ROYALSPrince Harry and Meghan Markle Under Fire for Claiming They Were Never 'Allowed to Tell Our Story' in 2022 Netflix Series
Prince Harry accused royal insiders of leaking stories to the British media.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made damaging accusations about the royal family in Harry & Meghan, but some journalists are pushing back on the pair's claims.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry publicly left the royal fold in 2020.
"So we did the thing out with the press, then we went right inside, took the coat off, and did the interview, so it was all in that same moment," Meghan told cameras. "But then also like, 'and then there'll be a moment when they'll ask to see the ring.' My point is we weren't allowed to tell our story."
"Well, we've never been allowed to tell our story. That's the consistency," Harry interjected while reflecting on their first interview as a couple.
Meghan Markle branded her engagement interview an 'orchestrated reality show.'
The Sussexes announced their engagement in 2017, but the Duchess of Sussex shocked viewers when she described their announcement as "rehearsed" and an "orchestrated reality show."
Throughout her time in the royal fold, Meghan struggled with the transition from being a working actress to a duchess.
Although Harry & Meghan aired in 2022, Mishal Hussain, who interviewed the duo in 2017, addressed the Suits star's comments in a recent interview.
"We know recollections may vary on this particular subject," Hussain told an outlet.
"When the Duchess of Sussex said that my engagement interview with her and Harry was an 'orchestrated reality show' I didn't know what to make of it," she continued. "They seemed to have thought through what their new lives would be like and what marriage would mean for her life in particular. There was nothing that pointed to what would happen. It was two people who were full of joy in each other and life."
Prince William and Prince Harry butted heads after the duke married Meghan Markle.
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Harry & Meghan broke records for Netflix, but the validity of their statements continues to be questioned by critics.
Royal expert Lord Hall branded Meghan and Harry's claims as "simply untrue."
Aside from their proposal announcement, Harry painted The Firm as a calculated institution.
"There's leaking, but there's also planting, of sorts. So if the comms team want to be able to remove a negative story about their principal, they will trade and give you something about someone else's principal," Harry shared in the Netflix series. "So the offices end up working against each other."
"William and I both saw what happened in our dad [King Charles III]'s office, and we made an agreement that we would never let that happen to our office," Harry added.
Journalist Mishal Hussain responded to Meghan Markle's complaints about their engagement interview.
After "Megxit," rumors spread that Prince William pushed the Sussexes out of the monarchy, but the palace shut down the assertion. However, Harry revealed he didn't approve of the response.
"A story came out saying that part of the reason why Meg and I were leaving was because William had bullied us out," Harry recalled in Harry & Meghan. "And once I got in the car after the meeting, I was told about a joint statement that had been put out, in my name and my brother's name, squashing the story about him bullying us out of the family."
Due to the hierarchical structure of the monarchy, William's reputation was important for the royal family to preserve.
"We couldn't believe it," Harry continued. "No one had asked me permission to put my name to a statement like that. And I rang M and I told her and she burst into floods of tears because, within four hours, they were happy to lie to protect my brother. And yet, for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us."
Hussain spoke to Saga Magazine.
Hall was quoted by The Mirror.
