In the Netflix series, directed by Liz Garbus, Harry and Meghan reveal the chaotic and tumultuous moments behind the scenes that led to their departure. They describe the Windsor family as deeply divided, with members driven by individual agendas and offices leaking stories about one another to ensure their preferred royals receive more favorable press coverage. This toxic dynamic catalyzed the Sussexes' departure. Meghan was dealing with negative media coverage, including the publication of an intimate letter to her estranged father in The Daily Mail, which led her to have suicidal thoughts. Despite this, Harry claims his family did little to protect them.
Furthermore, Harry suggests that the family's complicity went beyond their silence. He claims that family members' offices gave the tabloids damning information about him and Meghan because they felt threatened by the couple's explosive popularity. Harry believed that his brother William's team was behind some of the leaks, which was heartbreaking for him because they had previously made an agreement never to let that happen to their office.
After considering moving to New Zealand and then South Africa, Harry and Meghan settled on Canada. They even discussed the move with Prince Charles, who asked them to put the idea in writing. However, just five days later, the news was on the front page of a newspaper, and the couple knew that someone had leaked the information. Harry explains that the giveaway was the fact that they were willing to relinquish their Sussex titles, and it was devastating for them to have their story and life taken away.
The couple then released their now-infamous statement on Instagram, announcing that they were stepping back from their duties as senior members of the Royal Family. Through their docuseries, Harry and Meghan hope to shed light on their experience and pull the curtain back on one of the most private families in history.
Harry reached out to his grandmother over the phone and requested to speak with her upon his and Meghan's return to the U.K. Initially, Queen Elizabeth agreed to the meeting, but her office later cancelled it, and a Sandringham summit was arranged without Meghan. Feeling excluded from the important discussion regarding their future, Meghan expressed her frustration, saying that as a wife, mother, and target, she deserved a seat at the table.
The summit turned out to be a bitter and terrifying experience for Harry, as his family refused to see a middle ground on his desire for a part-time role within the family. William allegedly became volatile, shouting at Harry while their father said untrue things and their grandmother quietly observed. A few days later, Buckingham Palace announced that the couple would no longer undertake official engagements or represent the queen.
To add insult to injury, after a January 2020 article in The Times alleged that Harry and Meghan felt bullied by Prince William, Kensington Palace issued a joint statement denying the claim. However, Harry denied approving the statement and when he told Meghan, she burst into tears. Harry felt that his family was happy to lie to protect William within four hours, but had not been willing to tell the truth to protect him and Meghan over the past three years.
