This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2023 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked the red carpet at the Ripple of Hope Awards in New York City.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released the “Harry & Meghan” Netflix documentary earlier this month, which detailed the beginning of their relationship to their decision to step back from senior royal duties in 2020, and everything in between.
During the six-hour, episodic documentary, Harry and Meghan both detailed instances in which Markle, who is biracial, felt unsupported by the palace while also being racially targeted by the British press.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the “To Di For” podcast, told Fox News Digital that while the Netflix show was a hit with more than 81 million viewing hours logged worldwide in the first four days, the couple lacked a true connection with the audience.
“While I agree that they feel like telling their side of the story was important, I have heard that Meghan was not thrilled with the final edit,” Schofield said. “Expect ‘Spare,’ like the reality show, to lack detail. Full of filler, à la the bit about Harry losing his virginity to a ‘beautiful older woman.’ Who was it? Most people are noticing that while Harry and Meghan like to talk … the two seem to lack substance and detail.”
15 WAYS MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY MADE HEADLINES IN 2022
Royal expert claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "lack substance" ahead of a new memoir from the Duke of Sussex. (Chris Jackson)
The Netflix series followed the beginning of their relationship in 2016, their marriage in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in 2018, and their ultimate decision to step back as senior members of the royal family in 2020, following what they claimed was scrutiny from inside and outside the palace.
Harry’s autobiography about growing up in the monarchy hits shelves on Jan. 10.
MEGHAN MARKLE AND HARRY WANT ‘APOLOGY’ AND ‘ROYAL SUMMIT’ WITH FAMILY POST NETFLIX DOCUSERIES
“Don’t expect any big revelations because Harry and Meghan have proven that they will only go so far. I would argue that they enjoy the attention that the vague accusations attract,” Schofield said. “The guessing game keeps them in the papers that they tell you they hate. But when are we going to stop pretending that Harry and Meghan have been silenced and acknowledge that they have been working hard for years behind the scenes to get their version of events out?”
She added, “Thanks to a court of law, we know Meghan Markle willingly pursued participating in the book ‘Finding Freedom.’ Anyone with more than one brain cell can see that Harry and Meghan were heavily involved in last year’s [highly critical] ‘The Princes and the Press’ with Amol Rajan’s BBC miniseries. Amol goes point by point over the same grievances Meghan does in her reality show. Amol also has a history of being horrific to the royal family.”
Prince Harry’s memoir "Spare" will be available on Jan. 10. (Penguin Random House)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were married on May 19, 2018. (Jeff J Mitchell)
Schofield noted occurrences when Rajan called the Duke of Edinburgh a “racist buffoon” and claimed King Charles III was “scientifically illiterate” in an article published by The Independent in 2012. She also recalled Amol saying Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton were a “total fraud” and called on the royal couple to “renounce the luxuries of royal patronage and aristocracy” when they announced they were expecting their first child.
KING CHARLES III ANNOUNCES FIRST TROOPING THE COLOUR, REVEALS NEW TITLES FOR ROYAL FAMILY
“Harry and Meghan claimed during their Megxit announcement that they would work exclusively with up-and-coming independent journalists, but they clearly pursue working with journalists that don’t challenge them, or worse … already have a negative opinion of the monarchy,” Schofield said.
“Look at the way Harry immediately returns to Tom Bradby. Bradby infamously asked Meghan if she was OK in their ITV special.”
Bradby got the opportunity to speak candidly with Markle about her mental health while on tour with the couple in South Africa in 2019. In a clip shown during the docuseries, Meghan was taken aback by the thoughtful question and thanked Bradby for considering the seriousness of her mental status.
Meghan cried while sitting beside Prince Harry in a trailer for their Netflix docuseries. (Netflix)
The first trailer for their new documentary happened to be released when Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton visited the United States for the first time in eight years. (Netflix)
“The journalist used to be close to Prince William, but the Prince of Wales has since cut him off,” Schofield said. Bradby was previously a royal correspondent and had the first official interview with Prince William following his engagement with Kate Middleton.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Harry claimed in an episode of the series that his older brother and heir to the throne, Prince William, screamed and shouted at him over his decision to step back from the royal family.
Friends of the Prince of Wales reportedly said, “Things have been very strained for a while” between Harry and William. “There is sadness at where things currently are with his brother … and there’s a memoir coming.” Another close friend of Prince William said, “The whole thing is mad.”
The U.K.’s Sunday Times recently reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seeking a “royal summit” with family members to address concerns voiced in “Harry & Meghan.” The outlet alleged that the duchess, in particular, wants an “apology” from the family. Neither Archewell Foundation nor Kensington Palace immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Prince William allegedly screamed at his brother for bringing issues to the royal family. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press)
Multiple reports have since surfaced that the royals are “baffled” by the demands for an apology, and the monarchy is “refusing to respond” until Meghan and Harry admit their own mistakes.
“All these media ventures – the book, the podcast, the reality show – are a way for Harry and Meghan to try to control the narrative,” Schofield said. “Please don’t buy this book because you think it will help you get to the bottom of some mystery because this book is a branding tool for a royal reject – ask the Duke of Windsor.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Tracy Wright is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to tracy.wright@fox.com.
Get the best of Fox News’ entertainment coverage, right in your inbox.
Subscribed
You’ve successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2023 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.