Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Claims Harry And Meghan Are ‘Using’ Grandfather’s Legacy In New Netflix Series

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Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter has accused Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, of “using” her grandfather’s legacy for profit with their Netflix documentary series Live to Lead, which she called “deeply disturbing and tiresome”. .

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human … [+] Ripple of Hope Rights Gala at the New York Hilton on December 6, 2022, in New York City.

Getty Images for the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Gala Ripple of Hope Highlights

However, Mandela’s eldest grandchild, writer and social activist Ndileka Mandela, told The Australian she was unhappy with Harry and Meghan naming her grandfather for the project, saying people “have used the legacy his because they know his name sells – Harry and Meghan Meghan is no different.”

Ndileka Mandela said Harry and Meghan are “using” her grandfather’s words to “attract people and make millions”, without any benefit to the Mandela family.

She said she admires Harry for “having the confidence to break away” from the royal family, comparing it to her grandfather’s rebellion against an arranged marriage that was set up for him.

However, she said Harry’s decision “comes at a price” and added that the prince “must be authentic and stick to his story. . . . What does his grandfather’s life have to do with his?”

Crucial quotes

“I’ve made peace with people using my grandfather’s name, but it’s still deeply upsetting and tiring every time it happens,” said Ndileka Mandela.

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Ndileka Mandela also criticized Meghan for comments she made during an interview earlier this year, drawing comparisons between her 2018 wedding celebrations and Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. In an interview published in the Cut in August, Meghan said a South African cast member of the London production of The Lion King told her at the show’s premiere in 2019 that South Africans were “rejoicing in the streets” for her wedding. her with Harry, “the same we did when Mandela was released from prison”. Ndileka Mandela said that her grandfather’s release from prison was “the culmination of almost 350 years of struggle in which generations of our people paid with their lives theirs. . . . This is chalk and cheese – there is no comparison.

Key background

Live to Lead, which premiered on Netflix last month, was inspired by Mandela, according to Harry. In a 2015 speech at the Nelson Mandela Memorial Center in Johannesburg, South Africa, Harry said he met Mandela before the leader died in 2013, a memory Harry said he has “treasured” ever since. Earlier this year, Harry said he keeps a photograph of his mother, Princess Diana, and Mandela from their meeting in 1990, framed on a wall in his home. The Live to Lead documentary series features interviews with influential figures such as climate change activist Greta Thunberg, feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is the second project with Netflix for Harry and Meghan, whose exclusive deal with the broadcaster is estimated to be worth millions. Their first Netflix project, Harry & Meghan, caused controversy when it premiered last month, but was the broadcaster’s biggest documentary premiere ever. The two Netflix projects are part of a bigger media push by the Sussexes, with Harry’s memoir Spare coming out next week. The projects have been controversial with Harry and Meghan commenting on Harry’s royal relatives and said to have caused tension between the couple and the Windsors. In video interviews released this week, Harry said his family “has shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile”.

Further reading

‘I want a family, not an institution’: Here’s what Prince Harry says ahead of controversial memoir release (Forbes)

Prince Harry defends Netflix doc and media appearances: ‘Silence is treason’ (Forbes)