Sean Coughlan
BBC News, royal correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Are Prince Harry and Meghan the victims of an oppressive royal system? Or are they the millionaire moaners of Montecito?

However the public views their TV show, there will be one set of delighted viewers - and that's in Buckingham Palace and the rest of the Royal Family.

They might get a bit of a frosty blast from the series, described as being unable to hug, and getting married for the wrong reasons. But there are no real bombshells or direct hits and nothing specific about any individuals.

If this is the start of Harry and Meghan's winter offensive - Netflix up to Christmas, then Prince Harry's memoir in the new year - it's begun with something approaching a truce.

The series had threatened to be a tell-all tale of why Prince Harry and Meghan felt they had to step down from royal duties. But this inside story so far hasn't provided much inside information.

Read the full story here.

We've been hearing a lot from Harry and Meghan in the first three episodes of their Netflix series about their relationship, from how they met to their wedding and family life since.

The couple's in-depth interview with the BBC's Mishal Husain in 2017 was also mentioned, which Meghan now describes as orchestrated reality show", saying: "We weren't allowed to tell our story."

Since the series dropped, Husain has been sharing her own recollections of the day, describing it as being "full of joy".

"The major focus of everyone who was there from the BBC team was to make sure Harry and Meghan were at the heart of it and felt as comfortable as possible because this was their day," she told the BBC.

She explained that she was asked to do the interview the night before, which was then recorded the following afternoon.

"We went to Kensington Palace, the whole thing was recorded in a very discreet and small-scale way and on the editorial side, there were only two of us," Husain said.

"We had a discussion with Harry and Meghan and two of their team beforehand and we talked about what we would cover, what they were comfortable sharing.

"This was an interview that was introducing themselves to the world and they were very much in love, very much in tune with each other.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

You may well be starting to think about lunch, but not us, no siree bob. We're diving in for episode three of our live watch-along of Netflix's Harry & Meghan.

The third instalment (the final in this first batch of episodes), opens with archive footage of BBC News presenter Mishal Husain interviewing the couple about their engagement in 2017.

The timeline then snaps back to the present, so the pair can be interviewed about their interview. Meghan refers to the BBC exchange as an "orchestrated reality show".

"We weren’t allowed to tell our story because they didn’t want [it],” she says, without specifying who she means by "they". It could be the BBC, but might also be the Royal Family.

That BBC interview saw the couple discuss how they met, Meghan's engagement ring, and whether they represented a new era for the Royal Family.

Back in episode three - the pair both reiterate how important it is to tell their side of the story, which they claim they haven't had the chance to do "until now". Presumably they've forgotten the interview they did with Oprah Winfrey last March.

Image source, Harry & Meghan/Archewell Productions/Diamond Docs/Story Syndicate/Netflix

One small revelation from the first half of the Harry & Meghan docuseries released today is that the couple initially encountered each other for the first time on Instagram.

In an interview with the BBC in 2017 to mark their engagement, the couple explained how they met the previous year, with Harry stating they were introduced by a mutual friend and it was "a blind date for sure".

Meghan added: "Yes, it was definitely a set up. It was a blind date."

Sharing details of how they met in their Netflix series, Harry says he first spotted Meghan on a friend's Instagram.

"Meghan and I met over Instagram," Harry says.

"I was scrolling through my feed and someone who was a friend had this video of the two of them, it was like a Snapchat," he says, describing seeing an image of Meghan with the dog ears filter.

"That was the first thing. I was like 'who is that?"' Meghan then says she received an email from their mutual friend saying Harry had seen the post, and in response, the duchess requests to look at Harry's page to "see what he was about".

The pair then exchanged numbers and were "constantly in touch" before they went on a first date in London.

Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace say that they, nor any other members of the Royal Family, were not approached for comment on the content of Sussex's series.

They add they are not commenting on it now, just over four hours since the first instalments of Harry & Meghan dropped on Netflix.

We reported earlier that at the beginning of the series, a slate was shown that said the Royal Family had declined to comment on the series.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

We've reached the closing minutes of episode two in our live watch-along, which get into seriously contentious territory. The uplifting strings which soundtracked the last few minutes are replaced with intense, menacing music in a minor key as discussion turns to Brexit.

Harry, Meghan and a string of commentators discuss the backdrop of the EU referendum of 2016 in the year they got together, which saw the British public vote to leave the union.

Leading politicians from the Leave campaigns such as Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson feature in a series of archive clips. There is no footage of then-Prime Minister David Cameron or any other high-profile figures from the Remain campaign.

It's worth acknowledging that Brexit is a complex issue which any documentarian would have difficulty covering in a truly impartial way. However, a programme concerned with historical accuracy would traditionally try to present both sides of the argument.

In Harry & Meghan, the more extreme edges of the Leave campaign are examined. While 17.4 million people voted for Brexit, much of the footage here is of aggressive protestors waving Union Jack flags, as well as clips of two of members of the public saying immigrants should be sent home.

Headlines flash up on screen reporting on the increase in racist attacks which followed the referendum, and there is footage of a man wearing a "British Lives Matter" T-shirt.

Image source, PA Media

Away from the revelations of Prince Harry and Meghan's Netflix series briefly now, where life is continuing as normal for the Royal Family.

King Charles has been in north London today to join a reception with Christian communities in King's Cross, where he is also meeting local charities and volunteer groups.

At the outset of the Harry & Meghan docuseries, it was made clear that Buckingham Palace has not responded to the couple's claims.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

We know a lot of you have been Googling what Netflix has paid Harry and Meghan for this documentary series.

The simple and honest answer is, we don't know for sure. No one involved in the production or close to the couple has ever confirmed the exact figure, but it is believed to be in the millions of pounds.

Other media have reported it may be as high as $100 million (£82-88 million, depending on the exchange rate at the time of reporting), but this cannot be verified by BBC News.

What we do know is how the couple now make their money, since stepping back from official duties in 2020.

The couple's media company, Archewell Productions, has produced this documentary, as well as a range of other programmes for Netflix - while the company has also signed a deal to make podcasts for Spotify.

Meghan published a children's book called The Benchin 2021, while Harry's autobiography, Spare, will be published on 10 January next year.

• Prince Harry and Meghan: Where do they get their money

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

Image source, gett

After the story of Harry's proposal in episode two, which we've almost finished in our live watch-along, the docuseries acknowledges the huge amount of positive publicity that followed their engagement.

"Lots of people are very excited that she's going to bring this fresh sparkle into the Royal Family, and it's all seen as good news," says the voice of one unnamed commentator.

A series of vox pops, where members of the public are asked their opinion for inclusion in news bulletins, also show widespread public support.

"I can't tell you how excited we are," says one. "It just shows how in touch with the general population the Royal Family is becoming," adds another.

A black schoolgirl who is interviewed says: "I think it will make a difference because some people are really racist to other people, and because Meghan Markle is joining the Royal Family, it might make them change their minds."

Soaring orchestral music plays as headlines flash across the screen. "Meghan Markle is Going to Make History," said the New York Times. Time calls it a "real-life fairytale".

We have a feeling this tone is about to change.

While discussing Meghan's first meeting with his family, Harry recalls they were "incredibly impressed."

He adds some of them didn't quite know what to do with themselves. "I think they were surprised, maybe surprised that a ginger could land such a beautiful woman."

He adds the fact that he was dating an American actress was probably what "clouded their judgement more than anything else in the beginning."

"People don’t talk about what it’s like to be mixed race," says Meghan.

"And I think a lot of that is, you’re not white enough or you’re not black enough. But I don’t see the world that way."

Harry then talks about his children, saying: "My son, my daughter, my children are mixed race, and I’m really proud of that.

"When my kids grow up and they look back at this moment, and they turn to me and say, ‘What did you do in this moment?’ I want to be able to give them an answer.

"I think it’s such a responsibility as human beings that if you bring a small person into this world, you should be doing anything you can to make the world a better place for them.

"But equally what’s most important for the two of us is to make sure that we don’t repeat the same mistakes that perhaps our parents made."

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

We're continuing with episode two in our live watch-along, and Meghan is talking about her old website The Tig, which she says "became a really successful business".

The Tig featured "fashion, tonnes of food, and travel, all the things that I loved," Meghan says.

She discusses writing op-eds about "self worth, being bi-racial, and volunteer work", and friends recall how her focus was gradually becoming activism. She is seen travelling to India and Rwanda to do "cause-driven work".

"That's what I was excited about. I wasn't trying to find the great indie film that's going to get me an Oscar. No, I just wanted to go and volunteer."

(In our experience, actors who bring up how little they care about winning Oscars tend to really, really care about winning Oscars, so take this with a pinch of salt.)

The episode moves on to the whole story of how Harry proposed. This has already been covered elsewhere, so we won't drag you through it again, but long story short, Meghan said yes.

Image source, PA Media

"Tell me about the proposal," Harry and Meghan are asked on camera, about 46 minutes into episode two.

"I wanted to do it earlier but I had to ask permission from my grandmother," says Harry, as personal photographs of the couple looking happy together play out in the background, with soft jazz on the soundtrack.

"I couldn't do it outside of the UK. I did buy a bottle of champagne while she was roasting a chicken, which slightly gave the game away," he says.

Megan laughs: "It was a magnum."

He proposed in the middle of a walled garden in what appears to be Kensington Palace, overlooked by staff flats.

“I got 15 of those electric candles... of course I got down on one knee," Harry recalls, joking he was in a downward dog yoga position (Meghan's dog Guy was also present).

We then see footage from Meghan's phone, where she whispers to a friend: "Oh my god Jess, it's happening. He told me not to peek," along with a grainy photo of Harry proposing.

She adds to the camera: "I was like yes, we were so joyful and excited, it's like we're doing this.“

Image source, Getty Images

Much has been made in the press of Meghan's fashion choices, and in episode three she speaks about how she navigated what she wore for royal occasions.

"I rarely wore colour - there was thought in that. To my understanding, you can't ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there's a group event. But then you can't wear the same colour as one of the more senior members of the family.

"So I was like, 'well, what'a a colour that they'll probably never wear? Camel, beige, white?'

"So I wore a lot of muted tones, but it was also so I could blend in, like I am not trying to stand out here.

"There is no version of me joining this family and trying to not do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family."

Sean Coughlan
BBC News, royal correspondent

Image source, Reuters

As well as what's included so far, there are some things conspicuous by their absence.

For a close-up portrait, we don't hear much about Meghan's first husband. And while Princess Diana is mentioned repeatedly, there's not much on King Charles or Camilla, the Queen Consort.

Apart from pictures of them together as children, Prince William doesn’t get much more than a walk-on part.

There are also no critical voices or even mild scepticism, let alone awkward questions.

How did Meghan, a champion of equality, feel about a title like 'Duchess'?

It's a reminder that this is the couple's view of the world, a love letter to themselves, showing the pressures they've felt in their lives, a feeling almost of being under siege, with supportive friends and clips reflecting their viewpoint.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

As we continue through episode two, Meghan is talking about her life before Harry, when she was starring in the TV drama Suits.

"I had my two dogs, it was great, easy, low key, we'd go for hikes and walks, go to set, I loved my job."

The implication is that Meghan had a beautiful life before everything exploded.

"Meghan had a beautiful life before everything exploded," a friend of hers says in the next frame, in case we missed it.

"It really did take a dark turn quickly," the friend continues, talking about the photographers who would follow Meghan with long-lens cameras. "It started feeling a little bit dangerous... I don't think anyone knew how to manage that new normal."

Meghan talks about her naivety about the media in the early days, and how, in some ways, it was a good thing, because she could "authentically be myself".

Ashitha Nagesh
BBC News Community Affairs Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Episode three briefly references an incident in 2017, when Princess Michael of Kent wore a Blackamoor-style brooch to a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. Meghan, who was Harry's fiancée at the time, was also a guest.

Photos of the brooch went viral, with people speculating online that it was worn with racist intent, to send a message to the soon-to-be new princess that she wasn't welcome in the family.

Princess Michael's spokesman, Simon Astaire, said at the time she was "very sorry and distressed that it (had) caused offence", and that "the brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before". The princess didn't wear the brooch again.

A Blackamoor is a depiction of a black person - usually a slave or servant - in home decor or jewellery. They first became popular in the 17th century, when the Blackamoor figures were usually shown in servile positions.

These days, it's largely accepted that this motif is offensive, and a relic of a colonial mindset that saw dark-skinned people as sub-human. It's based on black people being seen as exotic objects, worn or displayed as ornaments.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Back to episode two now, where Meghan is recalling the weeks after the pair's relationship was made public.

She says: "At that time, I wasn't thinking about how race played a part in any of this. I genuinely didn't think about it."

There is some discussion of a famous Daily Mail headline from the time, which read: "Harry's girlfriend is (almost) straight outta Compton," a reference to an NWA lyric, and whether or not the story was racist.

Then, Harry says: "As far as the [Royal] family was concerned, everything that she was being put through, they had been put through as well."

Images of famous Royal figures including Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Princess Diana, Harry's mother, are shown to illustrate how other women in the Royal Family previously experienced intense media attention.

"So it was almost like a rite of passage," Harry continues. "And some of the members of the family said 'Right, but my wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently?'"

The difference, Harry replies, "is the race element". He recalls putting out a statement "calling out" the "racist undertones of articles and headlines" in the British press.

This issue is key to the narrative surrounding Harry and Meghan: the debate about whether or not race was a factor in the media's reaction to Meghan, and if so, to what extent.

Shout out to Janet Street Porter from Loose Women who features in an archive clip discussing the pair.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

The narrative from the first episode picks up again in the second, with headlines and TV show clips played to illustrate the media interest in them as a couple.

Meghan admits feeling "relief" that the story of their relationship is out. The headlines are, without exception, positive and welcoming towards Meghan. Some of them quote sources saying how "besotted" she is.

This doesn't last long before Meghan claims the coverage "very quickly changed".

She says she was "pleasant" towards photographers who started to appear at her house, before Harry (or "H"), tells her: "You can't talk to them. The UK are media are saying you love it [the attention]."

Meghan's friends claim she was shocked when told the lengths the British press go to for exclusive stories. The story moves to Toronto, where Meghan was living. "My house was just surrounded," she recalls.

Back to January 2022, and Meghan's mother Doria. There are pictures of Meghan as a child and footage of the neighbourhood where they were living.

Meghan, Doria and their Netflix camera crew then visit Meghan's old school and meet the former principal, Miss Debbie.

To be honest there isn't a huge amount to say about this episode so far so we'll skip ahead.

Sean Coughlan
BBC News, royal correspondent

If they're watching in Buckingham Palace it might be with a quiet sense of relief. At least in the first three episodes that have been released.

If not exactly a flattering portrait of royal life, there are no bombshell claims or allegations. In fact, for an inside story there's a conspicuous lack of inside gossip or surprises.

There are broad-brush criticisms of institutions – the way royalty patrols its own emotions, the way the media intrudes and attacks, racist attitudes in society – but no really direct hits or accusations against individual royals.

There are a few digs – about men in the Royal Family marrying for the wrong reasons and there being a chilly attitude towards hugging.

But if Buckingham Palace had been expecting difficult revelations, they're now more likely to be calling in the family therapists than the lawyers.