By Sheila Mckenzie-
Prince Harry has accused the royal family of planting false stories about him and lying to protect his brother, Prince William, in the latest docuseries about his estranged family.
The Duke of Sussex spoke about “a dirty game” within the royal press setup, which engages in “constant briefings” and is involved in “the leaking and planting of stories”, adding that “people” were upset Meghan was “‘stealing the limelight’ or doing the job better than the person who is born to do this”.
The Netflix episode included an appearance from Jenny Afia, a partner at Schillings Law Firm London, who stated that she had seen evidence showing that there was “a real kind of war” against Meghan and that “there was negative briefing from the palace against Harry and Meghan to suit other people’s agendas.
In a strong attempt to justify his departure from the institution in which he was born, Prince Harry describes a series of events in which he was allegedly maltreated by his family, who he says made no efforts to prevent the constant attacks against his wife from the press.
Harry also says a joint statement was put out after the meeting without his permission in his and his brother’s name, denying a story that William had bullied him out of the Royal Family.
He describes the move as a “lie to protect my brother”, adding: “There was no other option at this point. I said, ‘we need to get out of here’.
Prince Harry also said it was his decision, not Meghan’s, to leave after plans for a half-in, half-out royal life were rejected during a family meeting at Sandringham.
He says his father said things at the meeting that “just simply weren’t true” as his grandmother, the Queen, looked on.
Harry and Meghan describe why they decided to give up their royal duties and move to the US, claiming they were not supported by the Royal Family during a barrage of negative press that was mainly directed at Meghan.
Discussing a meeting with his family about their future, Harry says that in 2020 he went to Sandringham, the royal estate in Norfolk, to discuss scenarios for the couple’s royal role with his father, King Charles, as well as his brother and grandmother, the late Queen.
He recalls how the meeting went, saying: “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”
He says his preference was to be half in, half out of the Royal Family, with him and Meghan doing their own jobs but also supporting the Queen.
“It became very clear, very quickly that that goal was not up for discussion,” he says.
He says Meghan had not asked to leave and that saying she drove the decision was “misogyny at its best”.
In the latest episodes, Meghan also speaks about how she considered taking her own life before stepping back from the Royal Family.
“It was like ‘all of this will stop if I’m not here,'” she says.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, says hearing her daughter’s thoughts “broke my heart”.
Prince Harry says he was devastated after his wife confided in him about her struggles,
But he had been “trained” to worry more about what people were going to think, and he “hated himself” for that, he says.
“What she needed was so much more than I was able to give,” he adds.
Meghan’s Miscarriage
He says he believes press coverage in the Mail on Sunday was linked to Meghan’s miscarriage. The Mail on Sunday is yet to comment
Speaking about the tabloid media and why they stepped down from royal duties, Meghan says: “I wasn’t even being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves”.
Meghan says her dad speaking to the press about her and the Royal Family was “incredibly painful,” adding it was “very embarrassing for the family”.
Beyonce texted Meghan her support after her interview with Oprah Winfrey last year, with Meghan in disbelief that the musician knew who she was
A poignant aspect of the episode is where Harry says a tweet comparing baby Archie to a chimp was “one of the first things” he saw after the birth in 2019.