Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have spoken about the struggles of living in the royal family in a highly-anticipated interview with US television personality Oprah Winfrey, which aired at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT) on Sunday.
It was the couple's first major interview since announcing their split from the royal family earlier this year. The bombshell interview is set to intensify an already fraught row between the couple and the British monarchy.
What did they say in the interview?
On relations with the royal family:
- Meghan said the family and the people who run the institution are separate. She said Queen Elizabeth has always been "wonderful" to her, always making her feel welcome.
- Oprah asked whether Meghan chose to be "silent" or was "silenced," to which Meghan responded with "the latter." She added that while the palace was ready to lie to protect other members of the family, "they weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband."
- Harry said his father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls over his plans to step back from royal life.
- He said his father and brother, Prince William, were "trapped" in their roles and couldn't leave. He added that he feels sorry for them.
- Harry said his late mother, Princess Diana, would be "very angry and sad" at the way he and Meghan had been treated. He said she would want them to be happy.
- The prince revealed that he was cut off financially in the first quarter of 2020, but he received his mother's inheritance.
- Harry said he has a strong relationship with the queen. While his father is taking his calls again, it is his priority to heal that relationship.
- "My regret is believing them when they said I would be protected," Meghan said.
On racism:
- Meghan, who identifies as biracial, said there were concerns about how "dark" her son, Archie, would be. She said that Archie would not be eligible for palace security as he was not a prince.
- Neither revealed who had voiced concerns over Archie's skin color, except to imply it was a family member.
- Harry said that not one member of his family had said anything about the racist articles targeting Meghan. "That hurts," he added.
On mental health:
- Meghan revealed that the intense pressure she faced led her to contemplate suicide.
- She said she had told the palace that she needed help for mental health concerns, but received no support.
- "I just didn't want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought," she said.
On the British press:
- Meghan denied British reports that she made her sister-in-law Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, cry during Meghan's wedding preparations.
- Oprah read headlines that showed a double standard in reporting between Kate and Meghan.
On their personal lives:
- The couple is expecting a second child, a girl, due in the summer.
- Harry said he "wouldn't have been able to" take a step back from the royal family without Meghan. She was his way out.
- "We've actually not just survived but are thriving," said Meghan. "It's greater than any fairy tale you've read."
Why is this a big deal?
Public interviews like these are not common for the British royals, who have remained tight-lipped on numerous issues through the years. With Harry and Meghan indulging in this "tell-all" conversation, there is a lingering fear that the royal family's image may be tarnished.
How has the royal family reacted?
Hours before the interview was aired, Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother, gave a televised address on Sunday. In an address to mark Commonwealth Day, the British monarch talked about the importance of "dedication to duty."
"Whilst experiences of the last year have been different across the commonwealth, stirring examples of courage, commitment and selfless dedication to duty have been demonstrated in every commonwealth nation and territory," she said.
Service and duty have been much talked about after Meghan and Harry stepped back from their roles as senior royals. In a statement last month, they said, "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal."
Reports have suggested that the palace will only respond if individual members of the family are attacked in the interview.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
US TV actor Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, sixth-in-line to the British throne, met in July 2016 after they were introduced through friends. In September 2017, she told "Vanity Fair": "We're in love." They married less than 10 months later. In May 2019, Meghan gave birth to their first child, Archie. Now the couple has surprised the world by announcing that they'd leave their functions as royals.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
Watched by billions
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was the focus of a media frenzy months ahead of the event, held on May 19, 2018. The traditional royal ceremony included for the first time elements of African American culture, such as a gospel choir, in reference to Meghan's roots. Several high profile Hollywood celebrities were among the guests — friends of the former actress.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
A smiling couple
Prince Harry and Markle were photographed holding hands for the first time in September 2017, during a wheelchair tennis competition at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The games for disabled or wounded soldiers and veterans were created by Harry.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
The young Harry
The youngest son of Prince Charles and the late princess Diana, Prince Henry of Wales — familiarly known as Prince Harry — was born in 1984. His childhood was dominated by his parents' messy divorce and Diana's tragically early death. The family is shown pictured together in 1995, with Harry on the left side next to his mother, and his brother Prince William next to their father.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
After Princess Diana's death
Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Harry was only 12 at the time, and his brother William, 15. This iconic picture shows the young princes bowing their heads as their mother's coffin is carried out of Westminster Abbey. The tragic event deeply affected Prince Harry.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
A long process of grief
Harry publicly revealed how much he had struggled throughout his life. In support of a mental health campaign, he revealed in an interview with the "Daily Telegraph" that he came "very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions." He added: "Shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life, but also my work as well."
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
The playboy prince grows up
The impulsive prince appears to have inherited his mother's ability to connect with people, as well as her sense of mischief. Often photographed with different attractive women, he was long labelled a "playboy." He once told Newsweek that he "wanted out" of the Royal Family.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
The army as escape
Photographs of him wearing a swastika at a costume party that were published in 2005 caused outrage. That same year, he entered the army, as many other royals have done, and spent 10 years serving in the British forces. He later admitted that his military service "was the best escape I've ever had" from the constant public attention.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
A popular prince
Following his military career through which he served twice in Afghanistan, Harry has turned into one of Britain's most popular royals, not just within the country, but globally. Like his mother, he uses his public profile to raise awareness for different causes, including a recent campaign about mental health with William and Kate.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
Meghan Markle
Britain barely knew who Meghan Markle was when her name started appearing on newspapers' front pages in October 2017. Born in 1981 in Los Angeles, as an actor she portrayed a lawyer in the hit TV show "Suits." News coverage on Prince Harry's girlfriend was hard-hitting, however, including comment pieces with "racial undertones" and "outright sexism and racism" online, said Harry's office.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
First marriage with producer
Part of the criticism came in connection with her former marriage with film producer Trevor Engelson, from 2010 to 2013. Markle also had her own lifestyle blog, thetig.com, which she shut down after she came into the royal family's spotlight. On it, she had proudly declared her independence: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches — I've always wanted to be a woman who works," she wrote.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story
Humanitarian work
Like the prince, Markle does humanitarian work. She's an ambassador for the Canadian charity "World Vision Canada," which works for children in developing countries, and she also campaigns for women's rights with the UN. The actress has a degree in communications.
Author: Elizabeth Grenier
Harry and Meghan's split from royal life
The couple stepped away from royal duties in March 2020, complaining about the British tabloids' treatment of Meghan. They cited what they described as bullying and racist attitudes toward the duchess, who is biracial.
They now live in Montecito, California, where they are neighbors of Winfrey.
Buckingham Palace late last month announced that the couple had finalized their separation from the royal family and will no longer be working members of the British monarchy.
Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that it is investigating allegations that the duchess had bullied members of her staff — back in 2018 — forcing two of them to quit. However, critics have accused the British royals of keeping double standards over Meghan and Prince Andrew, whose serious allegations of interactions with underage girls were not addressed in public.
If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/
see/rs (AFP, Reuters, AP)