There’s an episode in the fifth season of the Netflix drama The Crown in which BBC execs clash over the tone of their coverage of the royal family.
The chairman of the board of governors wants to air a fawning puff piece in honor of the Queen’s 70th birthday.
He’s overruled, however, by the network’s director general, who decides instead that Martin Bashir’s salacious interview with Princess Diana should air on the Queen and Prince Philip’s wedding anniversary.
Now, 27 years later, it seems that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are locked in a similar conflict with the proprietors of the world’s largest streaming service.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, the UK came to a virtual standstill as a nation of loyal subjects mourned the monarch who had guided them through the past seven decades.
Many hoped that there would be a moratorium on media that’s critical of the Queen until at least the end of the year.
Of course, as The Crown Season 5 has demonstrated, there are no time outs in the streaming wars.
The show must go on, even if it means that a warts-and-all portrayal of a departed icon will ruffle a few feathers.
Now, Netflix is prepared to deliver a one-two punch to the Windsor clan, as People magazine is reporting that Harry and Meghan’s long-awaited docuseries from Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus will premiere on the streaming service sometime in December.
The show was filmed prior to the death of the Queen, and insiders say Harry and Meghan have been scrambling to make changes in the hope of “toning down” their criticisms of the royal family.
But it seems that Netflix execs have final cut, and they want the project to air as is.
In discussing the project, Meghan has made no mention of that alleged squabble, and has instead gushed about Garbus and the project they worked on together.
“It’s nice to be able to trust someone with our story — a seasoned director whose work I’ve long admired — even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it,” the Duchess told Variety in October.
“But that’s not why we’re telling it. We’re trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens.”
Yes, it sounds a bit like Meghan is prematurely distancing herself from the criticism that the series is sure to receive — probably a smart move.
From there, she reminds readers that Harry is a newcomer to the world of movies and television.
Is this her way of hinting that he didn’t know what he was getting himself into?
“It’s interesting. My husband has never worked in this industry before,” Meg continued.
“For me, having worked on Suits, it’s so amazing to be around so much creative energy and to see how people work together and share their own points of view. That’s been really fun.”
In all likelihood, the series will be quite tame, but like everything Harry and Meghan do, it’s likely to receive quite a bit of criticism from diehard royalists.
What the Windsors should really be worried about is Harry’s memoir, which is set to hit stores on January 10.
According to press releases the 416-page book is filled with “raw, unflinching honesty” from the youngest son of King Charles.
“For Harry, this is his story at last,” the publishers said.
Yeah, we’re guessing some royals will come out looking less than stellar in those pages.
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