Netflix’s Harry & Meghan is a hit! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a real Midas Touch, don’t they? They always sell out, they always top the ratings, everything they touch turns to gold. It looks smarter and smarter that Netflix locked them into a production deal, doesn’t it? Netflix released the early-days viewership for the H&M docuseries – the first three episodes of which dropped on Thursday – and it’s one of Netflix’s biggest shows of the year, especially in the US and UK. According to Netflix’s numbers, Harry & Meghan had 2.4 million views in the first 24 hours IN THE UK. The first-day ratings for the docuseries were also double the first-day ratings of The Crown’s Season 5. I would imagine the numbers will be phenomenal for this weekend too – many people didn’t have time to watch the three episodes on Thursday, but they had time this weekend.

Meanwhile, the NY Times did a piece on the director of the series, Liz Garbus, and the background of how she came onto the project. Harry and Meghan handed Garbus fifteen hours of their personal footage, video diaries which they filmed in 2020 as they were Sussexiting. When Garbus was asked how much control the Sussexes had over the series and whether they had final approval, she tells the Times: “It was a collaboration. You can keep asking me, but that’s what I’ll say.” But the most interesting part is where the Sussexes’ spokesperson shuts down one of the British media’s big whines/talking points, which is “Harry and Meghan are hypocrites for crying about privacy and then making this docuseries.” Here’s that section:

Some have questioned why Harry and Meghan chose to make a documentary, suggesting that the couple’s decision to give up their royal duties meant they wanted to lead a more private life. In a statement to The Times, the couple’s global press secretary, Ashley Hansen, disputed this narrative.

“Their statement announcing their decision to step back mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties,” she said. “Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series. They are choosing to share their story, on their terms, and yet the tabloid media has created an entirely untrue narrative that permeates press coverage and public opinion. The facts are right in front of them.”

[From the NYT]

For what it’s worth, Harry was the one who said stuff about privacy over the years, but it’s true that by the time they exited, it was less about privacy and more about escaping from the daily vitriol and attacks. Meghan has never claimed to want “privacy,” because she understands that what she really wants is to set and enforce are boundaries. A more cogent criticism might be that Meghan and Harry want “control of their narrative,” to which I say, that’s not a criticism, especially not for royalty. Everyone wants control of their narrative. Everyone wants to set and enforce boundaries. Everyone wants the right to exist without being smeared and lied about constantly. Everyone wants the right to tell their story in their own time and in their own way.

Speaking of, we’re finally getting some fun wedding photos! But I thought they wanted privacy!!! *sobs*

Photos courtesy of Netflix.