Harry and Meghan are accused of ripping off Laguna Beach’s iconic opening title card with its disclaimer about the royal family’s “refusal to comment” on their Netflix docuseries
Royal fans have cheekily accused Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of “copying” the famous cover card of the early 2000s reality show Laguna Beach.
The Netflix documentary about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex begins with a disclaimer in white text on a black background, explaining that the footage was shot before the death of Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and that the royal family refused had made a point of commenting on the allegations on the show.
Some viewers said the opener looked suspiciously similar to the iconic Laguna Beach title card, which also happened to give the production time frame.
Royal fans have cheekily accused Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of “copying” the famous cover card of the early 2000s reality show Laguna Beach
The first episode of the Netflix docuseries begins with the caption: “This is a first-hand account of the story of Harry and Meghan, told with a personal archive never before seen.
“All interviews were completed by August 2022.”
The screen then goes black and another title card appears: “Members of the royal family have declined to comment on the content of this series.”
The Netflix documentary begins with a disclaimer in white text on a black background, explaining that the footage was shot before the death of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II
The screen then goes black and another title card appears: “Members of the royal family have declined to comment on the content of this series.”
The content and layout of these disclaimers reminded some royal observers of the Laguna Beach title card, which stated: “The following program was filmed over a period of eight months in the city of Laguna Beach, California.
“The people, the locations, and the drama…are real.”
Laguna Beach, which aired on MTV from 2004 to 2006, followed the lives of a group of high school students in Laguna Beach, California.
The content and layout of these disclaimers reminded some royal observers of the Laguna Beach title card. Laguna Beach, which aired on MTV from 2004 to 2006, followed the lives of a group of high school students in Laguna Beach, California (cast pictured).
Laguna Beach’s title card also happened to give the production time frame, adding the disclaimer that “the people, the locations, and the drama…are real.”
The students featured on the show were Lauren Conrad, Stephen Colletti, Kristin Cavallari, Lo Bosworth, Trey Phillips, Talan Torriero, Morgan Olsen and Christina Schuller.
Stephen was memorably at the center of a love triangle with Lauren and Kristin.
Laguna Beach was a cult hit and spawned a more successful spin-off, The Hills, which followed Lauren as she pursued a career in fashion in LA.
The similarities between the title cards were noted by the popular @laguna_biotch Instagram account run by Kelli Williams, who also hosts the podcast Beyond the Blinds
The first three episodes of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries were released on Thursday, and the disclaimer that the royal family was asked for comment was quickly denied by palace sources.
According to various reports, a “senior source” in the royal household contradicted the written statement “Members of the royal family declined to comment on the content of this series” that appeared at the beginning of the first episode.
A Netflix source has disputed this, saying that “King Charles and the Prince of Wales’ communications offices have been contacted in advance and have been given the right to respond to claims made within the series.”
The first three episodes of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries were released on Thursday, and the disclaimer that the royal family was asked for comment was quickly denied by palace sources