And so the excuses from H&M begin.

[nogginatemycat]

Well well, reviews are in and now its time to blame some one else.

Speaking on her podcast hours after the release of the final three episodes on Netflix, Schofield said: “From what I’m being told, the Sussexes are a bit disappointed with the final product.”
“The Sussexes feel like the docuseries leans too much into the drama and victimhood — more than they had anticipated… Today, Meghan wants to be seen as a thought leader and a changemaker, and they want to put the past behind them,” she added.
The podcast hose also added that Meghan ‘recognizes that the public wants to move on’ from their royal drama as well.
Schofield further shared that the Sussexes’ displeasure arises from the fact that they did not have much creative control over the project.
“Ultimately, the final project is not necessarily a love letter to their causes, and it is not the vehicle that they were looking for to set the record straight,” Schofield said.

www.geo.tv/latest/458981-prince-harry-meghan-markle-disappointed-with-final-netflix-documentary

When it was reported that they were wearing mics at (for example) their UN vaccine equality meeting, I assumed that the documentary would be more focused on their current work now they've left the RF. That vaccine stuff got maybe two mentions and a 5 second clip - I would be genuinely interested in knowing what was achieved, how they were involved, what other causes and specific projects their foundation is supporting.

Pressed post too soon. Was going to add that if they were wearing mics and being filmed, they must have more footage and presumably after going to the bother of being filmed at these things, they must have thought they'd maybe want to include it.

Archewell is listed as one of the production companies on the documentary - I've no idea how these things work, so I wonder how much control they had.

So there is no evidence of them actually saying this, its all reportedly or alleged

Lol what idiots fall for this fake arse reporting

Unless I hear anything directly said by the person I wont believe it. So much disinformation is put out in the media

I tried to watch and couldn't get through 15 minutes of their self-absorbed posturing, victimhood and bullshit.

They have plummeted in my esteem, and I was a big fan at the time of the wedding.

Exactly.

And whose thoughts does she expect to lead??? After this tripe.

Well if they want to put it all behind them I think that is great, much healthier for them. I heard King Charles is inviting them to the Coronation and maybe that will be a good time to see them united.

Well, the three messages/stories that the documentary pushed are:
(1) Harry & Meghan is a love story
(2) Harry & Meghan have been treated appallingly by the press and that has been extremely stressful for them
(3) Harry & Meghan were treated unfairly by Harry's family

You might not believe any or all of those are true in reality, but they're clearly what the documentary put forward, (with some explanations for why). I expect that they were hoping it would show something else as well - perhaps that they are doing good in the world and making a difference? But this isn't one of the main takeaways that - even the people who support them - are getting from the documentary.

People are rarely 100% happy with how something like this lands about themselves with other people. Unless you are both a talented documentary maker and incredibly self aware, such that you can make a 6-part series that only shows you exactly as you wanted to be seen, then it's likely that there will be something that doesn't come out exactly as you intended. It's very plausible that they would have liked it to appear slightly or a lot differently, whether or not the person reported has actually spoken to them.

For something like this, the most likely outcome was always a documentary that Netflix believe is compelling, sellable viewing. They seem to have captured both the fans and the hate-watchers, which is going to net them the most. I'm sure they're happy with the result, and of course, they paid to have it made at the end of the day.

It is a vanity project fallen flat. I think that rather than making yourself happen through investing sums of money in self promotion beyond the capability of most celebrities, you should wait until others deem you worthy of using their own resources to produce an independent documentary/series about you which will have more credibility.
Question why nobody agrees with your self aggrandizing take on events and why you thought you were interesting and original enough to take up so many hours of airtime for sulking and making micro aggressions.

Harry says it has all been really stressful and painful but they have to finish one chapter to be able to move on to the next (words to that effect)
I agree it looks like they have had a massive amount of upheaval, upset and pain and that they have been treated badly certainly by the press and some family members.

If they were making video diaries and had footage from 2 years of their life there would have been a massive amount of potential material to work with. But like @limoncello23 says the themes coming from it are what's happened and how they were treated that led them to leave...but not what's going on with them now.

I think it would have been good to see a bit of "what our life looks like now" . How they've moved on and had more input into how they live away from the formality of the Royal Family, how they have more time for their causes, now they have "found freedom" - if they feel they actually have?

They're completely out of their depth and never seem to have advisers willing to tell them the truth. Harry obviously didn't pay attention to how to run a company, a foundation, a brand, a succesful PR campaign. Meghan didn't realise her experience as an actress with one successful show didn't mean she understood how to manage global scrutiny.
Their head of comms that they poached from the RF shouldn't have become a talking head in their Netflix show. Ditto their lawyer. Making staff, consultants, friends, wedding guests - all fodder for a reality show is a million miles away from a 'thought leader' or 'change maker' brand.
They just don't understand how it works. Lots of companies and staff - who definitely should know better - have taken lots of money from H&M, to create this mess.

I think you’ve absolutely nailed it @Diffuserqueen. And now they are trying to slither away and distance themselves even more.

Tough, you said it H&M, nobody made you. You might now want to “put it behind you” (as if) but too late now. The nasty, whiny, self-entitled, tone deaf cat is well and truly out of the bag and the world sees you as you truly are.

The more they record and playback, the more they will feel compelled to share in order to prove their saintliness and the longer their trauma will endure. They need to throw their phones in the bin, close the doors to their mansion and see if their relationship can run on it's own merits without the input of external drama and adrenalin. The protagonists of a real love story would thrive in those circumstances.

Diana said that there were three people in her marriage but has this marriage ever been without an external photographer of some description?

It’s rumoured she wants to get into politics

I’m grateful she now lives in the USA

I know MN is wary of the term narcissist but Meghan appears to be showing all the classic traits. She has cut off her father for being honest about her controlling behaviour, removed Harry from the support of his entire family, shouting to the whole world about how she was a victim and being abused and now wants to reinvent herself as a thought leader and be revered. She is absolutely obsessed with herself. The RF did well to lose her. Harrys on his own now though and just a puppet for her demands.

Well, if they are pleased with six hours of self promotion interspersed with a grievances about family that are trivial in the extreme, they are also idiots.

Absolutely. I was really pleased when the two of them got together, and it is such a pity that the whole thing went sour. Maybe she made too many assumptions too quickly, and thought that some of the difficulties she was facing were due to one specific thing, rather than just how hard it is for anyone, of any background other than established gentry, to settle into a role in the Royal Family. Oh well, burned bridges and all that, it's a bit late now. I just hope that, in the fullness of time, things work out better for all concerned.

Yes, this.

Thought leaders focus outward on what they want to change not perceived insults from their family. Maybe there is more footage of their charity work but given they seem to have at least some awareness of how toxic the media can be, why on earth would they think that would be the focus of this show? It shows a staggering lack of judgement at the very best.

The whole thing is a bit Jeremy Kyle for posh people with good production values. Except the other side don't have right of reply.

I do wish for their children's sake they'd stop it. Their children will be able to see all this one day, and their children's peers. The idea that this couldn't be used against them is naive in the extreme even if it's just standard playground taunts. Why would you do it - except for money but they do already have quite a bit of that? There's a good reason that the Queen and the rest of the RF aren't constantly on TV telling us about their emotions, and IMO it's part of the reason why the RF still exists. The Queen was hugely respected for separating her office from her personal life and being very clear about this.

Thought leader? Sounds a bit 1984 to me.

It's amazing, isn't it?

Post after post of people who believe this bullshit, from someone who has not spoken to Harry or Meghan.

I always wondered what types of people who fall for this crap, lack any critical thinking, well any thinking at all.

Yet here they are.

Unreal.

The conversation in this thread is far wider than an an uncritical belief of the article.

And Meghan does present herself as a thought leader, she always has and that's been her downfall because her thoughts are not new or interesting, she's pretty ordinary really.

Meghan probably thinks her docuseries is an example of her thought leadership when it's mostly the standard of shallow Instagram or TikTok posts. 6 hours of them.

Perhaps that's what she thinks thought leadership is?

It is an example of the meme culture offering millions of these pseudo-intellectual leaps and inspirational boosts in the few seconds which it takes to read each one. If you swear by them, rehash, repost and occasionally take the credit for what you have consumed then you could easily end up thinking that you are a genius for having done all that. That is what has happened in her (and many other) cases.

I feel sorry for Meghan. (As much as I feel sorry for anyone with immense wealth and privilege who is seemingly oblivious to how much they have). I can see how an independent woman who moved country, dropped her career, got married, had a baby and became subject to an intense level of global scrutiny - would feel completely unmoored and lost. And would want to run back to her old life and try to rediscover herself.
What's blatantly apparent is they don't have friends who they trust that are able to say 'stop and take a breath'.
There's a sense that they both want to 'level up' in terms of respect, influence and profile - and I don't think that is out of their skills set - but their 'strategists' have a trashy/reality/ott/anti-monarchy/drama focus.

If they were making video diaries and had footage from 2 years of their life there would have been a massive amount of potential material to work with

Evidently, yes - so either there are far more of these things to come (god help us) or maybe Netflix didn't feel a lot of it was interesting enough to include?

It still beats the hell out of me that anyone would record some of the more intimate stuff in the first place, especially when the handheld cameras must have meant having someone else there; I mean, what are the chances of a camera operator being there just at the moment you cry?
Unless of course these bits were acted out later, which could create more questions than it answers

I mean, what are the chances of a camera operator being there just at the moment you cry?

Maybe the camera operators were there a lot more of the time - maybe all the time - and these were the only interesting bits? Those poor camera operators. And one of them had to record them watching their own interview with Oprah, moving in front of them to try capture their expressions. Its all a bit cringe and attention-seeking. Why sell so much of your life like that?

Leader of what?

I think she always wanted for the RF to beg her to come back and concede a few things, but the RF have been in this fame long enough to know that does not favour them in the long term. She has not idea of who she is facing at her own game.

All sad to see. Not a fan of either side