Meghan Markle has described the media frenzy around her and Prince Harry’s engagement as an ‘orchestrated reality show’.
The third episode of the Sussex’s Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan opens with a shot of the duchess’s ring during the television interview announcing they were to marry.
It shows them nervously laughing to each other before cutting to the present day, with Meghan saying: ‘It was, you know, rehearsed.’
As footage of them posing for photos plays over the sound of camera shutters clicking, she adds: ‘So we did the thing out with the Press, then we went right inside, took the coat off, sat down and did the interview.’
Meghan then says she was told to show off the ring, as the old clip of Harry describing how it contains stones from his mother Diana’s jewellery collection plays.
The episode also shows the prince replying that she would have been ‘over the moon’ for the couple and ‘jumping up and down and so excited’ for him.
Snippets of his father, then Prince Charles, Camilla and Kate giving their reactions to the media at the time, seemingly focussing on their use of the same phrase ‘absolutely thrilled’.
After a cacophony of news bulletins mentioning Meghan’s ‘mixed race’, the episode shifts back to the engagement interview and shows them being asked: ‘Do you have that sense that the combination of the two of you, your different backgrounds, that you’ll represent something new for the Royal Family?’
At the time, Harry replied: ‘Erm, you know, we’re a fantastic team, we know we are. And we hope to, over time, try and have as much impact for all the things that we care about as possible.’
Meghan then added: ‘I’m very excited about that, yeah.’
But in the documentary, she says: ‘We weren’t allowed to tell our story.’
Nodding in agreement, Harry adds: ‘We’ve never been allowed to tell our story. That’s the consistency.’
His wife then says: ‘That is consistent. Until now.’
The episode also featured historian David Olusoga and writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch describing the UK’s history of slavery.
Meghan then disclosed her son Archie’s favourite song is Bennie And The Jets by Sir Elton John, a close friend of the couple.
The couple are seen listening to music by the veteran British artist with Meghan remarking: ‘Archie loves Bennie And The Jets. It is his favourite song.’
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