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The royal family

Discussing the things we liked about Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary series

1000 replies

MrsMaxDeWinter · 08/12/2022 14:22

There are so many threads on things posters hated about Harry and Meghan, the Netflix series, and fair play to those posters, so I thought I would have a go at stating a thread discussing some of the things that posters liked about the series.

I'll start.

I liked that this was supposed to be this bomb detonation, but has actually been a measured, warm, and loving look at H and M's relationship, and the pressures that the press put on them, and also on other royals. I genuinely did not notice anything incendiary. Maybe that is still to come.

I enjoyed the thoughtful insights shared on the invisible contract, especially, as Harry says, having to perform for a press that you know has said hurtful things about people you love.

I loved the warm memories of Sandringham, and meeting the Queen. And Meghan's memories of growing up. I think it was a wise, though sad, that they did not include Thomas. I really loved hearing Doria: my favourite bit is when a journalist offered her money, for an interview about Meghan and she said, "That's my child!"

I also learned for the first time about Meghan's relationship with her sister Samantha's daughter Ashleigh. I had no idea that she had been raised by her grandparents who adopted her, or that she had such a warm and caring relationship with Meghan. Along with Doria's, that was my favourite interview.

I enjoyed hearing from her childhood friends, as it is often said here that she had no friends who came to the wedding etc, just celebrities. They seem a tight nit grip who have been here fr years, and I am glad she has them.

I was gobsmacked that she needed security in Toronto after the relationship was announced.

I also thought the discussion on racism, in its wider context of colonialism and imperialism, was very well done, but then again it was led by David Olusoga and Afua Hirsch, who are always great, and I love their writing.

Most of all I love that Harry confronted head on the Nazi uniform debacle, and what he learned from it. And I loved, loved, loved, the segment on his life in Lesotho where they gave him the Sesotho name, "Mahale". A wonderful name.

“It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life,” Harry said. “I felt so ashamed afterwards. All I wanted to do was make it right. I sat down and spoke to the chief rabbi in London, which had a profound effect on me. I went to Berlin and spoke to a Holocaust survivor. I could have just ignored it and made the same mistakes over again in my life. But I learned from that.”

I predicted on another thread that Harry would address this and other episodes head on in his book. I was scoffed roundly for this. I expect him to say more in is book, and I am happy to be proved right.

If only for this, I am very glad they did this.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 14/12/2022 16:00

“. “

Quirkyme · 14/12/2022 16:01

This reply has been deleted

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LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 14/12/2022 16:25

Aspiringmatriarch · 14/12/2022 15:26

Even more baffles that M apparently didn’t experience racism until she came to the UK. Yeah right.

Why are you doubting that - surely you've seen all the posters saying they didn't even realise she was mixed race?

Because racism in the US is absolutely rife for anyone who isn’t white. Not saying it’s perfect in the UK but it’s certainly not worse

Aspiringmatriarch · 14/12/2022 16:30

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 14/12/2022 16:25

Because racism in the US is absolutely rife for anyone who isn’t white. Not saying it’s perfect in the UK but it’s certainly not worse

I don't disagree about that, but I'm not sure you understood my point or what she was saying. As many posters have said, it's not necessarily obvious that Meghan is mixed race unless you know. Her own agent didn't realise to begin with. That doesn't mean she didn't experience any racism - hearing her mum being racially abused is experiencing racism. But day to day she may well not have been perceived as a 'black woman', as she has said herself.
In the UK her experience was different because obviously the papers reported on her background right at the start.

jeffgoldblum · 14/12/2022 17:34

@Aspiringmatriarch , I agree but lots of us and I mean lots of us were called racist liars when we said we didn't realise she was mixed race , so it's kind of irritating that this is now acceptable!

Lampzade · 14/12/2022 20:30

It was all over the papers re Meghan’s ethnicity. Hence the racist headlines

Elisabetty · 14/12/2022 21:04

As someone who was an exchange student in England almost two decades ago, I find the claims that there is no racism in UK really off. I am not a person of color, but the attitude towards foreigners is really not that great. No actual name calling, no violence, but the amount of comptempt and sneer an english man / woman can hide in every day talk is appalling. The words themselves can be extremely polite, but the way they are said make a person know his/her place.

Things are better with the younger generation, but the older seem to expect all foreigners be humble and grateful they are allowed to come to UK. You will always be last to be addressed, answered or served. Hopefully there have been changes for better, but with Brexit I doubt it.

minou123 · 15/12/2022 07:04

BadSantaToo · 12/12/2022 01:14

That's OK. I understand you are embarrassed and you are trying to still attack. 😂

😂😂😂

Anyway, does anyone know what time the 3 episodes will be on Netflix today?

DandelionPockets · 15/12/2022 08:09

@minou123 they are up, went live at 8am!

Sigma33 · 15/12/2022 08:18

Elisabetty · 14/12/2022 21:04

As someone who was an exchange student in England almost two decades ago, I find the claims that there is no racism in UK really off. I am not a person of color, but the attitude towards foreigners is really not that great. No actual name calling, no violence, but the amount of comptempt and sneer an english man / woman can hide in every day talk is appalling. The words themselves can be extremely polite, but the way they are said make a person know his/her place.

Things are better with the younger generation, but the older seem to expect all foreigners be humble and grateful they are allowed to come to UK. You will always be last to be addressed, answered or served. Hopefully there have been changes for better, but with Brexit I doubt it.

It depends where you go. We're in SW London and the vast majority of kids in DD's school have a strong connection to another country/heritage. Very few have both sets of grandparents from the UK. Her two best friends are the daughter of parents from Romania and France, and of parents from Ireland.

As a black South African moving here aged 12 she has been pleasantly surprised by the diversity and general lack of concern about where anyone is 'from'. Obviously having a British adoptive mother that she has lived with since the age of 5 helped, but it has still been a big change.

She was racially abused by a random man on the bus on the way to school on one occasion, which was frightening and unpleasant. The school and police liaison were brilliant, very supportive and completely on board with acknowledging it as a hate crime (whereas DD was inclined to play it down).

Apart from that the only trouble was from a group of black girls at school of West African heritage, who called her a 'coconut' and 'not really African' because she didn't like the same foods as them. They put it down to having a white mother, whereas it was because there are thousands of miles between Nigeria/Ghana etc and South Africa, so food culture is very different.

Luckily the school is pro-active about tackling discrimination and spoke to the girls involved, and is also pre-active about about encouraging discussions of culture and difference, and DD has chosen the subject of her birth culture for presentations in English, geography, etc and that seems to have addressed the issue.

You could obviously claim that DD is pretending everything is OK when it's not, but as I am the one seeing the huge improvement in her mental health, and listening without judgement to what she prefers about SA (I have never claimed one is 'better' than the other) I am pretty sure she is being honest about her feelings and experiences.

Of course, her school is able to create a more sheltered environment than the wider world, and I have no doubt that she will experience racism in all sorts of ways. I would not consider living anywhere outside a major city with a diverse population for her sake, or for mine as my memories of that environment were not good (as a white British outsider, who had my RP accent ridiculed, along with my liking for reading, the fact that I didn't fit in even though I had lived there since I was a toddler, years of bullying at school).

But then, that's the issue with any statement that the 'UK is this' or 'the UK is that'. Sweeping generalisations don't say anything about individual experience.

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 09:17

Sigma33 · 15/12/2022 08:18

It depends where you go. We're in SW London and the vast majority of kids in DD's school have a strong connection to another country/heritage. Very few have both sets of grandparents from the UK. Her two best friends are the daughter of parents from Romania and France, and of parents from Ireland.

As a black South African moving here aged 12 she has been pleasantly surprised by the diversity and general lack of concern about where anyone is 'from'. Obviously having a British adoptive mother that she has lived with since the age of 5 helped, but it has still been a big change.

She was racially abused by a random man on the bus on the way to school on one occasion, which was frightening and unpleasant. The school and police liaison were brilliant, very supportive and completely on board with acknowledging it as a hate crime (whereas DD was inclined to play it down).

Apart from that the only trouble was from a group of black girls at school of West African heritage, who called her a 'coconut' and 'not really African' because she didn't like the same foods as them. They put it down to having a white mother, whereas it was because there are thousands of miles between Nigeria/Ghana etc and South Africa, so food culture is very different.

Luckily the school is pro-active about tackling discrimination and spoke to the girls involved, and is also pre-active about about encouraging discussions of culture and difference, and DD has chosen the subject of her birth culture for presentations in English, geography, etc and that seems to have addressed the issue.

You could obviously claim that DD is pretending everything is OK when it's not, but as I am the one seeing the huge improvement in her mental health, and listening without judgement to what she prefers about SA (I have never claimed one is 'better' than the other) I am pretty sure she is being honest about her feelings and experiences.

Of course, her school is able to create a more sheltered environment than the wider world, and I have no doubt that she will experience racism in all sorts of ways. I would not consider living anywhere outside a major city with a diverse population for her sake, or for mine as my memories of that environment were not good (as a white British outsider, who had my RP accent ridiculed, along with my liking for reading, the fact that I didn't fit in even though I had lived there since I was a toddler, years of bullying at school).

But then, that's the issue with any statement that the 'UK is this' or 'the UK is that'. Sweeping generalisations don't say anything about individual experience.

That is really great. Back in the day at the private school I attended, I think a large majority of other students and faculty were white and 100% british.

Sigma33 · 15/12/2022 09:30

Not to mention her birth family in SA comparing her favourably to her older sister because her skin is lighter...

I'm not sure the 'X is a racist country' is particularly accurate/useful statement, because it is true everywhere, and not true everywhere.

There are elites and marginalised everywhere - though patterns and the extent of inequality have variations. There are trends, but trends/averages do not necessarily apply to any individual. The majority of the black population in SA for example still have far worse opportunities than the majority of the white population. But there are black elites and white people living in shacks as well - in far fewer numbers/proportions.

minou123 · 15/12/2022 09:45

DandelionPockets · 15/12/2022 08:09

@minou123 they are up, went live at 8am!

Thank you 😊

MrsMaxDeWinter · 15/12/2022 10:09

Have watched the first two episodes, and wow.

That second episode really moved me, and made me so angry.

You have to really have to have a heart of stone not to realise that online bullying can have real life consequences.

OP posts:
Roussette · 15/12/2022 10:16

MrsMaxDeWinter · 15/12/2022 10:09

Have watched the first two episodes, and wow.

That second episode really moved me, and made me so angry.

You have to really have to have a heart of stone not to realise that online bullying can have real life consequences.

I'm towards the end of Ep1, and still laughing at the clip of Piers Morgan saying Meghan was like a rockstar Grin

Morestrangethings · 15/12/2022 12:01

I’m about halfway through the second episode and keep losing access to the documentary. I think Netflix may be having the same problem they had with GOT finale - more people streaming it than they can cope with.

So far, I’m stunned by this episode. As MrsMaxDeWinter said ‘online bullying can have real life consequences’

The death threat post was particularly chilling.

I want to watch the rest before commenting any more.

Roussette · 15/12/2022 12:56

I've seen it all now. Some interesting bits in it, interspersed with schmaltzy love story stuff.
I found the online hate stuff with death threats chilling. I loved Doria's input, what a lovely woman she is. Tyler Perry was great and Meghan has a lot of friends who have her back.
Don't turn off right at the very end of Ep6, there are statements from Jason Knauf followed by one from Meghan which is v interesting!

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 13:08

Can't stop thinking how stupidly the Royal Family has acted in all of this. They could have easily just sent Harry and Meghan to represent them in the Commonwealth countries and so daddy Charles could still control them from purse strings. Cutting their funding was an enormous mistake for the RF, but really good for Harry and Meghan. Now they can really separate themselves from the court and start living their own life.

Roussette · 15/12/2022 13:16

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 13:08

Can't stop thinking how stupidly the Royal Family has acted in all of this. They could have easily just sent Harry and Meghan to represent them in the Commonwealth countries and so daddy Charles could still control them from purse strings. Cutting their funding was an enormous mistake for the RF, but really good for Harry and Meghan. Now they can really separate themselves from the court and start living their own life.

Totally agree. As the Historian David Olusoga said...

“It was impossible not to feel emotional investment as a black British person, watching Meghan enter this institution, and become this icon. This figure that we all had these high hopes for.”

“Part of what makes the inablity of the palace to defend Meghan,” he continues, “an even bigger disaster is that at the centre of the argument for the monarchy in this country is the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is 2.5bn mainly black and brown people. Here was a woman who just looked like most of the people in the Commonwealth. And they somehow, for some reason, couldn’t find the capacity to protect her, to represent her, to stand by her, to take on vested power in her name. To fight for her.”

CookieDoughKid · 15/12/2022 13:40

So fucking glad M&H could get away. The Royal Family doesn't deserve them.

Glindara · 15/12/2022 14:17

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 13:08

Can't stop thinking how stupidly the Royal Family has acted in all of this. They could have easily just sent Harry and Meghan to represent them in the Commonwealth countries and so daddy Charles could still control them from purse strings. Cutting their funding was an enormous mistake for the RF, but really good for Harry and Meghan. Now they can really separate themselves from the court and start living their own life.

I think a lot of people were invested in this opportunity from PH, the RF, the firm and the commonwealth.

Was MM reluctant, maybe?

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 15/12/2022 14:42

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 13:08

Can't stop thinking how stupidly the Royal Family has acted in all of this. They could have easily just sent Harry and Meghan to represent them in the Commonwealth countries and so daddy Charles could still control them from purse strings. Cutting their funding was an enormous mistake for the RF, but really good for Harry and Meghan. Now they can really separate themselves from the court and start living their own life.

They didn’t want that though did they?

And sorry but if you quit your job and move abroad it isn’t up to the British public to find you living abroad.

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 15:20

Glindara · 15/12/2022 14:17

I think a lot of people were invested in this opportunity from PH, the RF, the firm and the commonwealth.

Was MM reluctant, maybe?

That was H&M:s original proposition. All they originally wanted out was the british tabloid press.

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 15:23

If you can't watch the document, there is an unbiased minute by minute viewing at the Guardian website.

BellePeppa · 15/12/2022 15:31

Elisabetty · 15/12/2022 13:08

Can't stop thinking how stupidly the Royal Family has acted in all of this. They could have easily just sent Harry and Meghan to represent them in the Commonwealth countries and so daddy Charles could still control them from purse strings. Cutting their funding was an enormous mistake for the RF, but really good for Harry and Meghan. Now they can really separate themselves from the court and start living their own life.

Let’s hope that’s what they do - live their own life without the shackles of the RF and finally they can stfu. I fear not though as Meghan never tires of churning out the same stories over and over again (did you know that she wrote to a washing up liquid company when she was eleven, you may not as she doesn’t like telling people).

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