Summary

  • Prince Harry and Meghan have released the first instalments of their Netflix documentary series

  • The show is co-produced by the couple and is billed as telling the "truth" of being part of the Royal Family

  • The Royal Family have denied that they were approached for comment on the series - and say they will not be doing so

  • The series touches on issues of race, and Harry talks about how proud he is that his children are mixed race

  • In the first three episodes, the couple attack the media and press intrusion from the start of their relationship

  • Harry says members of the Royal Family questioned why Meghan should be "protected" from the tabloids, and he responded the difference was the "race element"

  • And he says that Meghan first sacrificed everything "to join me in my world" but later, he did the same to join "her world" in the US

Live Reporting

Edited by Nathan Williams and Jeremy Gahagan

  1. Duke and duchess honoured for racial justice and mental health work

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share a joke during an awards event in New YorkGetty Images

    Harry and Meghan haven't only been in the news this week for their Netflix series - they also picked up a prize for their campaigning work.

    On Tuesday, they were given the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation at a gala in New York.

    The organisation's president said the royal couple had been "incredibly brave" in addressing the issues of mental illness and racial justice.

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke of their "belief of courage over fear and love over hate" during the ceremony, which was hosted by actor Alec Baldwin.

  2. What did Harry and Meghan say in their Oprah interview?

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2021Reuters

    The last time the world sat down to watch Harry and Meghan talk about royal life was during their sensational interview with Oprah Winfrey last year. Here's a reminder of what they said:

    • One of the most explosive allegations was that there were "several conversations" within the Royal Family about how dark the skin of Harry and Meghan’s baby Archie might be
    • Meghan said her mental health got so bad at one point that she "didn't want to be alive anymore"
    • The Duchess of Sussex disputed a story in the press which said she had left Catherine, Princess of Wales(then the Duchess of Cambridge) in tears during a row - saying it was in fact the other way round
    • Harry said he felt "really let down" by his father Charles, now King, and said he and his brother William were on "different paths"
    • Harry claimed his family "literally cut me off financially"

    A statement issued at the time on behalf of the Queen said the whole family had been "saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan".

    It said issues raised were "concerning", and would be taken seriously and addressed in private. The statement emphasised that the Sussexes would "always be much-loved family members". You can revisit the interview in more detail here.

  3. What do we know from the trailers?

    Undated handout photo issued by Netflix of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex kissing in a kitchenDuke and Duchess of Sussex

    Netflix grabbed headlines with the two trailers it released as part of a global PR campaign to sell this series and build anticipation for what bombshells the Sussexes might drop.

    Part of that coverage was around a number of misleading images used (more on that in a minute) but selected quotes from the couple also set off feverish speculation of how far they might go.

    In one trailer, Prince Harry spoke of the "leaking” and “planting of stories" as part of a “dirty game”.

    He also described the "pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution" - in an apparent reference to his wife, Meghan, and his mother, Princess Diana.

    Issues of race were raised, with one commentator saying "it's about hatred, it's about race", and a lawyer for Meghan claiming that "there was a war against Meghan to suit other people's agendas.

    In the first trailer, Prince Harry said "no-one sees what's happening behind closed doors", before a stony picture of Catherine, Princess of Wales appeared, adding: "I had to do everything I could to protect my family."

  4. Welcome along

    Good morning. In an hour and a half, Netflix will release the first episodes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s eagerly anticipated documentary series, Harry & Meghan.

    The six-part series is being sold as lifting the lid on why the couple stepped down as working royals and bringing the world their "truth". Millions of people - including their legions of fans - will be waiting to binge-watch the series and find out exactly what they have to say.

    Of course, others will see the series through a very different lens - notably members of the Royal Family and officials at Buckingham Palace. They will be anxiously awaiting allegations that the Sussexes might make. So far, the Palace has not commented on trailers that have been released.

    We'll be watching the three episodes, released today at 08:00 GMT. Stick with us to find out what new allegations are made, all the reaction and of course analysis from our royal correspondents.