Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Still Have ‘Hope’ For ‘Healing’ With Royal Family (Exclusive)

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Prince Harry, 38, and his wife, Meghan Markle, 41, have sent shockwaves globally with their tell-all documentary series Harry & Meghan, which premiered on Netflix on Dec. 8. Now, a source close to the couple EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife that they have “hope” to heal their relationships with the royal family. “They want everyone, including Harry’s family, to understand why they did what they did,” the insider shared. “This is about shining a light on how the institution operates and why it needs to change, that is where their focus has always been. The hope is that this message will get through and eventually lead to healing with the whole family, including William.”

They also emphasized that the documentary is not a malicious “attack” on anyone. “It’s not meant as an attack on William, or the rest of the family,” the pal added. The Duke of Sussex opened up about the “wedge” that was driven between him and his older brother during the second part of the documentary series which premiered on Thursday. When Harry recalled the events that transpired inside Sandringham House on Jan. 13, 2020, he revealed that William raised his voice at him.

“It became very clear very quickly that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” he said regarding him and Meghan’s negotiations with the royal family. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father [King Charles III] say things that just simply weren’t true and my grandmother [Queen Elizabeth II] you know, quietly sit there, and sort of take it all in.”

During part two of the docuseries, the father-of-two also claimed that the Kensington Palace press office released a joint statement that disputed the claims that William had “bullied” Harry and Meghan out of the family without his knowledge. “I couldn’t believe it. No one had asked me. No one had asked me permission to put my name to a statement like that,” Prince Harry said. It was also at that point that Harry had reached his breaking point. “Within four hours, they were happy to lie to protect my brother, and yet for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us,” he shared.

In the end, Harry and his wife ended up stepping back as Senior Royals of the institution in Jan. 2020. They released a joint statement via Instagram and revealed their plans to the world. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the caption began. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”

The Duke and Duchess now reside in Santa Barbara, California, as of July 2020. Meghan and her husband got married on May 19, 2018, in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle. They are proud parents to two children: Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, 3, and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, 1. During the final episode, it was also revealed that filmmaker Tyler Perry, 53, is the godparent to Lilibet.