Horrified Netflix viewers hit out at Prince Harry over 'barbaric' and 'grotesque' behaviour in new series

Following the release of his controversial new Netflix documentary series, the Duke of Sussex has found himself in hot water with viewers.

In the form of event footage, interviews with high-profile players and behind-the-scenes peaks into the luxurious social life that accompanies the sport of polo, the series boasts five episodes - with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle also making a cameo.

The streaming service promotes the new series - called Polo - with the synopsis: "From divot stomping in designer attire to mingling in exclusive lounges, uncover the glamorous world of polo with the docu-series on the sport of kings."

He and Meghan also served as producers of the doc from their Archewell Productions company, and it is said to have been part of their reported £80 million Netflix deal after stepping down from their official royal stations in 2020.

After landing on the streaming platform yesterday (10 December) the first reviews are in - and it doesn't seem to be looking too good.

Giving it a less than impressive rating, The Guardian predicted that Polo would 'fall through the submenus into obscurity at the speed of light', while The Telegraph said there are 'not enough of the Sussexes' in the series 'to make this anything other than a dull indulgence about a rich person’s pursuit'.

The couple serve as the series' producers (Karwai Tang/WireImage)

It isn't just journalists and critics that have been left severely disappointed by the production, with many taking issue with the often-aggressive treatment of the animals featured in the documentary, and of polo horses in general.

Taking to social media, a handful voiced their concerns.

"I’m not sure how much of ‘Polo’ I can watch," one admitted. "I hate seeing them bash the horses into each other, and this is the second time they’ve showed this in the first two and a half minutes.

"Those poor horses."

A second added: "Why is he hitting the horse with his stick? Regardless of how one feels about Harry, this abusive behavior is grotesque and barbaric."

"Not sure how they think that people want to watch rich people who treat their horses like a machine," someone else noted. "They are truly tone deaf."

Prince Harry has been slammed by viewers (ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Another user hit out: "I will NEVER watch this sport. I cannot take the animal abuse."

One heartbroken viewer also penned: "This is horrible! This is disgusting!"

Tyla has contacted both Prince Harry and Netflix for comment.