Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's documentary has been released on Netflix and predictably, it’s all anyone on Twitter can talk about.
The first instalment saw viewers enchanted by the ‘magic’ love story between the pair. While every royal romance is touted as a ‘fairytale’ at the beginning – who could forget the BBC’s reporting on the day of Prince Charles’ and Diana’s wedding, the second most watched television event in British history (the first being her funeral) – this one has distinctly ordinary origins. After first crossing paths on Instagram and being set up by a friend, the early days of their relationship – documented in episode one – seems to be genuinely the stuff of fiction.
‘It’s the British media spending every second saying the #HarryandMeghanNetflix documentary is about attacking the royal family only for Harry & Meghan to talk about their beautiful love story & how toxic UK media is. They are talking about you the media,’ tweeted one.
‘Anyway What a lovely family🥰.’
A predominant theme of the commentary on social media is the sympathy of viewers for Harry’s struggles growing up – primarily losing his mother at age 11 and then having to deal with intense media scrutiny during his grief and beyond.
‘If you watch the first episode of #HarryandMeghanNetflix and feel nothing for Harry and his situation, then you have a heart of stone,’ wrote journalist Kirsty McCormack. ‘He lost his mother at the age of 12, no wonder he is so protective of Meghan and his kids. Just heartbreaking 💔.’
In fact, far from taking aim at the royal family, Harry and Meghan expressed sympathy with the firm with Harry pointing out that all women entering the family were subject to an unfair narrative and that the media intrusion was ‘a rite of passage’ – but that the difference Meghan was facing was ‘the race element’.
‘Prince Harry is literally doing for Meghan what Charles DIDN'T do for Princess Diana, all of which ultimately led to her early death,’ said another. ‘Personally, I think Diana's cheering H and M all the way. As she should. Your revisionism is wild.’
Of course, there are those who’ve taken the opportunity to tear down the couple further, despite the fact that very little of what they’ve actually said so far is inflammatory, with one writing, ‘Meanwhile, while the 2 grifters are moaning on how hard life is being jobless, lazy millionaires, here’s our future King doing some actual work promoting projects that will literally help save the planet and your lives.
‘Also, Kate is prettier than Megan 🖕🏽’.
Ahh, the old, pitting high-profile women against each other based on how they look. A timeless classic.
'When your whole personality is complaining about your time in the royal family whilst sitting in a $15m mansion with royal titles, wanting royal titles for your kids and still expecting to be invited to all the royal events…it kind of screams hypocrisy,' said someone else.
Obviously, leading the anti-Meghan charge was former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan - who, coincidentally, resigned from that role after throwing a tantrum live on air over the Duchess.
Among the slew of his vitriolic tweets - generating huge engagement, naturally - he wrote, '"It’s amazing what people will do when they’re offered a huge amount of money - hand over photographs to create a story" - Prince Harry, who was paid £90 million by Netflix to hand over photos & create a story. This is so funny. #HarryandMeghanNetflix.'
Another reads, 'This is worse than Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Something I didn’t think was humanly possible. #HarryandMeghanonNetflix'.
Overall, though, the reactions have been overwhelmingly positive – as loads have pointed out, if you don’t like the Sussex’s, you don’t have to watch the doc.
‘If #HarryandMeghanNetflix proves anything, there are some seriously fucked-up people in the UK who need psychiatric help based purely on the comments I'm seeing,’ tweeted one. ‘Total irrational response to a TV show they have chosen to watch.’
Another said, ‘I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you don’t like Harry and Meghan, you don’t have to watch their documentary series on Netflix. You don’t have to click on articles about them, or search their names in google or on social media.’
So, the lesson social media has taken away from the first instalment? That after five years of silence, a retaliation from the couple is long overdue, that Harry, and later Meghan, truly suffered at the hands of the tabloid media and, if you don’t agree with them making a deal with Netflix and telling their story from their own perspective…
‘You can just scroll on. You really can.’
The best Twitter reactions to the Meghan and Harry Netflix Documentary
Reaction to the second instalment
The first three episodes led to Harry & Meghan becoming Netflix's biggest documentary debut to date, as it raked in 81.55m viewing hours around the globe after its release last Thursday.
And the second volume, which dropped Thursday 15 December, will no doubt further contribute to Netflix history as the world weighs in on the latest revelations made by Harry and Meghan.
Amongst those was Prince William allegedly 'screaming' at Harry during the Sandringham Summit in January 2020, after the Duke announced he and Meghan intended to leave the royal family.
'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, you know, quietly sit there and take it all in,' Harry said.
He continued, 'The saddest part of it was this wedge created between me and my brother so that he's now on the institution side. Part of that I get, I understand. That's his inheritance so part of that is already ingrained in him that part of his responsibility is the survivability and continuation of this institution.'
In response, one tweeted, 'Anyone finding it really uncomfortable how Harry and Meghan are just talking about William and Kate’s lives without their permission at all? It’s privacy when it suits them, not others.'
However, one aggrieved viewer called into Jeremy Vine in support of the Sussexes - shared in a viral tweet - saying, 'I’m disappointed with Prince William, Kate and the Royal Family. Harry… his mother will be so proud of him for what he’s done.'
Meghan's suicidal thoughts were also touched upon for the second time, after she initially opened up about her mental health to Oprah Winfrey last March.
Explaining her thought process, the mum-of-two said, 'All of this will stop if I'm not here. And that was the scariest thing about it. It was such clear thinking.'
And many avid watchers have been quick to praise Prince Harry for protecting his wife, as he later explained in the documentary that there was 'no other option' than to leave the UK.
'Bravo Harry! Your Mum would be so proud of you and Meghan… for protecting each other, taking care of each other and for making sure love wins at the end! May your fairytale be everlasting like the memory of our beloved Princess Diana.'
Another talking point has been the question of whether Harry and Meghan should retain their royal titles.
In one scene, Harry recalled how he had been in contact with his father regarding his and Meghan’s desire to move to Canada, days after it was announced they would be quitting royal duties. 'In one of those [emails], I had mentioned that if this wasn’t going to work out, then we would be willing to relinquish our Sussex titles if need be,' Harry explained.
And it has stirred quite a debate online.
'Surely this is the point of no return and King Charles must strip them of their Duke & Duchess of Sussex titles for bringing the Royal Family into disrepute? It might lose him a few fans but the integrity of the RF is at stake here,' one commented.
However, another took a swipe at the aforementioned narrative, writing, '“We were willing to relinquish our Sussex titles if need be.” All that carrying on about “strip their titles!” and these two were ready to give them up way back in 2020!'
Whatever your opinion on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the stats speak for themselves - the world's interest has been, and will continue to be, piqued. And with Harry's impending memoir, Spare, set to hit shelves in January, this will not be the last time the Twittersphere is lit up with talk of the Sussexes.