‘A declaration of war’: Harry and Meghan release Netflix trailer while brother William is in US

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to have proven they excel as a couple at one thing: stirring up scandals, with little care for the fallout. But with the release of a trailer for their own self-absorbed Netflix documentary, the dramatic duo may have pushed the patience of the royals to the brink, with sources saying the doc is nothing short of “a declaration of war.”

It’s no coincidence, say sources, that the teaser came out on the second day of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ first trip to the United States since 2014, amid the Earthshot Prize, an environmental project dear to Prince William’s heart.

“None of this is a surprise,” stated one royal source, according to the Daily Mail.


The trailer opens with black-and-white photos, supposedly from Meghan and Harry’s family album, depicting the couple as romantic, carefree, relatable, and, obviously, deeply in love.

As the rom-com images speed up, they are juxtaposed against stark images of a scowling Kate Middleton, Meghan crying, and the prying paparazzi — evoking, almost subliminally, memories of the undoing of Harry’s beloved mother, Princess Diana.

As a shot of a sobbing Meghan flashes across the screen, Harry can be heard saying, “no one sees what’s happening behind closed doors.”

A few more shots, and cut to video of a serious, solemn Harry saying, “I had to do everything I could to protect my family.”

And then there’s Meghan, who defiantly, almost snidely says, “When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”


(Video: YouTube)

Of course, there’s no explanation of why the stakes are so high, or even what those stakes are, other than a battle over the spotlight waged by two completely out-of-touch elites who enjoy casting themselves as perpetual victims.

“I don’t see how anyone could view it as anything other than a declaration of war,” another royal source stated.

Yet another “well-placed source” noted the PR announcements coming from the Sussexes in recent days, including an appearance by Meghan at a women’s dinner and her donation of handbags to a charity.

“One can only conclude this is a concerted publicity drive on their behalf to stoke up interest in this documentary and is designed to clash with the Wales’ visit this week,” the source dished.

“The prince and princess’s high-profile trip to the States to shine a light on community projects in Boston and the environmental crisis is being apparently used as a platform for the Sussexes to create the drama and attention they so clearly crave on a personal level, as well as content for the multi-million dollar deal they have signed since quitting as working royals,” the source continued. “While the Waleses will carry on with their duties, Team Sussex appears determined to remind America of their own ‘compassionate activism’ – one lucrative contract at a time.”

Meghan and Harry’s biographer, Omid Scobie, even played up the timing of the release in what appeared to be an attempt to stoke the salacious flames of discord between the royal siblings.

“If tomorrow is Prince William’s Super Bowl,” he tweeted, referring to Earthshot, “then here’s your Halftime Show…”

It isn’t the first time Harry and Meghan have attempted to steal William and Kate’s thunder. As the elder royals were touring Pakistan in 2019, ITV dropped a trailer for a documentary on the Sussexes’ Africa trip.

“If it’s true that the Sussexes were responsible for the timing, then how utterly vengeful, petty and childish,” wrote Maureen Callahan for the Daily Mail in response to Scobie’s tweet.

“Make no mistake: this is spoiling, sullying and pulling focus from William and Kate’s first trip to the U.S. as Prince and Princess of Wales,” Callahan continued. “For now, Harry and Meghan are winning the battle. But they’re not great long-term strategists. Mark my words: They are going to lose this war.”

While neither Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace has elected to comment on the Netflix trailer, more royal sources say the Prince and Princess of Wales are determined “not to be distracted by other things this week.”

Melissa Fine

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