Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new Netflix documentary on African orphans came after they 'watched viral dance videos at home with Prince Archie' during lockdown

Daily Mail​

a day ago

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's new Netflix documentary about African orphans came about after they watched dancing videos at home with their son Prince Archie.
One of the upcoming projects that forms part of the Sussexes' new 'first look' deal with Netflix is a short documentary about an African orphanage in Uganda, due to be released later this year - titled 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within'.
The orphanage is home to the Masaka Kids, a dancing troupe comprising children aged two and above that has found widespread fame online.
And the Sussexes themselves fell in love with the troupe during lockdown, watching videos of them at home with Prince Archie, now aged six.
A spokesperson for the couple told The Telegraph: 'They would watch the videos regularly with Archie at home.
'So, they were already admirers of the organisation before the film project came to them in 2023.'
However, Harry and Meghan were not involved in filming the documentary and are believed not to have gone to Uganda, according to the newspaper.
The new project appears to be part of Harry and Meghan's vow when they founded their Archewell Foundation to 'spotlight diverse voices and share uplifting stories' - though previous projects have included a cooking and lifestyle show, a documentary about Polo and a bombshell expose of the royal family.
The group's story will be part of the Sussexes' new downgraded Netflix contract that offers the streamer first rights to future film and TV projects.
The documentary will tell the story of how filmmaker David Lopez got to know the children as he visited Uganda over several years, with footage later picked up by Harry and Meghan's Archewell Productions.
Their spokesperson added: 'When the Duke and Duchess were made aware of the short, they quickly recognised the kids from their viral videos and fell in love with their deeper stories.'
They now hope to help 'amplify' the stories of the Masaka Kids and 'spread their love and joy' across the globe.
The dance troupe was founded in 2013 and raises money for children in Uganda orphaned due to conflict, poverty and the HIV/Aids epidemic.
It comes after social media users criticised Harry and Meghan, both of whom have producer credits on the documentary, for belittling the subject in a press release from the couple's production company Archewell.
According to the joint statement released by the Sussexes and Netflix, the film 'goes beyong the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing...and the promise of a brighter future'.
However, the synopsis was branded 'more MeMe word salad' from the Sussexes as outraged social media users said the statement appeared to 'trivialise the hardships of others for self-glorification'.
The movie's logline, some pointed out, echoes the language used by the 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex in interviews and media appearances since quitting the Royal Family and relocating to California with Prince Harry.
Others accused the couple of monetising the hardship endured by others while simultaneously drawing parallels with their own lives as the couple have frequently spoken about using overcoming challenges by creating moments of joy and celebration.
Last August, Meghan opened up about embracing a 'chapter of joy' that presumably followed her tumultuous stay in the UK as a senior Royal after marrying Prince Harry during a speech at Oprah Winfrey's book club meeting.
During her quasi-royal tour of Colombia with the Duke of Sussex around the same time, Meghan linked joy to the practice of gratitude - in an address echoing self-help guru Brene Brown - while discussing how we can continue to 'inspire and create change'.
She told the panel in Colombia: 'From my standpoint, how I will continue to express this, both through our foundation and through being able to move through the world, I suppose, is just looking at this as my chapter of joy.
'And the more that you are able to look at your life and really, truly, recognise that if you're going to be grateful for your life, you have to be grateful for all aspects of it.
'The parts that were opportunities of growth and may have felt very difficult as well as the parts that feel inspiring, joyful and full.'
Reddit users noted the short note about the documentary had left a bitter taste, as one person said: 'Yeah, let's watch a bunch of underprivileged children dance their way to healing! More MeMe word salad.'
A similar comment read: 'Watch those two try to turn hardship into a TikTok dance trend. They are not healing wounds. They are selling tickets to the spectacle. Please tell Netflix to hire crisis consultants and just STOP.
'The reality is, people paying for Netflix are not looking for Ugandan orphans. That is a program better suited for PBS.'
Another shared: 'Ugh! I wonder who wrote that patronising, puerile, ignorant, exploitive, superficial c**p. Just get some poor Ugandan kids to dance and their hardships will be transformed into joy, they will be healed, they will belong, their future will be brighter. What an utter bunch of s***.
They noted that while 'dancing can help with trauma', it cannot magically turn it 'into joy', adding: 'True to form, H & M trivialise the hardships of others for self-glorification - remember when Meg made a big deal of donating makeup to young women who had lost their homes in wildfires.'
A similar message posted on Reddit read: 'Yes, splendind, just what the world needs! Those two producing a dance therapy session for orphans - because nothing screams authenticity like orchestrated joy to distract from decades of headline chaos.
'Tragedy becoming the circus backdrop for their self-serving narrative.'
One person pointed out that the Masaka Kids and Meghan have similar online followings, adding: 'Masaka Kids has a YouTube channel with 4.1 Million subs, what exactly is Harry and Meghan bringing to the table?'
In fact, it is Meghan's Instagram follower count currently stands at 4.1 million - about 200,000 short of the Masaka Kids's 4.3 million YouTube subscribers.
Some were, however, supportive of their endeavour, with one X user writing: 'Yay, Ugandan here...nice that they are doing a documentary about those lovely kids! It will increase their visibility.'
Commenting on the optics of the docuseries from a branding perspective, expert Chad Teixeira told the Daily Mail 'the choice to be involved in Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within aligns closely with the Sussexes' ongoing narrative of resilience, purpose, and elevating stories that might otherwise be overlooked'.
However, he added, 'there is a clear disparity between the Sussexes' lived experiences and those of the children in Uganda's Masaka region, and this is where careful narrative framing is essential'.
Chad cautioned: 'Handled sensitively, this project reinforces their brand positioning as cultural storytellers and advocates for human resilience.
'It also strategically taps into a universal emotional thread, that joy can be a radical act in the face of hardship, without diluting the gravity of the children's reality.
'The key will be in ensuring their commentary keeps the focus firmly on the children and the community, positioning themselves as facilitators of visibility rather than co-protagonists in the narrative.'
Elsewhere, PR expert Hayley Knight, the co-founder of BE YELLOW PR agency, said that the couple are likely using the momentum from their previous projects for this campaign.
'After the mass attention gained from their previous Netflix documentary 'Harry & Meghan', it seems they want to use this momentum and shift attention to something deeper,' she explained.
'This documentary, and the themes around it takes them back to their roots of empathetic storytelling, echoing Princess Diana's legacy of compassionate engagement with these communities, and the challenges they endure.
'The documentary also likely holds special meaning for the Sussexes. As parents, they understand the profound urgency of security, education, and love for every child, not just their own. And as public figures who have experienced scrutiny and discrimination, they understand the harm stigma, neglect and prejudice can inflict.'
However, she added, the 'project hasn't been met without criticism, with some arguing that the documentary frames poverty through joyful dancing, reducing deep systematic hardship down to a feel-good spectacle for Western audiences'.
'Children cannot simply 'dance their way' out of a lack of the issues that they face, and the documentary should focus more on the challenges around lack of education, healthcare and security, and that the documentary glosses over, and distracts the need for long term, structural change,' she added.
'It's the balance many filmmakers and charities face - inspiration without trivialising. However, with 4.1m subscribers on YouTube, the story behind the Masaka Kids, who have endured devastating personal loss from famine and war, and use the power of dance and song to overcome hardship, has touched people worldwide, and started conversations.
'The documentary will simply amplify this, and also tap into new audiences who already follow them online.'
Netflix and Archewell Productions on Monday released all the details about their new 'multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects' that experts have said is a downgrade on their earlier $100million contract.
The renewed deal was described by the Sussexes - who made the announcement with Netflix - as 'extending their creative partnership' through Archewell Productions.
However, the new terms are understood to be less lucrative for the Sussexes than their previous contract under which they released the bombshell, two-part docuseries about the hardships they endured before stepping down as senior Royals.
Netflix said Harry & Meghan, which came out in December 2022, was a huge success with a total of 23.4million views, making it the most viewed documentary ever through its first four days and reaching the English Top 10 TV list in 85 countries.
But With Love, Meghan - Meghan's recently renewed lifestyle series - failed to break into Netflix's top ten programmes - or even the top 300, as it ranked at number 383 in 2025 so far for the streaming giant with just 5.3million viewers across the globe since it was first broadcast in March.
The announcement about the new docuseries comes after a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed he is considering starting a new African charity to rival Sentebale after he quit following a race row.
The Duke earlier this month walked away from the charity following a damning report.
But, as exclusively revealed by the Mail on Sunday, his spokesperson has now confirmed Harry is weighing up how to carry on supporting the region.
'The duke remains absolutely committed to continuing the work he started, supporting the children and young people of Lesotho and Botswana, nearly 20 years ago,' the spokesperson said today.
'In what form that support takes - no decisions have been made.