Spare

Harry visits a new therapist. He explains that his memories of Princess Diana are behind an inaccessible “Wall” and he needs help to cry. In Harry’s second therapy session, he vents his anger about press harassment. The therapist tells Harry that he’s “stuck” in 1997—the year his mother died. Harry talks to the therapist about his need for surrogate mothers and his guilt over how his mother would feel about them. In addition, they discuss how the press dehumanizes the royal family. Harry’s therapist points out that his preoccupation with the media is obsessive. After months of therapy, Harry can retrieve memories of his mother. In addition to happy memories, he recalls Princess Diana’s distress when the paparazzi chased them on family days out.

After Meghan spends thousands of dollars on legal fees, The Sun prints an apology for the Pornhub story. Harry again unsuccessfully appeals to Prince Charles. Meanwhile, Camilla assures Meghan that she received similar treatment from the press.

On the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, Harry and Prince William visit their mother’s grave at Althorp. The brothers agree that they feel their mother’s presence guiding their lives in a positive direction. However, Prince William is skeptical when Harry says he feels that their mother led him to Meghan.

During Meghan’s next visit to London, she agrees to leave Canada and move into Nottingham Cottage. Her first official outing with Harry is at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto. Afterward, the British press expresses disapproval at Meghan’s torn jeans. Although the Palace approved Meghan’s outfit, it doesn’t defend her.

Harry tells his private secretary, Elf, that he wants to propose to Meghan. Elf explains that he must obtain permission from the Queen. Harry learns that Princess Margaret was talked out of marrying a divorcée. He’s also reminded that King Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry divorcée Wallis Simpson. Harry points out that Prince Charles and Camilla were both divorced before marrying. Elf warns him that the Queen views each case on an individual basis. Anxious, Harry decides to approach his grandmother during an upcoming shooting weekend at Sandringham.

Harry tells Prince William that he’s planning to propose. His brother advises him against it, suggesting that he’s being too hasty. At Sandringham, Prince Charles asks whether Meghan will continue working, pointing out that royal funds are limited. When Harry finally gets his grandmother alone, the Queen gives her permission. Harry has an engagement ring made from a Botswana diamond and diamonds taken from his mother’s bracelet. In readiness to move to London, Meghan quits her acting job. Following the Palace’s instructions, she closes her website and social media accounts. Harry proposes to Meghan in the garden of Nottingham Cottage, and she tearfully accepts.

When Harry’s engagement is announced, the press starts to harass Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle. The Daily Mirror reveals that he lives on the Mexican border, and paparazzi rent the house next door to photograph him. Meghan worries whether her father can cope with the pressure of press harassment. She often calls him, advising him to ignore the press and say nothing. Harry and Meghan embark on a tour of the United Kingdom to mark their engagement. The British public responds enthusiastically to Meghan.

For advice on wedding venues, Harry calls Prince William, who rules out Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s and suggests Tetbury, but Harry dismisses the chapel as too small. His first choice would be to elope to Botswana. The Palace approves St. George’s Chapel as a wedding venue and sets the wedding date for May 2018. In February of that year, Harry and Meghan undertake their first public engagement with Prince William and Kate. The event goes well, although Kate seems taken aback by Meghan’s request to use her lip gloss backstage. In the following days, the press compares Kate and Meghan, highlighting that only Meghan publicly supported the #metoo movement.

Harry and Meghan acquire Pula, a puppy companion for Meghan’s rescue dog, Guy. The press harasses the couple less frequently but publishes inaccurate stories about the wedding arrangements. Harry and Meghan are encouraged to give details of their big day to the official royal correspondents. They agree, but Harry insists that he wants all reporters banned from the wedding ceremony. The Palace insists that this would create significant difficulties with the press. They finally agree on a compromise: The royal correspondents will wait outside the chapel. Harry and Meghan visit Prince Charles to choose the music for their wedding ceremony. Meghan and Prince Charles bond over their love of Chopin.

Harry plans to wear his Army uniform for the wedding. He asks his grandmother if he can break with protocol and keep his beard for the ceremony. The Queen gives her permission, but Prince William is unhappy because he couldn’t keep his beard or choose his uniform on his wedding day. Harry holds his stag weekend at a friend’s house in the countryside. He’s wary of getting too drunk lest Prince William shave his beard off. The weekend’s highlight is Harry dressing as a chicken while his friends shoot fireworks at him.

Talks ensue over whether Meghan, as a divorcée, can wear a veil. Although it’s against protocol, the Palace agrees that she can. Meghan gratefully accepts when Harry’s aunts offer her Princess Diana’s tiara. However, the Queen asks Meghan to choose a tiara from her collection. When Meghan makes her choice, the Queen’s dresser, Angela, delays sending it over. Harry and Meghan receive death threats and are informed that their wedding is a potential target for terrorists. Angela hands over the tiara, but her reluctance is evident.

The week before the wedding, Meghan learns that Thomas Markle has collaborated with the tabloids. Meghan’s father denies the claim to his daughter. However, staged photographs appear in the newspapers the next day. Meghan then learns that her father has had a heart attack and won’t be attending the wedding. The following day, Kate tells Meghan that Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress doesn’t fit. Meghan tells Kate to see their tailor, who will make alterations. However, Kate insists that a new dress be made. Harry finds Meghan crying after the disagreement. The next day, Kate sends flowers to apologize.

Harry spends the evening before the wedding at a private cottage. He’s hurt when Prince William initially says he can’t join him. Prince William eventually turns up and accompanies Harry to meet the crowds. He stays for dinner but refuses to stay the night, insisting on returning to his family.

Two billion people watch Harry and Meghan’s wedding on TV. Upon their marriage, they take the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. As the couple leaves the church, they see police snipers on the surrounding rooftops. Soon after Harry and Meghan’s honeymoon, Meghan goes on her first solo engagement with the Queen. The press criticizes Meghan for not wearing a hat and getting in the car before the Queen—actions that the Palace had approved.

A month after the wedding, Prince William and Kate invite Harry and Meghan to dinner. Meghan tries to clear the air by pointing out that misunderstandings have occurred between them. However, her comments prompt the airing of more grievances on both sides. Kate is upset that Meghan suggested her post-natal hormones were making her forgetful. Prince William agrees that Meghan’s comments were “rude” and points aggressively at Harry’s wife. They shout at one another, and the evening ends awkwardly.

Aware of the tensions between the young royals, the Palace staff takes sides. Prince William blames Meghan, but Harry believes that new staff hired by his brother is the source of the conflict. Meghan tries to win over the staff with kindness and treats. She writes a condolence letter to Harry’s old neighbor, Mr. R, after his son dies, highlighting her thoughtfulness.

Harry and Meghan try for a baby. They stay at the Castle of Mey in Scotland for a few days with Prince Charles. Harry’s father tells them a story about selkies, mermaids who appear as seals around the Scottish coast. He advises them to sing if they see a seal, as it may be a selkie. During their stay, the Queen calls and speaks to Meghan about her problems with her father. The Queen suggests that if Meghan can’t visit her father to talk to him, she should write him a letter. Harry and Meghan go to the beach and see a couple of seals. Meghan sings to them, and they sing back. Later, Prince Charles’s chef tells them that singing to the seals puts the animals’ lives in danger because killer whales are prevalent around the coast.

Meghan takes a pregnancy test, and the couple celebrates when the result is positive. Harry believes that his mother and the selkies helped bring about this good fortune. The couple attends the wedding of Princess Eugenie. They take the opportunity to tell close family about Meghan’s pregnancy. Prince Charles, Prince William, and Kate all warmly congratulate the couple. Meghan’s pregnancy is publicly announced before the couple embarks on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Soon after they return to Britain, the press gives Meghan the nickname “Duchess Difficult.” Stories emerge that her tyrannical behavior caused one assistant to quit—and that Meghan made Kate cry over the bridesmaids’ dresses and had a tantrum when she couldn’t have her first choice of tiara.

Harry and Meghan invite Prince William and Kate to Nottingham Cottage. Kate acknowledges that the newspaper story about the bridesmaids’ dresses is untrue. When Harry and Meghan ask where the story might have come from, Prince William admits that he told Charles and Camilla about their disagreement. Prince Harry asks his grandmother if he and Meghan can move to a larger property. The Queen suggests Frogmore Cottage, which needs renovations. Harry and Meghan retreat to Oxfordshire while the work is done. Aerial pictures of their Oxfordshire home, taken from a helicopter, appear in the newspapers. One day, Harry returns home to find Meghan crying, and she confesses to thoughts of death by suicide. Harry promises to protect her.