C5 Documentary: Harry and Meghan, Rise and Fall

[IsoldeWagner]

Anyone watching this? It's on My5. I thought the first episode was interesting. I was reminded of how popular they were and how much support they got.

I have recorded it. Was it good? Hoping for something more investigative than old footage, a rehashing of the debunked claims in Oprah and royal rota royal watchers giving their trite opinions - most YouTubers who study the Sussexes have better critical thinking skills and in-depth knowledge of the lies and contradictions than that lot! Hoping we see Valentine Low on the bullying claims.

Oh great, will be good to see it all corroborated in one place. Seeing how they were received at first and how happy she seemed and then bearing in mind the fact that she claims she was suicidal and didn’t even have access to her own passport.

I thought that the first episode was good. A variety of contributors, with varying opinions. I thought it was striking how welcome she obviously was. The crowds at those early engagements! Plus that incredible wedding. Watched worldwide and such an amazing event.
Part 2 will start from Oprah.
They did make it clear that H&M definitely wanted a half in/half out. They didn't intend to leave completely, and no-one forced them out.

I saw a trailer for this, but DH said he would “rather stick pins in his eyes” than watch those two. Given his strength of feeling, and the fact that his disability means that I would have to do that for him, I thought I’d best give it a miss 😂😂

We'll watch it for you, @smilesy !

I watched the first part last night ( wine was involved!)
At first I was worried it was a bit 🤏 sycophantic but much to my surprise it was a lot more fairly balanced .
Part 2 of course is likely to have more criticism!

Wasn't it interesting how welcome she was and how popular they were, Jeff? I'd quite forgotten.

Yes! @IsoldeWagner , i will admit I'm new to actually seeing all these things, I didn't watch anything royal related at all , or follow it in the news .
But how anyone can say they weren't welcomed or celebrated is beyond me! , the proof was clear to see.

The scenes were incredible! So much goodwill, so much support.

I caught a bit last night but didn't really say anything of interest. A bit of emphasis on the timing of the release of the bullying claims!
On a personal note! It has been a family tradition since 1981 to go for a walk on Royal Wedding days. So everyone was bemused when I planted my garden red white and blue and got the kids to make union jack placemats and bunting!
Then I put on a huge spread and we had a tea party genuinely pleased that Haza had put a ring on Megs!
I believe The Queen genuinely welcomed her - broke traditions to accept her in for example Sandringham Christmas.
I can't get passed The Oprah Interview. Unforgivable.
But every so often we all keep getting the memory reminders in our photos of the huge spread I did and everyone laughs saying it's Harry and Meghan s wedding tea mum!
And they said they hadn't wanted us all celebrating their wedding! And the blatant lie about the Archbishop of Canterbury marrying them privately in the garden.
I won't be tuning in tonight.

But isn't that exactly the point? They were popular. They were seen as a new dawn/blueprint. Then suffered from Tall Poppy Syndrome.
Built up to be knocked down. Seen as rivals for good press from the real contenders to the throne and press fed negative stories accordingly/reporting biased to keep in with royal sources.

Of course they were celebrated! My DD was a girl guide, they had a special badge for the wedding with activities based around Meghan’s and Harry’s accomplishments. We watched all the wedding coverage and it was positive and joyful. The press treated Catherine in particular as an old, boring frump who couldn’t hold a candle to Meghan. She was golden. She fucked it up herself, not the RF, not the British press.

No. There has never been any evidence that any stories were fed to the press. The supposed jealousy of others and the belief in their own importance came from the Sussexes themselves. It doesn’t matter how popular they were or they thought they were, William and Catherine were always going to be King and Queen. It’s not a popularity contest or reality tv. Unfortunately, the Sussexes still can’t get their heads around that

My main objection, they pretty much implied that the whole of the U.K. didn't welcome m and that we are racist!
And a lot of the US believed this!

I think a lot of people celebrated, @Luddite26 . You're right about the Oprah interview and other lies.

I think you're being very naive if you think there was no invisible contract with the press. Christ, even Strictly have one!

There's no evidence that the press were "fed" anything negative about H&M at all. Plenty of evidence that Meghan was welcomed, they were supported, helped and given significant opportunities.

I don’t think so. I think the RF thought their ship had come in with a mixed race person marrying into their ranks at a pretty senior level. The wedding was tailored to Megan’s taste in an almost unprecedented way: the guest list, the choice of preacher ( although Welby had to source him, Megan didn’t have a tame cleric), the flowers ( not done by the usual florists and so dying by the next day when the world was allowed to see them) the numerous wedding outfits. She even had the Heir to the throne walking her down the aisle, a bizarre concept that the groom’s father should ‘give away’ a bride to his son, but heigh ho… of course, it wasn’t enough, because it wasn’t St Paul’s or Westminster Abbey, although Charles and Camilla had to make do with a Blessing, as the Church of England didn’t marry divorced persons as a rule.

It was never going to be enough, as long as William and Kate were higher in the hierarchy than M&H

All the stories about this came from H&M themselves. They're not exactly reliable narrators of their own story.
No-one in the RF would "feed" negative stories. That's just nonsense. Harry's paranoia and desperation for headlines.

I agree, @Allthegoodnamesarechosen . The RF went out of their way to help H&M and give them what they wanted. I think this was part of the problem; they got a bit spoiled and thought they could have everything their way. However, there were limits.

I thought it was interesting that they made something of Kate really not liking Meghan and the frosty body language at the Commonwealth Service which signalled the beginning of the end....
it kind of resonated because I have a SIL who I REALLY don't get on with for various reasons, but I would NEVER throw a strop, especially publicly, or freeze her out, or be mean - because she is my brother's choice and it is my problem. I thought it was a shame if that had happened and it made me think, come on guys. Grow up.

BUT I also think Harry has SO much to unpick wrt being a product of a family who did so appallingly by his mum (she was 19!). Imagine knowing your whole family (including your dad) treated your mum so badly. He is trying to figure it out, albeit in a rather chaotic and self serving way.

I did lol at the rather portentous narration though...duh duh duh...it was like the timeline to a true crime, or a world crisis was being presented....rather than some rich folk stamping their feet.

@commonground I had to laugh at some of the camera angles! Also the obligatory comments from Paul Burrell.
Either Harry hasn't engaged with his therapy or he needs a new one because those Mummy issues are getting in the way.

I loved it when he came out and announced the baby's birth though - he was so happy. That was nice.

The conspiratorial way Meghan said Kate made her cry in the Oprah interview was awful.
How they could go with that while his grandad was dieing in hospital sums the pair of them up.
Thomas Markle even said people used to say to them I wonder what colour the baby will be to him and Doria.. they turned that sort of family excited chatter into a race row on world TV without anybody being able to say anything back.
I think Oprah shouldn't have let them get away with having sly digs like that. A proper conversation should have been had names named not women talking behind their hands in front of an audience of millions.

The Oprah interview is being covered in episode 2, so we shall see what happens.