In the new “Harry and Meghan” docuseries, which premiered on Netflix, Meghan Markle revealed that she wasn’t treated “like a black woman” until her move to husband Prince Harry’s homeland.
“At that time, I wasn’t thinking about how race played a part in any of this,” Markle said. “I genuinely didn’t think about it.”
She added, “It’s very different to be a minority but not be treated as a minority right off the bat. I’d say now, people are very aware of my race because they made it such an issue when I went to the UK. But before that, most people didn’t treat me like a ‘Black woman.’ So that talk didn’t happen for me.”
Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland, said she had warned her daughter of what she’ll have to face if he continued to pursue her relationship with Prince Harry. “I said to her very clearly, I said, ‘This is about race.’ And Meg said, ‘Mommy, I don’t want to hear that.’ I said, ‘You may not want to hear it, but this is what’s coming down the pike,’” Ragland stated.
“Harry & Meghan” is six-part docuseries that “explores the span of their relationship, from the early days of the couple’s courtship to the challenges and controversies that led them to feeling forced to step back from their full-time roles in the institution.” It includes interviews with family and friends, as well as historians and journalists who explore how the media covered the Prince and Markles’s relationship with each other and the royal family. The series will premiere in two parts, with Volume I (Episodes 1–3) streaming now, and Volume 2 (Episodes 4–6) on Dec. 15.
“We are grateful to have the ability to share our love story through such an esteemed creative team and with the global reach of Netflix,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement. “We hope it helps others to heal, and to feel inspired.”