Look, let’s be real for a second. Whether you spent December 2022 glued to your screen or aggressively rolling your eyes at every notification, the Harry and Meghan documentary—officially titled Harry & Meghan—wasn't just a TV show. It was an earthquake.
It’s been a few years now, and the dust has mostly settled. Or has it? Even in 2026, we’re still seeing the ripples of that six-part Netflix series. You’ve got people who see it as a brave manifesto of freedom and others who view it as the ultimate betrayal of "The Firm."
But beyond the "he-said, she-said," there are actual facts buried under the mountain of tabloid noise. It remains the biggest documentary debut in the history of Netflix. Think about that. Over 81 million hours were watched in the first four days. That’s a lot of people sitting on their couches, probably arguing about whether a "curtsey" can be ironic.
Why that "curtsey" moment still haunts the internet
Honestly, if you saw the clip of Meghan reenacting her first meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, you know exactly why the internet lost its mind.
The documentary tries to frame it as a fish-out-of-water story. Meghan, the American actress used to a certain level of informality, suddenly finds herself in a world where bowing to your grandmother is just... Tuesday. Critics saw it as mocking. Supporters saw it as an honest admission of "I had no idea what I was doing."
📖 Related: Alfonso Cuarón: Why the Harry Potter 3 Director Changed the Wizarding World Forever
What most people miss is the context provided in Episode 2. Harry admits he was shocked by the formality too. He calls it a "huge level of unconscious bias" within the family. It wasn't just about a bow; it was about the collision of two completely different cultures. One that values "stiff upper lip" and one that values "hugging your guests." Meghan actually mentioned that her "hugging" was "jarring for a lot of Brits."
The Sandringham Summit: Harry’s side of the story
This is where the documentary gets heavy. We've heard the rumors for years, but Episode 5 gave us Harry's specific account of the January 2020 meeting.
He claims his brother, Prince William, screamed and shouted at him while his father, now King Charles III, said things that were "simply untrue." And the Queen? She reportedly sat there, quiet, taking it all in. This is the part of the Harry and Meghan documentary that effectively burned the bridge.
It wasn't just about moving to California. It was about the "leaking and planting" of stories. Harry describes the palace communications offices as being at war with one another. If you want to understand why they left, you have to look at the "Royal Rota" system they explain in the series. It’s a trade-off: access for coverage. Harry and Meghan basically said, "No thanks, we'll take the $100 million from Netflix and tell it ourselves."
👉 See also: Why the Cast of Hold Your Breath 2024 Makes This Dust Bowl Horror Actually Work
It wasn't just about them
One of the more academic—and surprisingly controversial—parts of the series was the deep dive into the history of the British Empire and the Commonwealth.
Director Liz Garbus brought in experts like historian David Olusoga and writer Afua Hirsch. They didn't hold back. They linked the treatment of Meghan to the broader history of racism and colonialism. This moved the documentary away from being a celebrity vlog and into the realm of social commentary.
- Empire 2.0: That’s how Hirsch described the Commonwealth.
- The Brexit Link: The series argues that the 2016 referendum fueled a specific kind of toxicity that targeted Meghan.
- The "Polo" Failure: While the original doc was a hit, it’s worth noting their subsequent 2024 project Polo didn't catch fire the same way. People wanted the tea, not the sports.
The financial reality of 2026
Fast forward to today. The couple recently extended their Netflix deal through Archewell Productions. They've moved into lifestyle content with Meghan’s With Love, Meghan and a new adaptation of the novel The Wedding Date.
But the Harry and Meghan documentary is still the yardstick they are measured by. It was the peak of their "truth-telling" era. Since then, they've shifted. They’re doing less "complaining" (as the critics call it) and more "producing." They even brought a Girl Scout documentary called Cookie Queens to Sundance in 2026.
✨ Don't miss: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
The reality? They traded the taxpayer-funded security of the UK for a high-stakes Hollywood game. It’s a 21st-century oligarchy move. They’re not just royals anymore; they’re a brand.
Actionable insights for the casual viewer
If you're going back to rewatch it or watching it for the first time, keep these things in mind:
- Check the Timeline: All interviews were finished by August 2022, right before Queen Elizabeth died. This explains why the tone doesn't account for the massive shift in the monarchy that happened a month later.
- Look for the "Unseen" Footage: The series is packed with personal iPhone videos from the "Megxit" period. It’s arguably the most intimate look at the royal family ever released.
- Cross-Reference with "Spare": If you really want the full picture, compare Harry’s comments in the doc to his memoir. Some details vary slightly, which is a classic human memory quirk (or a PR choice, depending on who you ask).
- The Media Critique: Focus on the "Royal Rota" explanation. It’s the most valuable part of the series for understanding how the UK media ecosystem actually works.
The Harry and Meghan documentary didn't solve the rift. If anything, it codified it. But it also gave the world a front-row seat to the collapse of a 1,000-year-old tradition meeting the unstoppable force of modern celebrity culture. Whether you like them or not, you can't deny they changed the rules of the game forever.
To get the most out of your viewing, start with Episode 3 for the historical context and Episode 5 for the behind-the-scenes drama of their departure. This provides the most balanced view of the systemic issues versus the personal grievances that defined their exit.