Prince Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries debuts: What to know

(NEW YORK) — Prince Harry and Meghan’s docuseries is here.

The highly-anticipated first three episodes of the six-part series, titled Harry & Meghan, were released Thursday at 3 a.m., EST, on Netflix.

The duke and duchess of Sussex open up in the docuseries about everything from their love story to their decision two years ago to step down from their senior royal roles.

The docuseries, directed by Oscar-nominated Liz Garbus, is billed as a “first-hand account of Harry and Meghan’s story, told with never before seen personal archive.” It opens by noting that interviews for the docuseries were completed by August, one month before the death of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The docuseries also says from the beginning that members of Britain’s royal family, “declined to comment on the content within this series.”

Here is a look at the docuseries’ biggest moments so far, along with what to know:

Harry and Meghan met through Instagram, a mutual friend

For the first time, the Sussexes share extensive details of the start of their relationship in 2016, when Meghan was an actress on the TV show Suits.

Harry revealed he saw Meghan on a mutual friend’s Instagram page, and asked to be connected.

They had their first date in July 2016 at Soho House in London, followed by a second dinner date at the same location.

After two dates, Harry and Meghan went on a five-day trip to Botswana, where they spent time just the two of them.

“We had to get to know each other before the rest of the world and the media sort of joined in,” Harry said.

He later adds, “When I got to know Meghan more and more, I’m like, ‘Now, I’m really falling in love with this girl,’ so despite my fear, I just opened my heart to see what’s going to happen.”

Harry says Meghan reminds him of Princess Diana

In one clip, Meghan is seen holding a baby who appears to be their son Archie in what appears to be a nursery and showing him a photo of Harry’s mom Princess Diana, whom she tells him is “Grandma Diana.”

Later, Harry describes the similarities he sees between his wife and Diana, who died in 1997.

“So much of what Meghan is and how she is, is so similar to my mom,” Harry said. “She has the same compassion. She has the same empathy. She has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”

Harry gives a glimpse into pressures of royal life

The docuseries is also a rare look into Britain’s royal family, from Harry and Meghan’s perspective.

Harry is the fifth in line to the British throne. His father is King Charles III and his older brother Prince William is the heir to the throne.

Charles, William and other members of the royal family have not publicly commented on the Sussexes’ docuseries.

Docuseries generates controversy before its debut

In addition to generating headlines because of Harry’s royal ties and the couple’s willingness to speak out about the royal institution, the docuseries faced other controversies even before its debut.

When Netflix released trailers for Harry & Meghan, some U.K. tabloids claimed the docuseries was misleading, stating that some of the footage used in the trailers showed press and paparazzi from moments unrelated to Harry and Meghan.

An image of photographers shown in the trailer, cited as an example, is in fact from 2011, five years before the couple started dating. Another snippet from the trailer showing paparazzi swarming a vehicle appears to have been shot in 2019 outside the apartment of Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer.

Harry and Meghan have not commented on the docuseries since its release. Netflix has also not commented on the recent criticism.

The timing of the first trailer’s release was also controversial as it dropped just before William and his wife Kate, the princess of Wales, arrived in Boston for their first trip to the U.S. in eight years.

The two couples, who last reunited publicly in September for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, did not see each other during William and Kate’s U.S. trip.

Docuseries is made ‘in association’ with Sussexes’ production company

The final three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan’s docuseries will be released on Netflix on Dec. 15.

The Netflix docuseries is part of a deal with the company the couple inked in 2020, shortly after they stepped down from their royal roles. The Sussexes now helm a California-based production company, Archewell Productions.