Harry and Meghan Netflix doc trailers accused of misleading use of stock footage

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix documentary hasn't premiered yet, but even its brief trailers have already generated controversy.

The trailers for Netflix's highly anticipated documentary about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are facing criticism for the use of stock footage that critics have labeled misleading, BuzzFeed News and BBC report. 

Harry & Meghan's trailers tease a series that will delve into Prince Harry's criticism of the British press' treatment of his wife, and the royals are depicted as being relentlessly hounded by the media. "I didn't want history to repeat itself," Harry says in one trailer, referring to the death of his mother, Princess Diana. But critics noticed the teasers make use of completely unrelated footage of paparazzi who were not, in fact, attempting to take photos of Harry and Megan.

One of the trailers includes a shot of photographers implied to be taking pictures of Harry and Meghan, when in reality, this reportedly appears to be from a 2011 Harry Potter premiere. The full trailer also cuts between a shot of Harry and Meghan and a shot of paparazzi reportedly taken from the sentencing hearing of model Katie Price. Another shot shows paparazzi swarming a car, but Michael Cohen is getting into the vehicle, not Harry and Meghan. 

Additionally, Evening Standard editor Robert Jobson took issue with a shot of a photographer taking pictures of Harry, Meghan, and their son Archie from above. While Jobson argued it suggested an "intrusion by the press," he said it "was taken from [an] accredited pool," adding, "Only 3 people were in the accredited position. [Harry and Meghan] agreed [to] the position."

It wasn't immediately clear if the contentious shots are present in the documentary itself or were only used for marketing. The first volume of Harry & Meghan will hit Netflix on Dec. 8.