“Harry & Meghan” and the Royal pain

The six-part Netflix “documentary”  is about three hours too long, and a mirror held up to reveal our own biases about the world’s most famous interracial couple.

“Harry & Meghan” was part of an estimated $100-million deal between the former Royals and the mammoth streaming company. When it made its debut, the first episode set viewer records, even in the face of mixed reviews. Given the price tag, it’s not surprising Netflix wanted as many episodes as possible. 

Seldom has the racial and social divide been more on display.

An African-American female friend of mine loved the series, or at least that a Black woman (who does not appear to be Black) snagged a wealthy, famous white man.

I know that line about her not appearing to be Black will get me in trouble. I explain it this way: She appears as Black as Barack Obama appears to be white. In other words, not at all. I am only slightly surprised that my friend didn’t grouse that Meghan turned her back on eligible Black men. Some other Black women did, but my friend is all for love and has dated across the color line. OK. 

Another person’s less-charitable view of the series and the romantic match might be this: A gold-digging American divorcee/actress seduces a dim-witted ginger prince and does to the Royal Family what Yoko Ono did to the Beatles.

Here’s another view: A randy prince breaks a racial taboo and latches on to a smoking hot African queen to bring with him to the Dark Continent (a term that possibly can no longer be used because of racist connotations.)

Theirs was a fabulous life of privilege, while being a shitty life without freedom.

—

I watched the series with an open mind, but with the knowledge that it was produced with the full cooperation of the title stars and that I was highly unlikely to hear a disparaging word.

See, the thing about documentaries is they have a subjective point of view. They are more like persuasive columns rather than objective news stories. And this one was designed to put the pair into the most favorable light.

And it did, with a few negative glimmers coming through.

OK — they are the heroes of the series.

Who are the villains?

Not entirely the Royal Family, as you might think.

The notorious British press, especially the tabloids, get the biggest black eye. I include in this the out-of-control paparazzi, largely responsible for the death of the beloved Princess Diana.

The blame is properly placed, says this mainstream journalist, who spent 47 years working for a feisty, and sometimes rule-breaking tabloid.

But never tapping phones. Never intercepting mail. That’s a whole lot different than going through trash cans left on the sidewalk.

The Brits have an unspoken covenant with the Royal Family, that has “ruled” for more than 1,000 years. They don’t rule any more, but they live on public funds (plus their enormous accumulated fortune).

The deal is this: We pay your bills, you pose for pictures.

If you are a Royal, every time you step out of your home castle, there they are, lying in wait. And if you don’t come out, they use long lenses to shoot through your windows.

And the best shots — the ones that pay the most — are the ones that make you look the worst. 

And they love to prey on your children.

For much of the interview, Harry and Meghan are on a loveseat and she does most of the talking, especially in the first three episodes.

Meghan is gorgeous. She comes across as intelligent, articulate, and well-motivated, having worked with the UN before meeting Harry. She has a good sense of humor, irony and seems like someone you’d like to have as a friend.

But after marriage she could not even send pictures to friends without going through the Firm, nickname for the Royal Family. As a Royal, everything is regulated, subject to approval. Very confining, especially for an American.

Given her intelligence, it’s kind of baffling that Meghan was amazed by thousands of people lining the road as she was driven to the chapel for her wedding.

Really? Had she never been to a Hollywood premiere?

It struck me that Harry and Meghan captured a lot of their private moments on video, but maybe that’s what Millennials do.

I also was struck by how lovestruck they appear to be, but that’s not unusual in the early years of romance.

We can check back in five years and see if they are still entranced by each other.

I felt Harry’s desire to protect his family was legitimate, keeping in mind how his mother was figuratively hounded to death. That had a huge impact on him.

At the start, Meghan sacrificed her world to join his in England.

A few years later he sacrificed his world to join hers in Southern California.

They seem very happy with their two children and their two dogs, which were Meghan’s.

There were fleeting glimpses of headlines calling Meghan “difficult” or a “diva.” Plus her falling-out with what seems like a traitorous half-sister and larcenous father.

Netflix never delves deeply into the charges against her, nor the broken family relationships. 

Nor did I expect that, as I said at the outset.

I have nothing against them, and, like Covid, I suspect they never will go away.