“The past six years of my life, books have been written about our story from people I don’t know. Doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”
So says Meghan Markle in episode one of Harry & Meghan, the six part docuseries for Netflix. Featuring interviews with friends, family, and never before seen photos and videos from their private stash, the first three episodes are now streaming with the next three set to drop Thursday. With a 90-minute primetime Oprah interview, an allegedly authorized book (Finding Freedom) and a 12-episode podcast under their belts along with a hotly-anticipated autobiography on the way, you may think you know all there is to know about Haz and Megs but here are 15 revelations from the first three episodes of Harry & Meghan.
They First “Met” Over Instagram
While Harry and Meghan were set up on a blind date in London in July of 2016, they actually first “met” over Instagram. Harry shared that Meghan first caught his eye on the social media site. “I was scrolling through my feed and someone who was a friend had this video of the two of them, like a Snapchat,” Harry says he was immediately intrigued, “I was like, ‘who is that?’” Meghan admitted she creeped on Harry’s feed (sidenote: direct me to this secret IG page, please!) “People say, did I Google him? No…let me see what they’re about in their feed, not what someone else says about them,” Meghan told the doc. “So I went through and it was just beautiful photography and all these environmental shots and the time he was spending in Africa.” The mutual friend then set them up on a date while Meghan was visiting London attending Wimbledon.
Meghan Wasn’t Looking For Love
When Meghan met Harry, she wasn’t necessarily in the market for a Prince Charming. In fact, fresh off a breakup (presumably from Toronto chef Cory Vitiello) Meghan says she was looking forward to a “single girl summer” in 2016. “I was really intent on being single and just having fun girl time,” she told the doc. “I had my career, I had my life, I had my path…and then came H. I mean literally, talk about a plot twist.”
Harry Was Late for Their First Date
After being set up by their mutual friend, Harry and Meghan met up in London for their first date, an occasion for which Harry was 30 minutes late. “He kept texting, ‘I’m in traffic, I’m so sorry,’” revealed Meghan. “I was panicking,” added Harry, “I was freaking out, I was, like, sweating.” Meghan initially worried keeping women waiting for him was Harry’s modus operandi, “I didn’t know him so I was like oh, is this what he does?” adding, “I was just not interested in that.” But as soon as Harry (eventually) arrived, her concerns were dashed. “You were just so sweet,” Meghan recalled, “you were like, genuinely so embarrassed and late.” “I was a hot, sweaty, red ball of mess,” added Harry. While their first date only lasted an hour it’s safe to say they hit it off. “He was just so…fun,” revealed Meghan. “Just so refreshingly fun and that was the thing, we were like, childlike together.”
Meghan Initiated Their Second Date
After a successful first date, a second date was a no-brainer but it was Meghan who initiated it, mostly because she was leaving London soon. Meghan asked Harry if he wanted to do dinner the next night. “I’m sure he thought it was so forward and American and he told me it was so forward and American.” The two had dinner at the same place the next night and snapped a picture to commemorate the night. “We just wanted to capture the feeling of just sitting in that little restaurant thinking, ‘oh my gosh, I think we’re going to give it a go’” said Meghan. “That is when it just hit me,” added Harry. “This girl, this woman is amazing and is everything I’ve been looking for.”
Harry Had a “List” of What He Wanted in a Woman
Speaking of what he was looking for, Meghan told the doc that Harry had an “extensive list” of the qualities he was looking for in a partner. Harry refused to reveal what was on the list saying simply, “she is the list,” about Meghan.
Harry Was Worried Meghan Would Be Scared Away
While many women may dream of meeting their literal prince, Harry knew all too well what came with dating him. “The pain and suffering of women entering the institution,” he said, “I remember thinking how could I ever find someone willing and capable to be able to withstand all the baggage that comes with being with me?” Harry says he saw firsthand how his mother was treated by the media and tabloids, “my mom was harassed throughout her life with my dad but after they separated, that harassment went to new levels.” Harry said his past girlfriends got a taste of that life, “every relationship I had, within a number of weeks or months, was splattered all over newspapers and that person’s family and their lives turned upside down.” Harry was worried Meghan would be scared away. “When I got to meet M, I was terrified of her being driven away by the media.”
Royals Don’t Always Marry For Love
While marrying a prince may sound like a fairytale, Harry said the marriages in the Royal Family aren’t always fueled by love. “There can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mold as opposed to somebody who you are perhaps destined to be with,” he said, citing “the difference between making decisions with your head or your heart.” Harry said he falls into the latter category. “My mum made most of her decisions, if not all of them, from her heart and I am my mother’s son.”
Meghan Reminds Harry of Diana
Speaking of his beloved mum, Harry told the doc his wife reminds him of her. “So much of what Meghan is and how he is is so similar to my mum,” he said. “She has the same compassion, she has the same empathy, she has the same confidence, she has this warmth about her.”
Harry and Meghan Keep a Framed Photo of Diana on the Wall
The documentary features Meghan showing baby Archie a framed photo of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, on the wall. “That’s your grandma, Diana,” she tells Archie.
Meghan Suspected She’d One Day Be Famous
Episode two of the series delves into Meghan’s upbringing and it seems the future actress and Duchess always knew she’d one day be famous. During a visit to her elementary school, Hollywood Schoolhouse, her former principal showed Meghan a message Meg had written to her when she was just 12. “Dear Miss Debbie” it read in part, “this school will always have a special place in my heart…when I am rich and famous and write my life story, I will talk about you and this school so you will be known worldwide.”
The Royal Family Didn’t Love That Meghan Was An Actress
While Meghan did go on to achieve some level of notoriety on Suits, the fact that she was an actress was initially problematic to the Royal Family, more so than her being American, divorced, or of mixed race. “The fact that I was dating an American actress was probably what clouded their judgment more than anything else,” revealed Harry. “’Oh, she’s an American actress, this won’t last.” Meghan added, “the actress thing was the biggest problem.”
Meghan First Met Kate Middleton While Barefoot
The first time Meghan met the now Princess of Wales, she was “in ripped jeans and barefoot.” She also went in for a hug which she admits, might not have been well-received. “I was a hugger, always been a hugger,” said Meghan. “I didn’t realize that is jarring for a lot of Brits.” Sounds like it was jarring for her future in-laws as well. “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on to the inside,” she said. “And that was surprising to me.”
Harry and Meghan Had an Unofficial Engagement Party
After they became engaged in November 2017 and before it was officially announced to the public, Harry and Meghan had an unofficial engagement party with friends with one friend revealing to the doc that “everyone was dressed in animal onesies.” Harry and Meghan were dressed in penguin onesies “because penguins mate for life.”
Meghan is Close to Her Niece
While Meghan used the documentary to emphasize that she has never had a relationship with half-sister Samatha “I don’t know your middle name, I don’t know your birthday and you’re telling people you raised me?” Meghan revealed that she does have a relationship with Samantha’s estranged daughter, Ashleigh. Ashleigh was raised by her paternal grandparents from the age of two and they eventually adopted her. Ashleigh revealed she reconnected with Samantha, who she refers to as “my biological mother” in 2007. When Thomas Markle informed Meghan that Samantha had found her daughter, Meghan asked for her contact info and the two struck up a relationship and became close. “I wanted a sister and she was like a little sister,” Meghan said. When Meghan began dating Harry and Samantha started talking to the press about her, it drove a wedge between Samantha and Ashleigh and the two are currently estranged again.
Ashleigh Was Not Invited to The Wedding
Despite the close relationship between Meghan and Ashleigh, Ashleigh was not invited to Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding but it wasn’t Meghan’s decision, it came from The Firm. “How do we explain that this half-sister isn’t invited to the wedding, but the half-sister’s daughter is?” explained Meghan. “And so, with Ashleigh, the guidance at the time was not to have her come to our wedding.”
So there you have it, 15 revelations from the first three episodes of Harry and Meghan. Episode three wraps up just as the couple is set to walk down the aisle so the next three episodes promise lots of drama as the pair eventually controversially step down from being senior members of the Royal Family and flee the UK for Canada before ultimately settling in Meghan’s home state of California or, as Harry says, “’She sacrificed everything she ever knew, everything she had to join me in my world. And then pretty soon after that I ended up sacrificing everything I know to join her in her world.”
Check back here next week for more revelations from the final three episodes.
