Fact checking Harry & Meghan from on the record BBC denial to changing stories

The first instalment of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's six-part documentary series landed on Netflix on 8 December, with millions tuning in to watch the three episodes.

Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, star in Harry & Meghan, a series which sees them open up about their relationship and their time as senior working members of the Royal Family.

In the first three episodes, Harry and Meghan delve into the early days of their romance, their engagement and address many false reports about their wedding, families and experiences with the Royals.

However, some have spotted some inconsistencies with the couple's Netflix series and things they've previously said. Let's take a look…

Netflix's disclaimer

The series began with a disclaimer from Netflix. It read: "Members of the Royal Family declined to comment on the content within this series."

However, senior Palace sources have claimed that neither Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace were contacted, and no members of the Royal Family were approached either.

Shortly after, a source close to Netflix and the documentary's producers insisted they were – sparking another update from a third source complicating the matter further.

Hours after the documentary's release, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace said that "no one contacted them" about the content shown in the documentary.

However, a senior reporter at HuffPost, Carly Ledbetter, later tweeted: "NEW: A Netflix source tells me that both King Charles and Prince William's offices were contacted and given time to reply ahead of the release of #HarryAndMeghanNetflix."

It was then revealed that Kensington Palace did receive an email purporting to be from a third-party production company from an unknown organisation’s address. Their attempts to verify its authenticity with Archewell Productions and Netflix were allegedly met with silence.

“In the absence of this verification, we were unable to provide any response. The substance of the email we received also did not address the entire series,” a source told Press Association.

How Meghan & Harry met

Harry and Meghan met back in 2016, but despite initially stating they met on a "blind date" after being set up by a celebrity pal, the couple now claim they first met on Instagram.

After announcing their engagement, the pair took part in an interview where Meghan said: "Yes, it was definitely a set-up. It was a blind date." Harry then added: "It was a blind date, for sure."

However, in the new Netflix series, Harry says he was scrolling through his Instagram feed when he came across a photograph of Meghan that a mutual pal had posted, and immediately called up his friend saying he was "dying to meet" the Suits actress.

Meghan then checked out Harry's Instagram feed and they eventually swapped numbers, going on to share multiple messages and calls before eventually meeting in person.

Engagement

The Duke of Sussex states in the Netflix series that he wanted to propose to Meghan earlier than he did, but couldn't propose outside of the UK.

"I wanted to do it earlier, but because I wanted to ask permission from my grandmother I couldn’t do it outside the UK," he says in one clip.

While senior royals are expected to ask permission from the monarch prior to getting engaged, there are no rules about where they can propose.

Proposal

While Meghan previously told how Harry proposed to her while they were having a cosy night in together at their cottage at Kensington Palace, the new Netflix series now shows that the proposal was more elaborate than that.

The 41 year old previously recalled in an interview: "We were just roasting chicken. Trying to roast a chicken. And it just was an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee."

In Harry & Meghan, the prince reveals he actually got down on one knee in the garden at the cottage, where he had laid out a blanket and 15 electric candles to complete the romantic set up.

Meghan also told how she called a pal to tell her that "it's happening" as Harry prepared his proposal outdoors.


BBC interview

Harry and Meghan sat down for a 20-minute interview with the BBC's Mishal Husain after announcing their engagement in November 2017, where they spoke about their romance and Meghan joining the Royal Family.

The interview proved to be a hit with the public and the couple's popularity was confirmed at the time, but Meghan has now claimed that it was part of an "orchestrated reality show".

The Duchess claimed: "It was, you know, rehearsed." Before later adding: "We weren’t allowed to tell our story, because they didn’t want it."

Harry then agrees: "We are not allowed to tell our story. That’s true. That’s the consistency."

Speaking on Radio 4's World at One shortly after the release of the series, Mishal appeared to debunk the claims.

He said: "We went and had a conversation with Harry and Meghan and two members of their team beforehand and we talked about what the interview would cover, what they felt comfortable sharing.

"After that, we went and set up our cameras. They went away for a bit and did their photo call and when they came back we recorded a 20-minute interview."

Samantha Markle

In the series, Meghan opens up about her distant relationship with her older half-sister Samantha Markle, who has given several interviews about her sibling since she married Prince Harry.

Meghan discredits Samantha's claims that they were once close, saying: "The last time I saw her, that I remember, was in my early 20s. I hadn’t had a fallout with her. We didn’t have a closeness to be able to do that."

The Duchess also says she doesn't know her half-sister's birthday or "middle name".

However, a photograph of Meghan and Samantha together shows the pair attending Samantha's graduation in 2008. Meghan was 27 at the time.

Samantha previously dismissed claims that Meghan doesn't know her very well, saying: "We’ve got photographs over a lifespan of us together, so how can she not know me?"

READ MORE

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  • Harry and Meghan fans confused as Sussexes 'change' story of how they met
  • Meghan and Harry's most adorable moments with Archie and Lilibet in new documentary
  • Teaser hints second volume of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix show will address royal exit
  • For the latest updates on the Royal Family, sign up to OK!'s weekly royals newsletter

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