Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter accuses Harry and Meghan of ‘exploiting’ his legacy.

Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela, has called on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to use his legacy to promote their latest Netflix documentary, describing it as “deeply disturbing and boring”.

In an interview with The Australian, social activist Ndileka Mandela admitted that she admired Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for having the “confidence to break away from the royal family” but slammed the couple’s involvement in the documentary series Live to Lead who they say was inspired by Nelson Mandela.

“I admire Harry for having the confidence to break away from such an iconic institution as the royal family,” Mandela told The Australian. “Grandpa rebelled against an arranged marriage to find his own way in life. But it comes at a price, you have to fund your own life then, I’ve made my peace with people using Grandpa’s name, but it’s still deeply annoying and tiring every time it happens.”

Mandela, 57, announced that her family did not receive any financial compensation for the documentary. The author also said Prince Harry needed to be more “authentic” and follow his own story, and believed the couple never “met properly” with their grandfather.

“Harry has to be authentic and stick to his own story. How does grandpa’s life relate to his?” she said. “I don’t think he or Meghan ever really met Grandpa, maybe when Harry was young at Buckingham Palace, but they use his quotes in the documentary to draw people in and make millions with no benefit to the Mandela family. I know the Nelson Mandela Foundation supported the initiative, but for years people have stolen grandfather’s quotes and used his legacy because they know his name sells – Harry and Meghan are no different.”

Live to Lead, which premiered on Netflix December 31, profiles seven “leaders” working to make a difference in the world, not including Nelson Mandela. However, the docuseries is said to be inspired by the South African anti-apartheid activist.

In the trailer, Prince Harry says, “This was inspired by Nelson Mandela who once said, ‘What matters in life isn’t the mere fact that we’ve lived…’

Meghan completed the quote by saying, “…it’s the difference we’ve made to the lives of others that will define the meaning of the lives we lead.”

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The series is being produced by Prince Harry and Meghan in association with their production company Archewell Productions.

Although Ndileka Mandela believes the Duke never really met her grandfather, Prince Harry has often praised Nelson Mandela highly and honored him on Nelson Mandela Day at the United Nations.

During a trip to New York City last July, Harry gave a special address at the United Nations, in which he revealed that his wall has a picture of his late mother Princess Diana and Nelson Mandela.

“We also have comWe know him through the photographs of a man who almost always had a smile on his face, even in the face of unimaginable cruelty and injustice. For me, there is one photo that particularly stands out,” Prince Harry told the gathering. “On my wall and in my heart every day is a picture of my mother and Mandela when they met in Cape Town in 1997.”

According to Prince Harry, he was given the photo by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, whom he and Meghan met along with their son Archie in 2019.

Prince Harry also shared that when he first looked at the photo, “the joy on my mother’s face jumped out immediately.”

“The playfulness, even the cheekiness. Pure joy to be in fellowship with another soul so dedicated to the service of humanity,” he said. “Then I looked at Mandela. Here was a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, asked to heal his country of the debris of its past and transform it for the future. A man who has endured the worst of humanity, vicious racism and state-sponsored brutality. A man who lost 27 years with his children and family he would never get back. 27 years. But in this photo and so many others, he is still radiant. Still able to see the good in humanity. Still lively with a beautiful spirit that lifted everyone around him.”

In August 2022, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile Mandela, denied Meghan Markle’s claim that people in South Africa “rejoiced in the streets” after her marriage to Prince Harry.

The Duchess recently told The Cut that a South African actor from the cast of the live-action version of The Lion King pulled her aside during the London premiere.

“He looked at me and he’s just like that [right]’ Meghan recalled. “You just have to know: when you got married [the royal family]we were just as happy in the streets as we were when Mandela was released from prison.”

However, Zwelivelile said the joy of black South Africans celebrating Mandela’s release in 1990 “can never be compared to the celebration of a wedding”.

“Madiba’s celebration was based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. So it can’t be equated,” he told MailOnline. “Nelson Mandela’s release from prison was the culmination of nearly 350 years of struggle in which generations of our people paid with their lives. It can never be compared to the celebration of a wedding.”