Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly wanted to backtrack on things they’d said about King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla in their docuseries Photo: AFP
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Why Harry and Meghan are about to ruin the royals’ Christmas: with their explosive Netflix docuseries due for release in December followed by Harry’s tell all memoir, the festive season will be tough
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming Netflix docuseries will finally screen in December after the couple demanded ‘giant’ rewrites following the queen’s death
- Harry’s memoir Spare comes out in January and will drop yet another bombshell on the royals – it’s no wonder the couple aren’t joining King Charles and Camilla at Sandringham
Prince Harry’s memoir will be released in January 2023 and the Netflix docuseries on his life with Meghan Markle will be released in December 2022. Photo: @misanharriman/Instagram
December 2022 will be the first festive season in 96 years that the royal family (and the world) celebrate Christmas without Queen Elizabeth.
As King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla get ready to continue with family traditions, the rift between Harry, Meghan and the royals will no doubt deepen as the Sussexes’ controversial Netflix docuseries is now believed to be ready for release in early December.
Britain’s royal family together at Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in 2018 in London. Photo: FilmMagic
Not only that, but Harry’s tell-all memoir will also hit the shelves in early January. As the royals regroup after a painful year, they’re about to be hit hard by one of their own.
Here’s what you need to know …
The explosive Netflix show
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have dropped several bombshells on the royal family to date, and appear to have a couple more up their sleeves. Photo: WireImage
The much-anticipated Netflix docuseries which centres around Harry and Meghan seems to finally have a release date.
Meghan Markle has said it has been “nice to be able to trust someone” with their story. Photo: Getty Images
Page Six reported that the docuseries from Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus will drop on Netflix in early December. The programme has been the subject of much speculation since the couple first signed a multi-year deal with Netflix in September 2020.
In an interview with Variety, Meghan said it was “nice to be able to trust someone with our story”, admitting that even though it wasn’t the way she would have told her story, handing over the reins to someone else means it “will go through their lens”.
The controversy
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend an athletics event at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands earlier this year. Photo: WireImage
The docuseries has been marred in controversy since its inception. Marca reports that the original director, Garret Bradley – who directed miniseries Naomi Osaka – couldn’t find common ground with the couple on the tone of the series, and that the differences between Bradley and Markle were clear from the start. Bradley wanted to film at the couple’s home, which they reportedly did not feel comfortable with. Eventually Bradley left and Liz Garbus was hired.
‘Giant rewrites’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wanted a rewrite of the docuseries following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Photo: WireImage
The News reports Harry and Meghan demanded rewrites of the docuseries after the queen died in September. Netflix executives were also said to have been spooked by the response to season five of The Crown after former UK prime minister John Major disputed some of the facts presented on the show, according to Deadline.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reported to be uncomfortable shooting the Netlfix docuseries in their home. Photo: Getty Images
Glamour reports Harry and Meghan also wanted to change some of the comments made about Charles and Camilla, now king and queen consort.
The tell-all memoir
The cover of Prince Harry’s memoir, set for release on January 10, 2023. Photo: AP
Also adding fuel to the fire of their impending fall out with the royal family is Prince Harry’s memoir, which will slated to hit the shelves in January 2023.
Penguin Random House announced that the book, titled Spare, will be released on January 10, calling it an “intimate and heartfelt memoir” and describing it as having been written with a “raw, unflinching honesty”.
As the second son born to Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the phrase “the heir and the spare” applied to Harry since only his older brother William would inherit the throne as the future king.
Snubbed Christmas invite
Happier times: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have all but removed themselves from the royal family since the queen’s death. Photo: AP
Britain’s Express newspaper reports that Harry and Meghan have turned down a chance to spend Christmas in the UK with the royal family. The couple were in the UK for the queen’s funeral in mid-September and the relationship between Harry, his brother William and father Charles was said to have reached a “fragile truce” by British media.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have a big winter coming up, releasing their new Netflix docuseries and Harry’s tell all book. Photo: @sussexroyal/Instagram
King Charles has decided to uphold the royal family tradition by having inviting the whole family to Sandringham. According to sources cited in Express, Meghan and Harry have declined the invitation and will spend the holiday season in California.
Not a big happy family
The royal family will celebrate Christmas in Sandringham but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not attend. Photo: @theroyalfamily/Instagram
Although Meghan and Harry seemed to unite with the royals in September during the queen’s funeral, Meghan has no interest in “returning to the royal fold”, royal author Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight.
Meghan Markle says she and Prince Harry’s main focus will be on their foundation. Photo: @sussexroyal/Instagram
In her interview with Variety, Meghan spoke about the death of the queen, saying it was “beautiful … to look at the legacy that his grandmother was able to leave on so many fronts”. She admitted that it was a “complicated time” but said Harry had commented, “now she’s reunited with her husband,” referring to the late Prince Philip, who died in 2021.
Meghan made it clear that she and Harry were on a mission. She said big, life-changing moments bring perspective and that the queen’s death realigned their ideas on what to focus on. She said she and Harry were focused on their foundation and that they felt “energised and excited about all of the things [they’ve] been building toward.”