Prince Harry and Meghan Markle documentary about Megxit to air in Germany next week – as film crew investigates the Sussexes’ new life in Montecito

Germany’s first major documentary on the fallout from Megxit will hit television screens in just a few days, claiming to delve into shocking insights that could reshape perceptions of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last visited the European nation in September 2023 when they hosted the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf. 

At the time, the couple’s tour of Germany was widely hailed a resounding success; with fans going wild for the tournament and filling arenas to spectate at the event.

The documentary, directed by German filmmaker Ulrike Grunewald, sees her take her film crew to Montecito to dig into the Sussexes’ life in exile.

Grunewald is also director of Die Windsors (The Windsors) (2009) and Prinzessin Dianas gefährliches Erbe (Princess Diana’s Dangerous Legacy) (2021).

Here her new documentary sees Grunewald examining the seismic shifts in the British royal family since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their duties in 2020.

Speaking about her investigation, she said: ‘The worst accusations always come from their own circle… Revelations that shocked the royal family came directly from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.’

The film also examines the royal family’s recent challenges, including the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and health issues faced by King Charles III and the Princess of Wales.

These developments, coupled with the ongoing rift between Harry and his father, underline the monarchy’s struggles in navigating a post-Elizabethan era.

Back in 2020, many elements of the German media were open in their fierce criticism on Megxit.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said: ‘Meghan and Harry’s decision is an affront to tradition and the expectations of the British public.’

Meanwhile Die Welt newspaper said: ‘The withdrawal of Harry and Meghan is a slap in the face of the monarchy and its supporters.’

By September 2023, however, much of the German press was spouting praise for the couple during the Invictus Games.

Poised to be one of the most talked-about documentaries of the year, it now remains to be seen how Harry – The Lost Prince on December 3 at 8:15 pm, will be received by the German public.

It comes after Meghan urged Americans to ‘open their arms’ to new people this Thanksgiving – after claiming she felt ‘lonely’ in the Royal Family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have enjoyed being able to present themselves in a good light in Germany during the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, in September 2023 (pictured)

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, hosted a dinner in Los Angeles for Afghan women who have settled in the US earlier this month.

In an interview with Marie Claire, the mother-of-two, who lives in Montecito, California, was asked how Americans can make women in similar circumstances to her guests feel more at ease in the United States.

The former Suits actress replied: ‘It’s really easy. Just think about how you’d want someone to treat you…how would you want someone to open their arms to you?’

Since quitting their royal duties in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spoken out several times about how Meghan struggled to adapt to life in the Royal Family – and how being a member of the Firm is ‘nothing like what it looks like’.

In their Netflix docuseries, Meghan famously outlined her first meeting with the Prince and Princess of Wales – describing herself as a ‘hugger’, which the ‘formal’ couple may have found ‘jarring’.

During their bombshell Oprah interview, the Duchess famously alleged members of the Royal Family – who she refused to name – discussed how ‘dark Archie’s skin might be’ before he was born. 

As such, the Duchess – who moved to the UK before her engagement to Prince Harry was announced in 2017 – stressed the importance of community when you’re ‘missing your country’.

Last week’s event was in collaboration with the charity Mina’s List and Archewell’s The Welcome Project, which ‘supports the creation of programming for women who have recently resettled from Afghanistan’. These include art, photography, cooking, sewing, hiking and swimming projects. 

Pictured: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their quasi-royal tour of Colombia earlier this year. Since quitting their royal duties in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spoken out several times about how Meghan struggled to adapt to life in the Royal Family

Speaking about her programme’s benefits, Meghan said during her latest public appearance: ‘You miss home, you miss your country, and also can find comfort in the new community that you have here. I’m grateful that we are able to be a part of that community.’ 

The food – which included Ashak and Mantuu, both types of dumpling – was prepared by Soho House chef Shane Fatemian. 

The dinner was held in the garden at Our Place’s headquarters – a trendy cookware company that was founded by a female immigrant and has previously collaborated with Selena Gomez. 

What’s more, Meghan revealed how her Thanksgiving celebrations with her husband and children are ‘always pretty low-key’.

After gushing how ‘great’ it is to have her mother Doria nearby, Meghan said: ‘I love the holidays. [Archie and Lilibet are now] three and five, so every year it gets better. We’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.’

Since 2020, the Duke and Duchess have spoken about how the Firm could have done more to support Meghan during her time as a working royal.

In their Netflix series, Meghan detailed her first meeting with the Prince and Princess of Wales – and how she was ‘surprised’ to learn the Royal Family’s formality continued behind closed doors.

She said: ‘Even when Will and Kate came over and I was meeting her for the first time I remember I was in ripped jeans, I was barefoot. Like I was a hugger, I have always been a hugger I didn’t realise that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. 

In their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan (pictured) revealed she began experiencing suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant with Archie in 2019

In their Netflix docuseries, Meghan (pictured at the 2019 Commonwealth Service) famously outlined her first meeting with the Prince and Princess of Wales – describing herself as a ‘hugger’, which the ‘formal’ couple may have found ‘jarring’

‘I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward facing way of being and then you close the door and think “OK we can relax now”. But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me.’ 

In Prince Harry’s biography Spare, the Duke claimed the Princess of Wales was ‘put on edge’ by Meghan’s arrival and how she would be ‘forced to compete’ with the actress. 

In their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan revealed she began experiencing suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant with Archie in 2019 and was not given the support she needed.

She recalled: ‘I said: “I need help.” [Human resources] said: ”My heart goes out to you because I see how bad it is, but there’s nothing we can do to protect you because you’re not a paid employee of the institution.’ 

‘This wasn’t a choice, this was emails and begging for help saying very specifically: ‘I am concerned for my mental welfare.'” 

Meghan added: ‘Nothing was ever done. So we had to find a solution.’ 

The couple also alleged members of the family had ‘several’ conversations with Prince Harry about how dark Archie’s skin might be.

‘All around this same time, we have in tandem the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title and also concerns and conversations as how dark his skin might be when he’s born,’ Meghan said. 

‘That was relayed to me from Harry from conversations that family had with him.’

Meghan refused to say who had those conversations with Harry, saying: ‘That would be really damaging to them.’

The revelation came after Meghan said she had been informed Archie wouldn’t have security protection when he was born because he wasn’t going to be given a HRH or Prince title.

The following day, Prince William hit back at Meghan and Harry’s claims – telling press outside an East London school that they were ‘very much not a racist family’.

Elsewhere in the interview, Meghan opened up about how ‘lonely’ she felt while she was still a working Royal Family.

She explained: ‘There were moments that [Harry] had to work or he had to go away, there’s moments in the middle of the night. And so, there was very little that I was allowed to do.

‘And so, yeah, of course that breeds loneliness when you’ve come from such a full life or when you’ve come from freedom.

‘I think the easiest way that now people can understand it is what we’ve all gone through in lockdown.’ 

In his 2023 book Our King: Charles III, royal expert Robert Jobson claimed Meghan dismissed the Queen’s suggestion that the Duchess of Edinburgh help her adjust to life in the Royal Family. 

Sophie, 58, married Prince Edward in a lavish ceremony at St George’s Chapel in 1999 and has weathered her own share of scandals – but became a ‘second daughter’ to Queen Elizabeth II and is now a trusted senior royal. 

But Meghan offered only a curt reply to the late monarch, saying: ‘I’ve got Harry.’ 

Royal expert Andrew Morton has also previously claimed the Queen told Meghan she could continue acting after she married into the Firm. 

Andrew Morton – who famously penned Princess Diana’s blockbuster biography in 1992 – said Meghan and Harry were given the opportunity ‘to go wherever they pleased’. 

The Queen told Meghan she could forge ahead with her Hollywood career – which had seen her most famously star as paralegal Rachel Zane in drama Suits – if she did not want to ’embrace royal duties full time’, Mr Morton said.

He said there were ‘difficult conversations’ about how the Sussexes would contribute to the Firm once they were married, adding: ‘There was some real obvious signs before we even got married that this was going to be really hard.’ 

Speaking on Royally Obsessed podcast, biographer Mr Morton said: ‘[The Queen] gave them the opportunity to go wherever they please.

‘They were given a degree of latitude. They were told “here are your first class tickets, pick which country you want to go to, we’re going to make you youth ambassadors for the Commonwealth”.

‘In fairness to the royal family, in fairness to the Queen, she did give them that opportunity to go wherever they pleased.

‘And also, they did say to Meghan if you don’t want to embrace royal duties full time please be our guest and continue your acting career. Those opportunities were open to her.’ 

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org for details; In the US call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).