"This is a great love story." That's a statement from Harry, formerly Prince Harry, who goes on to describe his wife's qualities with these words: "...compassion, empathy, confidence, warmth." I got that from Episode 1 of HARRY & MEGHAN, the highly publicized documentary series now on Netflix. The first episode runs 55 minutes.
Ever since Princes Charles and Princess Diana, Harry's parents, separated and eventually divorced, we Americans have been aware that there are pockets of discord and friction within the Royal Family. Did you ever see butterflies with their beautiful wings spread out and pinned down and the butterflies are under glass in a frame to be hung on a wall for display? I've occasionally felt that Royal Family members were like that. We could look at them and be attracted to their beauty, but they were pinned down and really didn't have the freedom we do.
Harry chose freedom. He's a married man and a proud papa who gave up the royal title. He's no longer Prince Harry -- just Harry. I like him a lot. I like how he's connected to people and the real world around him. I feel he could return to London for a gala affair and fit right in -- and he could get an invitation to a cookout from a Black family in South Central L.A. and fit right in there too.
Harry and Meghan speak out about their lives in the first episode. Do they trash the monarchy and its rituals? Not at all. They tell their story. And it is a love story. One thing I loved is the two of them telling how they met and how late he was for their first date. Notice the way he looks at her. Such love. And she looks at him the same way. One element that's so cool about that part is the music played underneath them. There's a light jazz version of a Cole Porter standard and a vocal by Julie London.
Harry talks a lot about his mother and his childhood. He has very few early memories of her. We have more memories than he does because Diana was constantly photographed and followed by the press. I know this will seem an odd comparison, but stay with me. Harry is rather like Elizabeth Taylor. She was a child actress followed by the cameras from girlhood through teen years into married life -- all the time while she worked within the Hollywood studio system. He's been in the press camera eye ever since he was born. Like a child star, he's grown up in front of the cameras as a product of "the Institution."
Like Grace Kelly, Meghan Markle was an actress who married into royalty. But her situation was different. She married into an ancient monarchy called "the Institution," and apparently it is far more rigid in its customs than Princess Grace's was. Monaco press never seemed to be vicious and relentless like some of the U.K. press. Plus Meghan is, as one British journalist said, "of mixed race."
Another section of this episode I love is the footage of Harry doing conservation work in Africa. Something about that work and engaging with the people seemed to open up his spirit and heart. Meghan was able to meet him in Botswana for a few days. That's where their relationship elevated from just dating to true love.
Don't expect vitriol in this first episode. You'll find sweetness instead. Did you ever see Audrey Hepburn as the runaway princess in ROMAN HOLIDAY? The young princess, whose life is a series of royal functions and interviews, flees the palace for a few day and discovers the wonders of being able to do ordinary things with everyday people. She gets a haircut, has a beverage outside at a cafe, goes sightseeing, goes to a dance -- and gets a kiss. This incognito freedom changes her life and deepens her connection to the world around her.
Harry now has that freedom she experienced.
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