On Sunday, March 7th, former Duke and Duchess Meghan Markle and Harry sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on CBS. They emphasized that the interview was happening safely, with all COVID-19 precautions taken very seriously. No topic was off the table, and Meghan and Harry did not know the questions that Oprah was going to ask. Oprah asked why Meghan and Harry left the Royal Family, and Meghan described racism, mental health issues, and lack of protection that she experienced.
The interview started with just Meghan and Oprah, with Harry joining later. Oprah and Meghan talked about the stunning Royal Wedding, and Meghan revealed that she got married to Harry three days before the world watched her get married. Meghan also told Oprah that before marrying Harry, she did not research the Royal Family and their customs/rules, so she had to learn how to curtsey before meeting the Queen.
Meghan and Oprah then discussed how she and Harry had rescued a dog named Guy from a kill shelter and rescued some chickens from a factory farm. They have a chicken coop called Archie’s Chick Inn, after their son’s name Archie. When Oprah asked Meghan what she is most excited about in her new life, Meghan said, “I think just being able to live authentically.”
Oprah and Meghan then addressed some of the tabloids that spun stories about Meghan around the time of the wedding, some of which Meghan had and had not heard. They discussed in detail the rumor that Meghan had made Kate Middleton cry. Meghan said that the reverse had happened and that Kate had made Meghan cry about something regarding flower girl dresses. She said, “Kate made me cry days before the wedding, but I got blamed...that was hard” and described it as a turning point. She also emphasized that she was not saying that to make anyone look bad and that Kate apologized, and Meghan forgave her. The rumor came out six or seven months after it happened. Meghan said (regarding Kate), “If you love me, you don’t have to hate her. And if you love her, you don’t have to hate me.” Oprah talked about the tabloid headlines for Kate compared to the ones for Meghan. Oprah said, “Kate was praised for cradling her baby bump, and the headline about you doing the same thing said, ‘Meghan can’t keep her hands off her baby bump for pride or vanity.” Oprah also mentioned another example about Kate being praised while eating avocados. Meghan was eating avocados, and the headline was: “Wolfing down a fruit linked to water shortages, illegal deforestation, and environmental devastation.”
Oprah and Meghan next discussed how Meghan was “the first mixed-race person to marry into the family.” Meghan said that she was only worried about fitting in because she was made to think about that. Meghan talked about how she has always worked, valued independence, and been outspoken. She said, “I mean, that’s the sad irony of the last four years...I've advocated for so long for women to use their voice, and then I was silent.” Oprah asked: “Were you silent? Or were you silenced?” and Meghan answered: “The latter.” Meghan said, “Everyone in my world was given a very clear directive, from the moment the world knew Harry and I were dating, to always say, “No comment.” Meghan discussed how she thought she had complete protection from the institution (the Royal Family). Still, she had the exact opposite, to the extent the institution would lie to protect others while throwing her, Harry, and Archie under the bus. Meghan shared how warm, welcoming, and loving the Queen was to her while she was not being protected at all by the rest of the family.
Meghan discussed how everyone was obsessed with how she (and the Institution) looked in the press and media, that they did not take a minute to check up on how Meghan was doing. She said, “I know there’s an obsession with how things look but have anyone talked about how it feels? Because right now, I could not feel lonelier.” She emphasized that she was not lonely with Harry. Meghan and Oprah continued to talk about Meghan’s mental health, and Meghan revealed that she was feeling depressed and suicidal, to the point where she was too scared to be alone because she felt like she was going to hurt herself. She had a conversation with Harry and said that she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.” Meghan told Oprah that she asked the Royal Family for help with her mental health, and they refused to help her. She was pregnant at the time with her first child Archie. Meghan said that she reached out to a friend of the late Princess Diana for help. She also discussed her lack of freedom, saying that she had to give her keys, passport, and driver’s license away when she arrived at the Palace.
Meghan mentioned that her baby Archie would not receive a title (Prince or Princess) or security and that there were discussions and concern over his skin color. Meghan said, “The most important title I will ever have is Mom. I know that.” She also revealed that Meghan and Harry were not asked to take a traditional baby picture.
Meghan said, “And I grieve a lot. I mean, I have lost my father. I lost a baby. I nearly lost my name. I mean, there is the loss of identity. But I am still standing, and my hope for people in the takeaway from this is to know that there’s another side.” She also said that life is worth living.
Harry joined the interview, and the couple revealed that they are expecting a baby girl this summer. Harry said, “To have a child, any one or two, would have been amazing. But to have a boy and then a girl, you know, what more can you ask for?” The couple also revealed that they are only planning to have two kids.
Oprah revealed in a voiceover that when the couple first left the Royal Family, they initially chose Canada and then moved to California. In California, they moved in with Tyler Perry, who had offered them a place to stay. He also provided them with security. They lived there for a few months before moving to their own home in California. The couple revealed that they created their own “foundation and content company called Archewell.” Meghan and Harry announced that they did not “blindside the Queen” or “orchestrate Megxit.” Harry said that his biggest concern was “history repeating itself.” By history, he was talking about his mother, Princess Diana. He said, “I asked for calm from the British tabloids - once as a boyfriend, once as a husband, and once as a father.” When Oprah asked why they left, Harry said, “Lack of support and lack of understanding” he also mentioned that he no longer talks to his dad and was cut off financially.
Meghan said that she was watching The Little Mermaid with Archie, and thought “Oh, my god! She falls in love with the prince, and because of that, she loses her voice. But by the end, she gets her voice back.”
Harry and Meghan discussed how there are secret ways to get the tabloids on your side and that the Palace hosts holiday parties for the tabloids. The couple revealed that they had watched some of the Netflix show, The Crown. Meghan said that she begged the institution to keep Harry safe through letters, but the Institution refused. Harry said that he felt like he was trapped in the system and the rest of the family. Regarding their Netflix deal, Harry said, “We didn’t have a plan. That was suggested by somebody else by the point where my family cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us.” Harry revealed that he would not have left the family if it were not for Meghan. Harry said that he has the money that Princess Diana left him and thinks that Diana saw this coming. Meghan and Harry are no longer working members of the Royal Family, and Harry’s military titles were returned to the Queen.
The couple talked about a few of their baby Archies’ favorite words: hydrate and drive safe. Harry said that he has no regrets, while Meghan said that her only regret is believing that she was being protected. But she said that her story with the Prince has a happy ending: “Greater than any fairytale you’ve ever read.”
