Netflix will follow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex throughout the trip as part of the couple’s $ 100 million deal with the media giant, who are shooting a documentary about the Paralympic Games for Army veterans.
The film crew will have exclusive access to the couple in The Hague and are expected to film the behind-the-scenes meeting between Harry and Megan and the Invictus team from the war-torn country.
Meanwhile, security forces were spotted around The Hague today with sniffer dogs and police as a steel ring was placed before the royal couple entered from California for the opening ceremony on Saturday.
Harry and Megan – who have received the so-called VVIP (very, very important person) status from the Dutch authorities – will also be videotaped to welcome the contestants and their families throughout their journey.
However, critics have accused the couple of making money from the games by allowing Netflix cameras to participate in private meetings. And royal experts believe the VVIP status given to the couple will allow Netflix to portray the couple – who have been heavily criticized for not attending the Duke of Edinburgh memorial service – in a particularly favorable light.
It comes after sources close to the couple revealed that Harry and Megan would receive “VVIP” status in the Netherlands, providing them with top-level local protection – something that would be seen as an attempt to justify their non-attendance at Prince Philip’s memorial. service at Westminster Abbey last month for security reasons.
Prince Harry and Megan Markle (photo in 2018) go to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands starting on Saturday
Security at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark in The Hague is being stepped up today, two days before the start of the Games
Police, military personnel and security guards patrol today at the Zuiderpark in The Hague, the Netherlands
“The Netflix film crew will definitely favor Harry and Megan,” said Talk Radio royal commentator Charles Ray.
“It would seem like they are still members of the royal family when they are private. That’s all there is to it, to show people that they are still considered very important. “Undoubtedly, the ‘VVIP’ status given to them by the Dutch authorities will play very well.”
The film crew is expected to travel in the same armed police convoy that will transport Harry and Megan to the Zuiderpark stadium where the opening ceremony will take place on Saturday.
They will also film the moving moment when Harry and Megan meet members of the Ukrainian team, whose presence is colored by heartache for the loss of four of their former colleagues who died defending their country.
The trip marks a return to the forefront for Meghan, whose previous high-profile appearances were Oprah Winfrey’s interview and a very focused appearance on Ellen DeGenres show.
The Netflix series of documentaries that is filmed over the course of a week during gaming is called “Heart of Darkness”.
Security at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark ahead of the Invictus Games starting with the opening ceremony on Saturday
Police, military personnel and security guards patrol today at the Zuiderpark in The Hague, the Netherlands
Security at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark in The Hague is being stepped up today, two days before the start of the Games
It is the couple’s first co-production with Archewell Productions and is made by the Oscar-winning team of director Orlando von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara.
They were responsible for the widely acclaimed “White Helmets” documentary about the first correspondents during the Syrian conflict.
According to Archwell, the documentary series will “show strong stories of resilience and hope from competitors on their journey to the Invictus Games.”
The meeting of the royal couple with the Ukrainian team is expected to be one of the most moving moments of the games that will last a week in which competitors from 20 countries participated.
Their arrival at Schiphol Airport was marked by heartache after four members of the team died defending their country.
Sergey Smilin was killed in the line of duty on March 18, while former Invictus rivals Vladimir Motelchuk and Dmytro Oliynyk were killed in rocket attacks on March 29, and former tester Serhii Karajvan died in battle on March 13.
Security at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark ahead of the Invictus Games starting with the opening ceremony on Saturday
Security at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark in The Hague is being stepped up today, two days before the start of the Games
Police, military personnel and security guards patrol today at the Zuiderpark in The Hague, the Netherlands
“They were all very active in the international Invictus community on the We Are Invictus platform, competing in events last year, including the iconic London Marathon and online rowing championships,” said an Invictus spokesman.
Meghan is expected to arrive in the Netherlands with her husband on Friday and is expected to stay for four days.
There will be a minute’s silence for those who lost their lives in the conflict in Ukraine during the opening ceremony at the Zuiderpark in The Hague on Saturday night.
It will be Megan’s first trip abroad since leaving the royal family in 2020 and moving to California.
The event was postponed twice due to the pandemic and it was at the 2017 Games in Toronto that the royal couple was seen together for the first time. Months later they announced their engagement.
It is understood that Harry and Megan will not have anything in common with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima during their stay and will have to spend the night in a hotel in The Hague.
The Dutch royal family has traditionally hosted foreign kings, but a spokesman has confirmed that no such olive branch will be extended to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The couple has received VVIP status from the authorities and will be protected by members of the local police and their own private security team.
Royal experts today suggested that Harry and Megan would use their VVIP status in the Netherlands in his dispute with the Home Office, where he demands full police protection when visiting the United Kingdom.
The Sportcampus Zuiderpark in The Hague today, which this year hosts the Invictus Games
Security at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark ahead of the Invictus Games starting with the opening ceremony on Saturday
Harry was absent from the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial in London last month amid a Homeland Security claim after he was told he would no longer have the same degree of personal protection when he visited the United States, despite being offered to pay own. .
The duke wanted to bring his children to visit the United Kingdom, but said the family “could not return home” because it was too dangerous, a legal spokesman said.
Royal writer Phil Dampier said the couple would try to use the level of protection they receive in the Netherlands to prove to the British authorities that they should have the same in their visits.
“Harry and Megan are no longer members of the royal family and have stated that they are private until the issue of security comes up,” Dabier said.
“They do not deserve VVIP status as they are no longer members of the royal family. I suspect that the Dutch authorities gave them VVIP status to appease them.
“It is nonsense to say that they would not have been given complete security if they had had the trouble to attend the memorial service for Prince Philip. They would be in the royal bubble and would have complete security for the entire duration of the trip.
“Security or lack thereof was an excuse. The real reason for the no show was the huge rupture with the rest of the family “.
