Harry and Meghan: Escaping the Palace, now streaming on Amazon Prime
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's flight from the British Royal family to North America had been made into a TV movie. As in many Lifetime productions, the resemblance of the actors to the people they portray in real life is remarkable.
Photo: Lifetime
Jordan Dean is a Broadway star and composer. He was in the original cast of 'American Psycho' as Luis Carruthers in 2016 and played a number of roles on the stage. In TV, he has made some appearances in 'Law and Order', 'Z: The Beginning of Everything', and 'High Maintenance'.
Dressed as Harry, Duke of Sussex, Jordan Dean looks an exact replica of the Prince. With a perfect hairstyle recreation and the costume on point, he is the Queen's grandson's doppelgänger.
Photo: Lifetime
Sydney Morton is also from the Broadway stage. Having been part of the original Broadway cast for many musicals, she travelled on national tours and also made her mark on the TV screen. Morton appeared in series for Netflix, Syfy ad NBC. Her CV states a range of interesting talents: Clogging, Tap, Barbershop Singing, Dialects, Impersonations, and Freestyle Rapping.
In the Lifetime movie, actress Sydney Morton looks exactly like Meghan Markle.
She can be heard saying the words that she had previously said to Oprah in the interview, talking about when she attended the Royal Albert Hall on duties: "If I'm left alone, I don't know what I might do."
Photo: Lifetime
The tagline says, "Not all fairy tales have the perfect ending." It deals with one of the most controversial events in the lives of the British royals.
Photo: Lifetime
The film catches up with the couple after the birth of their son Archie (who is now two years old) and recounts the events that lead to the pair's decision of leaving the royal family. It shows the intimate details of what happened after the announcement.
According to TVLine, the film presents a fictional account of "the couple's controversial conscious uncoupling from the crown, after the birth of their son Archie."
Photo: Lifetime
THAT Oprah interview, which rocked the royal family and focused on baby Archie, is featured in the new movie. One of the most famous TV programmes of the past years, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, is central to the Lifetime movie and has been reconstructed to the smallest detail.
Photo: Lifetime
Meghan said in the Oprah interview that "in the months when I was pregnant… we have in tandem the conversation of he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born." The couple never disclosed who made these remarks about Archie's skin colour.
Photo: CBS
Although no names were mentioned, it was clear that the people particularly under fire were Harry's brother, William; sister-in law, Kate; and his father, Charles. Harry did disclose that there was such a deep rift between him and Charles, that he said his father at one point "stopped taking my calls."
The synopsis also features other royals, as it examines "the dynamics between Will and Harry, Kate and Meghan, and Harry with Will and Charles, that lead to the ultimate break from the royal ties."
Photo: Lifetime
Jordan Whalen returns as Prince William, Laura Mitchell as Kate Middleton, Steve Coulter as Prince Charles and Maggie Sullivan as Queen Elizabeth II.
Photo: Lifetime
The backstory between the two Duchesses - Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge - is also interesting. Meghan put Kate in the firing line in the interview when she disclosed that her sister-in-law 'made her cry' - which was stark contrast to the news at the time of the incident, which reported it was, in fact, the other way around.
Harry has previously said how he doesn't want the same thing to happen to them as what happened to their mother. This film also looks at that fateful event which changed Harry forever.
Photo: Lifetime
According to The Sun, the movie emphasizes "Meghan’s growing isolation and sadness, their disappointment that 'The Firm' was not defending them against the press's attacks." Harry has often spoken about his fear that 'history would repeat itself'.
TVLine quotes the official synopsis in saying that the movie is a fictional account of "the couple's controversial conscious uncoupling from the crown."
Photo: Lifetime
Although they categorically stated in their interviews that the Queen was not to be blamed, they still made many strong and criticising statements against the Royal family in general: which is, of course, the Queen's institution. Her Majesty's response to the interview was calm and political, maintaining the dignity of the Firm.
This is the third Harry and Meghan film that Lifetime has produced. It seems they are going for the hat trick. 'Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance' was followed by 'Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal.'
The movie premiered on Lifetime Canada in September and has now become available on Amazon Prime for streaming. It hasn't had the best reviews, receiving a poor 2.5/10 on IMDB.
Photo: Lifetime
Earlier on in 2021, Prince Harry opened up about life in the royal family in an Apple TV documentary. The Oprah Winfrey's series, 'The Me You Can't See,' features another bombardment of complaints at the royals.
'Harry & Meghan: Escape from the Palace' gives audiences a 'realtime' view of the harassment on social media he has received along with his wife Meghan Markle; and all of the events that led to his decision to walk away from his life in the royal family. The events that have had the whole world watching.
Photo: Lifetime