ABC (NEW YORK) — Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made headline-making comments on everything from motherhood to mental health, grief and media scrutiny in the new documentary Harry and Meghan: An African Journey.
The couple’s comments and their candidness about their lives behind the scenes have since sparked a debate about what should be expected of them, both in their royal duties and in what they reveal publicly.
In the U.K., tabloids have zeroed in on Harry’s comments about his brother Prince William and suggested that Harry and Meghan should keep a stiff upper lip and go on with their work.
On social media, many people stood up for the couple and the pressure they seem to be struggling to handle, making the hashtag #WeLoveYouMeghan go viral.
Viewers in the U.S. will have their chance Wednesday night to watch Harry and Meghan: An African Journey and hear Harry and Meghan speak for themselves.
The documentary, that follows the Sussexes on their 10-day trip to southern Africa, airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET, on the ABC Television Network.
Here are five things to watch when the documentary premieres on ABC:
1. Meghan talking about her biracial background
One of the biggest moments at the start of Harry and Meghan’s tour was a speech Meghan gave to young girls in Nyanga, a township in Cape Town that is known as one of the most dangerous places in South Africa.
“While I’m here as a member of the royal family, I stand here before you as a mother, a wife, a woman, as a woman of color and as your sister,” she told the girls.
Meghan, born to a white father and African American mother, reveals in the documentary how that line was added to her speech and talks about her hope that one day people can look past her race.
2. Harry as a dad
Harry and Meghan’s 5-month-old son Archie joined his parents in South Africa, their first official tour as a family of three.
The couple appears at their happiest when they are with Archie, introducing him to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka in Cape Town.
Harry shows himself as a doting dad, carefully wiping Archie’s drool from his mouth and cradling Archie while Meghan finishes an interview.
He also reflects on now being a dad and a husband under the media’s glare, saying, “I will always protect my family and now I have a family to protect.”
3. Harry’s ongoing grief over Princess Diana’s death
The happy moments of Harry with his son are countered with more somber clips of Harry’s reflecting on the loss of his mom, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash in Paris that involved paparazzi.
Harry describes her death as a “wound that festers.”
“I think [of] being part of this family, in this role, in this job every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash,” he said. “It takes me straight back, so in that respect it’s the worst reminder of her life as opposed to the best.”
Harry spoke about his mom and the media’s attention on his family today before it was announced publicly that he and Meghan have started legal action against several British tabloids.
“Everything that she went through and what happened to her is incredibly raw every single day and that’s not me being paranoid that’s just me not wanting a repeat of the past,” Harry said. “And if anybody else knew what I knew, be it a father, be it a husband, be it anyone, you’d probably be doing exactly what I’m doing as well.”
4. Meghan’s real talk on motherhood
Meghan garnered sympathy and praise on social media after she acknowledged her struggle both as a new mom and one under a constant spotlight.
“I would say, look any women especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable so that was made really challenging and when you have a newborn, you know, yeah, you know, and especially as a woman it’s really, it’s a lot,” she said. “So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or a newlywed it’s um, yeah, well, I guess, and also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m OK.”
Meghan also opens up about how she “had no idea” the depth of the scrutiny she would face after becoming Harry’s wife.
“I don’t think anybody could understand that,” she said. “In all fairness I had no idea, which probably sounds difficult to understand and hear, but when I first met my now-husband my friends were really happy because I was so happy but my British friends said to me, ‘I’m sure he’s great but you shouldn’t do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life.’”
“And I very naively – I’m American. We don’t have that there – [said], ‘What are you talking about? That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not in any tabloids,'” she added. “I didn’t get it. So it’s been, yeah. It’s been complicated.”
5. Harry’s relationship with Prince William
Harry addresses the rumors, fanned by British tabloids, of a rift between him and William, the only children of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
“Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure that it’s under, inevitably stuff happens,” he said. “But look we’re brothers. We’ll always be brothers.”
“We’re certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and as I know he’ll always be there for me,” Harry added. “We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we’re so busy but I love him dearly.”
“The majority of the stuff is created out of nothing but as brothers it’s just as I said, you have good days, you have bad days,” he said.
Tune into “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey,” hosted by “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts, on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 10 p.m. ET, on the ABC Television Network.
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