Spoilers ahead for Episodes 1-3
On Dec. 8, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped the first three episodes of their highly-anticipated Netflix documentary. This behind-the-scenes glimpse into the royal couple’s last few years included both heartbreaking and touching moments.
In the doc, the couple watched a 2015 press interview in which Meghan was asked to pick between Prince William or Harry less than a year before they met. At the time, Meghan was ambivalent about her choice. In the doc she told Harry, “Honey, I’m sorry. I, of course, choose you.”
Harry shared how much he saw his late mother, Princess Diana, in Meghan: “She has the same compassion, the same empathy, the same confidence, this warmth about her.”
Meghan continued, “I just remember the grip her hands had on the steering wheel. You could see, so tight where all the knuckles get all white. She was silent the rest of the drive home. We never talked about it. I had never in my life heard someone say the N word.”
Prince Harry claims the royal family mocked the idea of protecting Meghan from the press: “Some of the members of the family were like, ‘My wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? I said, ‘The difference here is the race element.’”
Harry revealed the royal family were impressed after first meeting Meghan: “They were surprised that a ginger could land such a beautiful woman, but the fact I was dating an American actress was probably what clouded their judgement more than anything else at the beginning.”
Meghan shared she was exposed to the royal’s etiquette while having dinner with Kate: “I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger. I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside.”
Meghan said their connection kept her and Harry’s relationship afloat: “My friends and people in my life who love and care about me were like, ‘Is he worth this? Look what is happening to your life.’ We had to stay connected. We wouldn't have survived it if we weren’t.”
Harry spoke about the importance of honoring his children’s background: “My children are mixed race, and I’m really proud of that. When [they] grow up, look back at this moment and say, ‘What did you do in this moment?’ I want to be able to give them an answer.”