Source Defends Harry And Meghan's Netflix Trailer Using 'Fake' Footage

Ever since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first announced their Netflix documentary series, royals watchers have been bracing themselves for the worst. After the two trailers for "Harry & Meghan" dropped, their predictions grew even direr. During an appearance on GB News (via Express), royal biographer Tom Bower decried the "syrupy" preview with the "mournful, tearful" couple as nothing more than a front for a "vicious and poisonous" attack intended to "destroy the British royal family for revenge." 

Critics also accused Harry and Meghan of faking press harassment to make themselves seem more sympathetic. The second trailer includes a shot of a throng of photographers aiming their cameras, presumably trying to capture the Sussexes during a private moment. However, as The U.S. Sun and other outlets pointed out, the picture was actually taken in 2011, at a premiere for the final "Harry Potter" movie. Another image shows a photographer capturing the couple and their son, Archie, on a balcony at the South African residence of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. 

However, a journalist who was there at the time clarified Meghan and Harry themselves had approved of the cameraman's being present (via Page Six). These revelations certainly make it seem as though the royal defectors are playing a bit fast and loose with the truth in order to support their narrative. If they had to manufacture images, does that mean Harry and Meghan's "Megxit" was less about escaping the ruthless tabloids and more about wanting to go Hollywood? One source disagrees. 

The second of the two trailers for "Harry & Meghan" shows Prince Harry accusing the press of creating a "feeding frenzy" surrounding "women who marry into this institution." Included in that group is his late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a horrific car wreck while evading paparazzi who were pursuing her (via Today). However, Harry's accusations against the tabloids are apparently challenged by the use of unrelated footage in the teaser. 

And yet, a supporter of the couple has come forward in the Sussexes' defense. In an interview with Page Six, an insider "familiar with the project" explained that the images used in a short preview are often quite different from what appears in the actual movie or TV series itself. They clarified, "You use stock images to tell a story. It's not meant to be literal in a trailer." 

The source also made the important distinction that Meghan and Harry weren't involved in the making of the trailer, so it's quite likely they didn't know what footage was being used, or how it would be edited to tease the finished product. Still, this mini-scandal is likely to be forgotten once the Netflix series actually airs and millions of viewers learn exactly what the couple endured during their time in the palace. As one source told The Mirror, "I genuinely think it's going to be worse than the royals can imagine."