank you Meghan for your courage and leadership. We are all strengthened and inspired by you.”
As for a personal text though, Twitter lit up after royal expert Neil Sean said he spoke to Beyoncé’s reps and they had no recollection of the artist sending that text to Meghan.
Royals wear the same colors following claim that it’s against protocol
Something else Meghan spoke about was the way she dressed when she was a working royal.
During a confessional in episode three of the docuseries, Meghan recalled: “Most of the time that I was in the U.K. I rarely wore color.” She added: “To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same color as Her Majesty if there’s a group event. But then you also should never be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family.”
The duchess then said that she did not wear bright colors because she wanted to “blend in” with the family not “stand out” or “embarrass” them. However, many fans pointed to and retweeted photos and videos of her wearing vibrant colors on several occasions.
And as for not being able to wear the same color as other royals, either none of them got the memo or they wanted to refute that publicly when they stepped out in the same colors for the “Together at Christmas” carol service hosted by the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) on Dec. 16. Camilla, Queen Consort (formerly Camilla Parker Bowles) and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wore coordinating off-white ensembles. While the Princess of Wales, Zara Philips, and even Princess Charlotte matched in burgundy-colored coats.
Claim that joint engagement interview was rehearsed, ‘not their story’
Meghan described the first interview she and Harry gave in November 2017 following their engagement as an “orchestrated reality show” and that they “weren’t allowed to tell our story” to BBC reporter Mishal Husain.
Husain has since countered that claim with some words borrowed directly from the late Queen Elizabeth saying: “We know recollections may vary on this particular subject but my recollection is definitely very much, asked to do an interview, and do said interview.”
“We went and had a conversation with Harry and Meghan and two members of their team beforehand and we talked about what the interview would cover, what they felt comfortable sharing,” Husain told BBC World at One (per Variety). “After that, we went and set up our cameras. They went away for a bit and did their photocall and when they came back we recorded a 20-minute interview.”
Tony Hall, who was the BBC director-general at that time also said it was “simply untrue” to claim the interview had been “rehearsed.”
