Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a divisive documentary on Netflix in 2022 after stepping away from royal life, with former rugby star Matt Dawson one to change his view
10:00, 25 Dec 2025
Former rugby star Matt Dawson explained what made him complete a U-turn on his opinion of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The ex-scrum half was one of millions to tune into the couple’s Netflix documentary back in 2022.
And ahead of watching, Dawson was not expecting completely positive things from the pair. Speaking at the time to the Express, he said: "In the first 10 minutes I was thinking, 'Oh no, this is like a woe is me type doc.'"
He then went on to say that one specific line from Markle "absolutely and completely" changed his outlook on the pair. The line he was referring to was the segment which saw Markle say: "The past six years of my life, books are written about our story from people who I don’t know.
"Doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?” That triggered Dawson to quickly change his mind after believing that they were both deserving of their chance to tell their story from their own perspective.
He said: "I just thought, do you know what, in their environment and where everyone is going to have a view of Harry, because he is a bit of an adopted son to everybody after what happened in the past, I sort of thought, 'Ok, go with it.'
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"We are obviously all interested in it and we are getting those little nuggets that we wouldn’t have known before, so it has definitely served its purpose. Let’s separate, you know, let’s not worry about the deal and what their life is now.
"We are interested and the nature of us and the Royal Family is that we want to know what is going on and we are getting told from the horse's mouth, so let’s embrace it and take it on board.”
Dawson, now 53, enjoyed a glittering career on the rugby pitch. He represented Northampton and the London Wasps before retiring in 2006.
Dawson won the Heineken Cup in 2000, as well as the Premiership with Northampton in 1999, before claiming the title again with Wasps in 2005.
He also went on to earn 77 caps for England, captaining the side on a host of occasions, while he enjoyed three tours with the British and Irish Lions too.