12 of the most surprising moments from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new Netflix docuseries

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12 of the most surprising moments from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new Netflix docuseries
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opened up about their love story in a new Netflix docuseries.
  • They shared intimate details, including Harry saying he wanted to propose earlier than he did.
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The first three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix docuseries were released on Thursday, and there were plenty of surprising moments.

The first three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix docuseries were released on Thursday, and there were plenty of surprising moments.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in the second promo for their docuseries, "Harry & Meghan."Netflix

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave viewers an intimate look into their love story as well as their lives before and after stepping back as working royals in their new Netflix docuseries. Volume I of "Harry & Meghan" aired on the streaming service on Thursday, with the remaining three episodes set to be released in Volume II on December 15.

The couple, who said they met on a blind date in July 2016, spoke about everything from the early days of their courtship to their relationship with royal relatives.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, and Netflix did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Here are the 12 most surprising moments from Netflix's "Harry & Meghan" series, directed by Liz Garbus.

Prince Harry said he met Meghan Markle over Instagram.

Prince Harry said he met Meghan Markle over Instagram.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala on December 7, 2022, left; a social-media photo of Meghan Markle with a puppy filter from 2015, right.Mike Coppola for Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala/Getty Images, Netflix/Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Prior to the release of "Harry & Meghan" on Netflix, it was widely reported that the couple met through mutual friends in 2016. Meghan previously told the BBC that was how they started seeing each other.

However, in the first episode of the docuseries, Harry revealed there was more to the story; they started talking on social media.

Harry said he was scrolling through his feed when he saw a video of Meghan with the puppy-dog filter posted to a friend's account.

"That was the first thing, I was like, 'Who is that?'" the Duke of Sussex said. Shortly after, Meghan said their mutual friend told her "Prince Haz" had asked about her, which subsequently led to their first date at Soho House in London.

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Prince Harry wanted to propose to Meghan Markle early than he did.

Prince Harry wanted to propose to Meghan Markle early than he did.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their beagle Guy, pictured in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan."Netflix

Toward the end of the second episode in the series, an interviewer asks the couple to tell the story of their engagement. As Insider previously reported, Harry proposed to Meghan in November 2017 while they were at home in the UK cooking a roast chicken dinner.

In the docuseries, Harry revealed that he would've wanted to get down on one knee "earlier" and even contemplated proposing outside of the UK but couldn't as he had to get permission from his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

As one of the six people closest in line to the throne, Harry had to abide by old British law that stipulates he must obtain permission from the sovereign to get married.

Harry and Meghan's son Archie Mountbatten Windsor has an American accent.

Harry and Meghan's son Archie Mountbatten Windsor has an American accent.
Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Harry in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan."Netflix

Also in episode two, viewers are given a glimpse of the couple's life as parents to their son Archie and daughter Lilibet, who they are raising in their home in Montecito, California.

Video footage shows Archie, 3, walking around outdoors, checking out farm animals, and birdwatching with his father. And when Archie speaks, it turns out he has an American accent, much like Meghan.

In a sweet father-and-son moment that appeared to be filmed by Meghan, Harry and Archie are shown looking at a hummingbird when the toddler says, "I got a dirty foot mama."

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Meghan's mom Doria Ragland said she knew Harry was "the one" when she met him.

Meghan's mom Doria Ragland said she knew Harry was "the one" when she met him.
Doria Ragland in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan."Netflix

For the first time since Meghan and Harry got together, Meghan's mother Doria Ragland spoke on the record about her views of the couple.

Ragland, who describes herself as "Meghan's mom" in the second episode of the docuseries, recalled her daughter calling her and whispering, "Mommy, I'm going out with Prince Harry."

Ragland said that when she was introduced to Harry, her initial impression was that he was tall and handsome. "He was just like six one, handsome man with red hair," she said. "Really great manners. He was just really nice."

Because Meghan and Harry looked so happy together, Ragland said she thought that "he was the one."

Meghan said paparazzi paid her neighbors in Canada to livestream her in her backyard.

Meghan said paparazzi paid her neighbors in Canada to livestream her in her backyard.
Meghan Markle in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan."Netflix

Harry and Meghan confirmed their relationship in 2016. Speaking on the second episode of the docuseries, Meghan said she continued working on "Suits" in Canada. Shortly after the couple went public with their relationship, she said it felt like the whole of the UK media "descended" upon where she lived in Toronto.

Not only did Meghan say the paparazzi constantly "surrounded" her private home in Canada, but that they went so far as to pay certain neighbors to install cameras facing into her home.

"They had paid certain neighbors to put a live stream into my backyard," she said. "Suddenly it felt like my life just got so much more insular."

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Meghan is close friends with her estranged sister Samantha Markle's biological daughter, but said she couldn't invite her to her wedding.

Meghan is close friends with her estranged sister Samantha Markle's biological daughter, but said she couldn't invite her to her wedding.
Meghan Markle and Ashleigh Hale in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan."Netflix

In the third episode of the docuseries, Meghan revealed that she has a close relationship with the biological daughter of her estranged sister, Ashleigh Hale.

Hale is the daughter of Samantha Markle, Meghan's estranged half-sister who has been openly critical of the duchess since she started dating Prince Harry in 2016. Samantha published a book about Meghan, titled "The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister," in February 2021.

Hale, who was raised by her paternal grandparents, said she and Meghan got close after she reconnected with Samantha in 2007. She described Meghan as her "best friend" but said there is also a sisterly and maternal element to their relationship.

However, Meghan said she was advised to not invite Hale to her wedding in 2018 because it would've been difficult to explain to the press why she was going and Samantha wasn't. Meghan said it was a "painful" moment.

Harry said wearing a Nazi uniform as a costume was one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

Harry said wearing a Nazi uniform as a costume was one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
A man reads The Sun newspaper in London 13 January, 2005, with a headline about Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform at a costume party.Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

During the third episode of "Harry and Meghan," Prince Harry reflected on one of his biggest scandals.

When he was 20 years old, photos of Harry wearing a Nazi uniform to a party were printed by UK tabloids. The Sun broke the story first on January 14, 2005, running a photo of Harry in the costume alongside the headline, "Harry the Nazi."

As Insider's Mikhaila Friel reported, Harry received major criticism at the time. A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said in a statement that Harry's costume "was clearly in bad taste, especially in the run-up to Holocaust Memorial Day," which fell on January 27, The Sun reported.

In the docuseries, Harry said wearing the costume was "one of the biggest mistakes in my life."

"I felt so ashamed afterwards," he said. "All I wanted to do was make it right."

Harry said he learned from the incident and had a conversation with the Chief Rabbi of London and a Holocaust survivor in Berlin. "I could have just ignored it and gone on and made the same mistakes in my life, but I learned from that," Harry said.

Harry entered the British Royal Army five months later, and credited his 10 years in the military for giving him a "lived experience that other members of my family wouldn't have."

"Two tours in Afghanistan, flying Apache helicopters on a military base, means that you grow up pretty fast. The people that I met, and the lifelong friends made — that was my second family."

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Meghan said she wouldn't get cast in Hollywood roles because she was biracial.

Meghan said she wouldn't get cast in Hollywood roles because she was biracial.
Mike Ross played by Patrick J. Adams and Rachel Zane played by Meghan Markle on "Suits."Shane Mahood/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Meghan opened up about her struggles in Hollywood during the second episode, revealing that she was rejected for roles "all the time" due to the fact that she was biracial.

"It is very, very hard on your confidence to be an auditioning actor, especially when you don't fit into any box," she said. "It triggers the same stuff for me when I was a kid, it's like where do I fit in?"

Nick Collins, Meghan's former agent, said he also struggled to get Meghan cast for certain roles due to the color of her skin.

"I don't even actually remember the point at which I found out she was biracial," he said. "Once I found out, I would send her out for Black roles. But sometimes I would pitch her for those roles and the casting director would be like 'What do you mean?' and I'd be like 'Well she's biracial, her mom's black,' and they'd say, 'No, she doesn't look it.'"

But Markle continued to pursue her dream of getting onto a TV show, landing the role of Rachel Zane in "Suits" in 2011.

"Rachel Zane was really in some ways, one of the first representations I'd seen of a real identified, biracial woman," Collins said. "You know, seeing her family and how it fits together."

But Meghan said her career was an issue with the royal family.

"The actress thing was the biggest problem, funny enough," she continued. "There was a big idea of what that looks like from the UK standpoint. Hollywood, it's very easy for them to typecast that."

Meghan said she knew Harry was going to propose when he randomly popped a bottle of Champagne while she greased a chicken for dinner.

Meghan said she knew Harry was going to propose when he randomly popped a bottle of Champagne while she greased a chicken for dinner.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry during their official engagement photo shoot.Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

In episode two, Harry and Meghan recalled the night that the prince got down on one knee and popped the question in November 2017.

And Meghan said Harry gave away the surprise by popping a bottle of Champagne before dinner.

"I did pop a bottle of Champagne while she was greasing the chicken, and that kind of slightly gave the game away," Harry said. "She was like, 'you don't drink Champagne, what's the occasion?' I was like, 'I don't know. Just had it laying around here, whatever.'"

"It was a magnum," Meghan recalled with a laugh.

Harry said he lit up the north garden at Kensington Palace with 15 electric candles.

"He's down on one knee and I was just like, 'Yes!' I was so joyful and excited," Meghan recalled. "I was like 'Ah, we're doing this.'"

"From my perspective, I fell head over heels in love with her because my heart told me that she was the one that I was gonna spend the rest of my life with," Harry said. "When it came to Meghan, that was, I guess, the case of finding a needle in a haystack."

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Meghan and Harry said they wore penguin onesies to their engagement party because they mate for life.

Meghan and Harry said they wore penguin onesies to their engagement party because they mate for life.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had a secret engagement party.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Shortly after Harry got down on one knee, the couple had a secret engagement party.

Lucy Fraser, one of Meghan's friends who spoke in the docuseries, said Harry and Meghan wanted to celebrate the milestone occasion before it was announced to the press.

"They were so happy and they were gonna keep it quiet because it was gonna be announced a few weeks later," she said. "We had a little engagement party and everyone was dressed in animal onesies."

Fraser said Meghan and Harry wore matching penguin onesies "because penguins mate for life."

"They were so sweet," she added. "And we had so much fun."

Doria Ragland criticized Thomas Markle over reports he accepted money to stage paparazzi photos.

Doria Ragland criticized Thomas Markle over reports he accepted money to stage paparazzi photos.
Meghan and her mother Doria Ragland.Getty Images

In the third episode of "Harry and Meghan," the couple discuss the controversy that overshadowed their wedding day after reports said Thomas Markle, Meghan's father, had been staging pictures for UK tabloids.

"It's amazing what people will do when offered a huge amount of money," Harry said. "Fifty thousand, a hundred thousand, to hand over photographs, to create a story. And thank god most of them said no."

Meghan said she called her father after they were informed the story was going to run the next day and asked him if it was true. She said Thomas denied the allegations but refused her and Harry's help to get him out of Mexico, where he lives, before the media began swarming his house.

"I was like, 'We'll just come and get you a day early, we'll get you out of Mexico.' And he said, 'No, no, I have things to do.' And it felt really cagey. I was like, 'It doesn't make sense.' And when we hung up, I looked at H and I was like, 'I don't know why, but I don't believe him.'"

Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother and Thomas' ex-wife, said she was "absolutely stunned that Tom would become part of this circus."

"I felt sad that the media would run with this," she said. "That he would capitalize. Certainly as a parent it's not… that's not what you do. That's not parenting."

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Harry said if Meghan wasn't with him, "then her dad would still be her dad."

Harry said if Meghan wasn't with him, "then her dad would still be her dad."
Thomas Markle being interviewed on GB News left, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex photographed in 2020.GB News/YouTube, Associated Press

Meghan said she called her father more than 20 times as reports of the staged photos emerged days before their wedding. But she said he never returned any of her calls and spoke to TMZ instead. She added that she was shocked when she heard the news that he'd had a heart attack.

"The unraveling happened that week when he wouldn't pick up my call," Meghan said. "And instead you're talking to TMZ. And I'm finding out that you're not coming to our wedding through a tabloid."

During the docuseries, a text from Meghan to Thomas was displayed on screen. It read: "Please can I ask that you stop talking to the press… You haven't returned any of our 20+ calls since we all spoke on Saturday morning; which only adds to the hurt you've been causing. We aren't angry but we do really need to speak to u. Love M and H."

Meghan said she then received a strange text from his phone that read, "I've done nothing to hurt you Meghan, or anyone else I know nothing about 20 phone calls I'm sorry my heart attack is there any inconvenience for you [sic]."

At that point, Meghan said she knew her father's phone had been compromised.

"It was really weird, you know how people text right?" she continued. "My dad used a lot of emojis and ellipses and dot, dot, dot, and this was just the opposite. And it called me Meghan. I was like, 'He's never called me Meghan any day I've lived on this planet.' Meg, all my friends call me Meg and my parents call me Meg."

Harry said it was "incredibly sad" what happened between Meghan and Thomas.

"She had a father before this. And now she doesn't have a father," Harry said. "And I shouldered that, because if Meg wasn't with me then her dad would still be her dad."