Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s romance began in 2016, and was kept under wraps until they officially announced their engagement. In an official interview with the BBC in November 2017, the couple shared their romantic proposal. Meghan recalled the moment Harry got down on one knee and proposed to her while they were cooking a chicken dinner. She didn’t even let Harry finish his proposal before quickly agreeing.
However, this romantic love story was denied by Meghan Markle herself in a Netflix documentary released in 2022. She called the interview with the BBC a “staged drama” and “pre-rehearsed”. Meghan said they were forced to do the interview immediately after the press announcement. Even showing off the engagement ring was part of the pre-arranged script. She affirmed that they were never allowed to tell their own story. Prince Harry also agreed with his wife, emphasizing the “inconsistency” in how they were allowed to share their story.
Mishal Hussain (BBC journalist), who conducted the interview that year, spoke out after royal fans noticed inconsistencies in Harry and Meghan’s accounts. She firmly insisted that the interview was done at the couple’s request and was not staged. In a separate interview with Saga magazine, Hussain said that Harry and Meghan seemed to have thought very carefully about their new life and what marriage meant, especially for Meghan. Former BBC Director General Lord Hall also confirmed that Meghan’s allegations were “completely false” and said that Hussain’s speaking out was a remarkable move.
Not only the proposal story, many other details were also found to be inconsistent. Initially, the couple claimed that they met on a blind date. But in the Netflix documentary, Harry said that they met through Instagram. Meghan also shared in an interview with the BBC that she did not know much about the British Royal Family. She only asked the matchmaker if Harry was a good person. However, a photo later appeared showing Meghan posing in front of Buckingham Palace with her friend when she was only 15 years old.