Dropping Bombs! Harry and Meghan’s Biggest Revelations In Netflix Documentary Volumes 1 and 2: Details

Archie’s Birth

Meghan gave insight into her decision to forgo posing on the steps of St. Mary’s hospital after giving birth to Archie, a long-standing tradition for the royals done by everyone from Princess Di to Princess Kate.

“There was already the pressure of the picture with Archie on the steps and ‘Are they going to do that, are they not?'” Meghan recalled. “I had been really worried going into that labor because I’m older and I didn’t know if I’d have to have a C-section.”

The actress had a “very long-standing relationship” with her “trusted” doctor at a different facility. “I said, ‘OK, we could do a photo call in front of Portland Hospital.’ And [the Palace] said, ‘It’s impossible. We couldn’t barricade these streets off, and it would create a threat for the emergency room entrance because that’s where you would have to do this picture,'” Meghan explained. “We said, ‘OK, what’s the hybrid? Can we give them more time at the castle?’ And everything in turn was like, ‘Yes. Yes, great. Oh, yes.’ At no point did someone go, ‘Absolutely not.’”

While the family of three appeared at Windsor Castle’s St. Georges Hall two days after Archie’s birth, Meghan and Harry said the “narrative” turned into them being “selfish” for the decision.

“The amount of abuse that we got — especially [Meghan] — but both of us for not wanting to serve our child up on a silver platter was incredible,” Harry added.

Meghan’s Darkest Place

“I was like, ‘All of this will stop if I’m not here.’ And that was the scariest thing about it. It was such clear thinking,” Meghan recalled about contemplating suicide, adding that she wanted “to go somewhere to get help” was not “allowed.”

For his part, Harry felt “angry and ashamed” when he realized what a dark mental state his wife was in and admitted he responded as “institutional Harry” as opposed to “husband Harry.”

“I was devastated. I knew that she was struggling. We were both struggling. But I never thought that it would get to that stage … I didn’t deal with it particularly well,” he explained. “What took over my feelings was my royal role. I had been trained to worry more about what people gonna think if we don’t go to this event, [we were] going to be late. I hate myself for it. What she needed from me was so much more than I was able to give.”

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Meghan’s Truth

In 2019, Meghan went viral when she said, “Not many people have asked if I’m OK,” shortly after giving birth during an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby.

“I was so exhausted. I was just really grateful that someone seemed to ask me something like I was a human being,” Meghan explained about the moment, adding that she “never thought” it would be used. “It hit a chord for everyone for something specific to them.”

Harry added that “no one” in the royal family “speaks that openly,” which is part of the reason it sent waves through the palace. However, they had another “fallout” with the U.K. media about Meghan’s interview, calling the response “very different” than the public’s reaction. The situation ended up being a “turning point” for the Duke and Duchess.
“It’s when we started having harder conversations about what needs to happen for us to be able to continue to make this work,” Meghan explained.

Stepping Back

Meghan and Harry wanted “breathing space” from the palace and claimed they were in talks for many months about their next steps. Their original intention was to live further from the “palace rota” in order to continue their charity work without publicity. 
 
At first, the couple landed on moving to South Africa, but once that information was leaked, Harry, Meghan and the institution shut down that plan. Next, their plans to relocate to Canada were also found out, which turned the situation into a “ticking clock” that resulted in the couple releasing a statement.
 
“This idea that I supposedly blindsided my grandmother,” Harry said. “This would never happen. I have so much respect for her.”
 
After the fallout from the news, Harry said it was his “decision” to step away from the royal family. “She never asked to leave. I was the one that had to see it for myself,” he said.

Harry’s Feud With William

“I mean, the saddest part of it was this wedge created between myself and my brother,” Harry said. “He’s now on the institution’s side. Part of that, I get. I understand, right? That’s his inheritance. So to some extent, it’s already ingrained in him that part of his responsibility is the survivability and the continuation of this institution.”

The One

Harry reflected on his powerful connection to Meghan, despite her not knowing anything about the royal family.

“For so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who fits the mold, as opposed to someone who perhaps you may be destined to be with,” Harry admitted during episode 1. “The difference between making decisions with your head or your heart. And my mom made most, if not all, of her decisions from the heart. And I am my mother’s son.”

Connected on Social Media

Harry first laid eyes on Meghan while he was “scrolling” Instagram and saw her in a video with their mutual friend, who was previously revealed to be Violet von Westenholz. “I was like ‘Who is that?’” the redheaded royal recalled.

The mutual friend reached out to “newly single” Meghan and told her “Prince Haz” was “dying to meet” her, teasing that they set the pair up on a date. Although the actress didn’t know Prince Harry was known as “Haz” at the time, she asked to see his IG feed.

“That’s the thing. People say, ‘Did you Google him?’ No. That’s your homework. You’re like let me see what they’re about in their feed. Not what someone else says about them but what they are putting out about themselves,” Meghan explained. “That, to me, was the best barometer. So I went through and it was just like beautiful photography and all these environmental shots and this time he was spending in Africa.”

They got each other’s phone numbers and were “constantly in touch” from that point forward.

Casual First Meeting

Meghan recalled being in “ripped jeans” and “barefoot” when she first met her sister-in-law, Princess Kate (née Middleton) and Prince William. However, she quickly realized her casual California ways differed from British traditions.

“I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that is really jarring for a lot of Brits,” she explained. “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and you go, ‘Oh, alright, OK, I can relax now,’ but that formality carries over on both sides, and that was surprising to me.”

The “Biggest Problem”

Meghan revealed the royals’ “biggest problem” with her was her career as an actress. “There’s a big idea of what that looks like, from the U.K. standpoint, Hollywood, and it’s just very easy for them to typecast that,” she said.

Harry noted that his family was “incredibly impressed” when they first met her, but no one was certain their love would last.

“Some of them didn’t quite know what to do with themselves, so I think they were surprised, maybe surprised that the ginger could land such a beautiful woman and such an intelligent woman,” he said. “But the fact that I was dating an American actress was probably what clouded their judgment more than anything else at the beginning: ‘Oh, she’s an American actress. This won’t last.'”

Watching Out for His Wife

Harry admitted he did not want “history to repeat itself” after the death of his mother in 1997.

“So much of what Meghan is and how she is so similar to my mum. She has the same compassion. She has the same empathy. She has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her,” Harry said. “I accept that there will be people around the world who will fundamentally disagree with what I’ve done and how I’ve done it, but I knew that I had to do everything I could to protect my family, especially after what happened to my mom.”

The Prince revealed that he “saw” and “experienced” what his mom was going through first-hand. “I learned things. The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘How can I ever find someone who is willing and capable to withstand all the baggage that comes with being with me?'”

Will Their Kids Be in the Spotlight?

Royal fans will notice Meghan and Harry keep their two children’s lives relatively private, especially since the birth of Lilibet in 2021.

The actress explained that they are “really conscious” of protecting the kids while “understanding the role they play in this really historic family.”

“As a dad — and as parents — I think consent is a really key piece to this,” Harry added. “That if you have children it should be your consent as to what you share.”

Meghan Opens Up About Race ‘Talk’

Meghan opened up about experiencing public backlash because of her race once she married Harry.

“It’s very different to be a minority but not be treated as a minority right off the bat. I’d say now, people are very aware of my race because they made it such an issue when I went to the U.K. But before that, most people didn’t treat me like a ‘black woman.’ So that talk didn’t happen for me,” she said. “At that time, I wasn’t thinking about how race played a part in any of this. I genuinely didn’t think about it.”

The Fallout With Meghan’s Father

Meghan’s dad, Thomas Markle, did not attend their 2018 wedding after it was revealed that he profited from staging paparazzi photos.

“H and I called my dad. I said, ‘Look, they’re saying you’re taking money from the tabloids to stage photos. Is this true?’ He says no,” she explained during episode 3, revealing that they offered to have him moved from Mexico to avoid the publicity. a

She continued, “And he said, ‘No, no, I have things I need to do.’ And it felt really cagey. I was like, ‘It doesn’t make sense.’ And when we hung up, I looked at H. I was like, ‘I don’t know why, but I don’t believe him.’ ”

The Duchess’ mother, Doria Ragland, admitted she was “absolutely stunned” that her ex would “capitalize” on their daughter’s situation, adding, “Certainly as a parent, that’s not what you do. That’s not parenting.”

For Harry’s part, he admitted he feels guilt about the way Meghan and Thomas’ relationship has unfolded. “If Meg wasn’t with me, then her dad would still be her dad,” he said.

Bonding Over Divorce

Although Meghan and Harry said they have “mated for life,” they initially bonded over coming from families of divorce.

“I think most kids who are the product of divorced parents have a lot in common, no matter what your background is,” Meghan said. “Being pulled from one place to another, or maybe your parents are competitive, or you’re in one place longer than you want to be, or another place less than you want to be. There’s all sorts of pieces to that.”