Netflix's The Crown Season 6
Season Six: It is not a choice.
The trailer, which Netflix posted to Twitter, features Queen Elizabeth II, played by Imedla Staunton, preparing to address an adoring crowd. As glimpses of her moving through the palace flash on the screen, she narrates, “We have all made sacrifices. It is not a choice. It is a duty.”
This statement seems to go against recent history, as Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, made worldwide headlines with their decision to leave the royal family, and fans are calling them out for it. “It was a choice for Harry,” @S1CT pointed out in response to @TheCrownNetflix’s post. “Guess no one told Harry about duty. Made his choice,” another commented. Harry and Meghan made the decision to step down from their royal duties in 2020 after bouts of negative media coverage and claims of mistreatment from the royal family.
Prince Harry during the closing ceremony of Invictus Games 2023
Harry and Meghan: A History
On November 27, 2017, after about a year of dating, Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle got engaged. Less than a year after the birth of their first child, Archie, the pair announced their intention to step back from their royal roles following a year-long transitionary period. Buckingham Palace confirmed their departure from the royal family with a statement released on February 18, 2021: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.”
Since then, Harry and Meghan have made quite the name for themselves in the media, even though they cited negative media coverage as a large factor for their leaving their royal duties. On March 7, 2021, the pair sat down with Oprah for an interview, during which they dropped many bombshells about their time as royals.
A Tell All With Oprah
Speaking on asking a senior royal about the possibility of inpatient care to treat her depression, Meghan revealed she was told it would not be possible because it “wouldn’t be good for the institution.” This only pushed them further toward leaving the royal family, claiming that they did not receive any support from the royal family when they needed it the most.
Furthermore, the pair shared that there had been internal conversations going on about the skin color of their then-unborn child, Archie. Meghan said that this was not the only time she’s been faced with racism during her time as a royal: the royal family “was willing to lie to protect other members of the family, but they weren’t willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.”
In response to the couples’ interview with Oprah, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying, “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” and noted that the issues raised about race and racism in the royal family “will be addressed by the family privately.”
But That’s Not All
Harry and Meghan didn’t stop at just an Oprah interview. The pair partnered with Netflix to release a six-part docuseries titled Harry & Meghan, telling their story from the beginning of their relationship to their exit from the royal family. The show covers everything from their first date to their issues with the royal family with interviews from the pair themselves and those close to them, including Meghan’s mother.
Harry also released a memoir titled Spare in January 2023. A jaw droppingly honest recollection of his life’s story, Harry covers everything from losing his mother, Princess Diana, at age twelve, joining the British Army at twenty-one, meeting and falling in love with Meghan, and leaving the royal family.
The royal family did not release a response to the docuseries or Harry’s memoir.
Happy With Their Choice?
Harry and Meghan currently live in California with their two children, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2. Though they have left their positions in the royal family, they continue to work for philanthropic causes, including their own The Archewell Foundation, whose goal is “to uplift and unite communities.”
[Photo: Splash News and Justin Downing/Netflix/LeftBank]