Prince Harry has allegedly discovered a “new cure for insomnia” with his new Netflix documentary, Polo. Speaking to Newsweek, royal commenter Eric Schiffer sarcastically notes that the Duke of Sussex’s new show “feels fake” and is nothing more than a “pompous portrayal of privilege posing as a documentary.” For years, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have desperately attempted to get their foot in Hollywood’s door for a chance at A-lister-rank fame. Unfortunately for them, this new Polo doc only thrives on “public fascination,” nothing else.
Harry’s Polo premiered on December 10, 2024, with Netflix describing it as a “series that follows elite global players and offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of the sport.” Oddly enough, despite Harry being an avid polo player himself, the Prince hardly appeared in the documentary, causing the series to be quite “dull” without him.
Then again, perhaps it was Netflix’s decision to keep the cameras off Prince Harry on a horse throughout the series. Those following The Royal Family will recall that back in 2010, Prince Harry might have been ultimately responsible for riding a poor pony, Drizzle, to its death. After all, “polo is very grueling for the ponies,” according to PETA, making the whole sports doc a bad look for the Sussexea regarding animal cruelty.
Nonetheless, Schiffer’s main point of Polo’s harshly received criticism is that the show is “half-baked” and “proof that money can’t buy good content. As a result, the documentary “ensures polo becomes even less popular,” as “people are not going to relate to it.” Newsweek’s source makes a strong point. If the Sussexes are attempting to “prove their worth as TV producers,” choosing the expensive and hardly accessible ‘game-of-kings’ sport was an out-of-touch choice.
Needless to say, it’s not just expert critics and reviewers who feel like Prince Harry’s doc is simply a “pompous portrayal of privilege.” One commenter states the following:
“Harry really doesn’t understand life or the troubles people are having to even put food on their families’ table. He was indeed a privileged individual. Born into Royalty. Never worried about money, or working 9 to 5. He had gardeners to do his yard work. Maids to clean up after him and do his laundry, chefs to cook his meals, butlers to lay his clothes out. He doesn’t know anything but privilege.”
Regardless of whether Prince Harry indeed was a “Spare” or not, someone born directly into The Royal Family, especially an individual with a direct bloodline to the monarchy, doubtless has a very advantageous life over society’s average Joes and Janes. Of course, like many celebrities who have never experienced poverty or a harsh upbringing, it is almost impossible for Harry or Meghan to realize how out of touch their endeavors to appease the public really are.
Needless to say, this isn’t the last we’ll see of the Sussexes’ attempts to gain recognition through Netflix. Despite the tremendous flop Polo turned out to be, Meghan also has an upcoming lifestyle show that will be featured on the platform. Even if this next show turns out to be a failure, Markle will probably enjoy the media attention it will receive since she relishes being in the spotlight.
