New Documentary Stirs Up Trouble Among the Members of the British Royal Family

"Experts say the palace is concerned and horrified by content of interviews," writes the Daily Mail in its coverage of the new documentary, An African Journey. The first-ever movie to shed light on the everyday difficulties faced by royal family members, the piece raised eyebrows within 24 hours of its release. 

Featuring one-on-one interviews with journalist Tom Bradbury, the Meghan Markle documentary has already stirred up some trouble. Want to know more about the piece? Of course you do. 

On Sept. 23, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry set out with their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor on their first official outing in South Africa. During the 10-day-long journey they visited Botswana, Angola, and Malawi, and met with the public figures like South African cleric, Desmond Tutu. 

An African Journey captures this time period, and it also features footage of the two candidly discussing the complications they face on an everyday basis. 

Renowned for its relentless insistence on maintaining centuries-old traditions, the royal family issues strict regulations concerning public appearances, including the dress code, the amount of makeup allowed, and the behavior of its members. Meghan was even required to shut down her Instagram account and end her previous projects before joining the family. The documentary does not adhere to the conventions the palace stands for – in fact, it goes right against them. 

"It's not enough to just survive something, right?" Meghan begins an interview with her characteristically warm, charming style. Soon after, she adds, "I really tried to adopt this British, stiff upper lip," she says, before cracking up in a wave of anxious, cautionary laughter. As she goes on to describe, she felt that the new lifestyle came with unexpected impacts on her personal life.  

"It’s management. It’s constant management. I thought I was out of the woods and then suddenly it all came back and I suddenly realized, "Actually this is something that I have to manage," Prince Harry is captured saying in the movie. The royal expressed the utmost concern for his wife, who was badly impacted by the sudden press attention, before moving on to discuss his own, personal struggles that come with being born and raised in the spotlight. 

The documentary stirred up grave controversy among royal family members and the press alike. "Prince William worried about fragile Prince Harry after ITV documentary with Meghan Markle," ran a The Sun headline. "Meghan Markel gets emotional in a clip," wrote Vanity Fair. "As a new mum, I found Meghan's interview gut-wrenching, chimed in CNN's Kara Alaimo. The movie garnered mixed responses from the press – with just a few outlets expressing sympathy with the struggling royals. 

An African Journey marks a new era for British royalty. The first-ever documentary to offer a raw, candid portrayal of the hardships Meghan and Prince Harry had to undergo for the past few years, the movie divided the family and the public alike.