Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, sat down for an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey to share what they’ve experienced together within the royal family. A slew of secrets about the royal family were revealed to the public in the interview.
They dove right into the discussion, and right off the bat Markle shared how she believes she entered into her marriage naïvely. With poise and careful diction, Markle described her time being a member of the royal family following her engagement to Prince Harry. She revealed that her time in the royal family was not as glamorous as many may believe, with British tabloids and others constantly criticizing her.
Oprah asked a powerful question about Markle’s experience: “were you silent or were you silenced?” Her answer: “the latter.” Her one regret, she said, was believing the royal family would protect her.
“They were willing to lie to protect other members of the family, but they weren’t willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband,” Markle said.
There have been, and continue to be, many nasty things said about Markle in the press. However, she shared that the rumors about her making Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, cry was a turning point for her.
Markle shared that her experience was quite the opposite — Middleton was the one who made her cry over an incident about dresses for Markle’s wedding. While she said that Middleton is a good person and later apologized, Markle was upset that no one in the family or institution came forward to correct the story when they knew what really happened.
Meghan and Prince Harry regularly used the terms “institution” and “the firm” in the interview. Markle made it clear that the royal family and the institution are separate entities.
The New York Times
describes the institution, or the firm, as “an enterprise that reaches well beyond the royals themselves, encompassing an army of private secretaries, communications advisers, ladies in waiting, heads of households, chauffeurs, footmen, domestic servants, gardeners and all the other people who run the palaces, and the lives, of the royals who live in them.”
The institution didn’t want the couple’s child, Archie, to have a royal title, for reasons still officially unknown. Without a title, he was offered no security or protection.
“The most important title I will ever have is mom,” Markle said while explaining that she only cared about the titles to ensure her son’s protection with security from the royal family.
Markle also reveals that at one point, the tabloid stories about her were becoming so sensational that she was not allowed to leave the palace for about four months in order to avoid what was being said about her and her husband.
While Markle was ensured “protection” from the institution for situations such as these, she was not safe, which sparks a harrowing comparison to Princess Diana and what the public and press would allege about her.
The former British royal princess was mentioned several times throughout the interview, with there being a startling amount of similarities between her and Markle’s experiences in the royal family. Prince Harry believes his mother would feel angry and sad about his and Markle’s situation, but all she would want is for them to be happy.
Prince Harry and Meghan officially stopped being working royals March 31, 2020. Harry shared that the couple wouldn’t have had the financial ability to be independent without the money his mother left behind for him since the royal family cut the couple off financially after they left the palace.
“I think she saw it coming and I think she’s been present throughout this whole process,” Prince Harry said.
He’s grateful he and Markle had each other throughout the process, especially because his mother had to experience similar obstacles alone when she divorced Harry’s father, Prince Charles.
“My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” said Prince Harry in reference to Princess Diana’s death.
Despite the apparent glamorous lifestyle of being part of the royal family, Markle endured mental struggles during her time at the palace.
Meghan’s deteriorating mental state in the midst of the negative tabloid attention and the institution’s refusal to allow her the help she needed were also topics of discussion in the interview. Markle stated that she did “not want to be alive anymore” following the backlash she was receiving from her and Harry’s pregnancy and the disregard for her and her child’s security.
Meghan Markle became the first woman of color, and first American woman, to join the royal family when she married Prince Harry in 2018. Prince Harry shared that he thought the family would have seen Markle as an added benefit to promote inclusivity, but it’s clear it did not.
One of the most shocking reveals of the interview was when Meghan shared that a member of the family expressed concerns on how dark Archie’s skin would be once he was born. This left viewers and even Oprah in shock. While the couple would not state who exactly had this conversation with Prince Harry because it would be “very damaging to them,” the prince says that he condemned his relatives who agreed this would be an issue for the family.
As damning as these allegations against the royal family are, Meghan was adamant in letting the public know that Queen Elizabeth II welcomed her to the family with open arms despite the backlash Markle was receiving from others. Markle made it a point to emphasize that the Queen was a warming presence in her time being a British royal, with Harry agreeing that neither the Queen nor Prince Philip were involved in the conversation regarding his son’s skin color.
Meghan and Harry also shared that they had asked the institution for assistance both individually and collectively but were not given any. The same people denying Markle of help were the ones who had the power to set the record about her straight in the media. Instead of protecting her and Harry from the tabloids, the institution remained silent even though it knew of the false claims that were made.
Because of her treatment, Markle described her time with the family as “almost unsurvivable.” She even shared that she had suicidal thoughts, stating “I just didn’t see a solution” and “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Prince Harry was ashamed at the time to tell others Markle needed mental help; when they asked the institution for aid, it was refused out of fear of bad publicity. Not being able to live under those conditions any longer, Meghan and Harry did what they felt was best for their family and left.
Prince Harry said the leave was due to a “lack of support or lack of understanding” from the institution, and was equally the institution’s doing as well as the press’. When it comes to his relationship with his family, he shared that he barely talks to his father, Prince Charles, and is currently distant from his brother, Prince William.
He also shared how the institution survives on the perception of the royal family that has been created over time. The family is scared the tabloids will turn on them, so they will do anything to protect that relationship, no matter the cost. Harry said he was trapped but didn’t know it until meeting Meghan. He views his family as trapped within the system and has compassion for his father and brother who aren’t able to leave.
The couple expressed that if they had received the support they needed from the firm, they would still be in England with the rest of the family.
This interview simply revealed how toxicity and tension affect any family regardless of its status. Harry and Markle feel they did everything they could to try to make their situation work, but in the end, they knew they had to go. Markle and Harry now feel at peace in their new American home with their son, Archie, and baby girl on the way.
The real star of this groundbreaking interview was Oprah. After all of these years, Oprah still has that magic to turn an interview to the most talked about topics. She was able to give Harry and Meghan the space they needed to talk about the people and press that almost potentially ruined the couple.
Along with Oprah’s support, countless other fans and celebrities shared their thoughts on social media after the interview aired.
Beyoncé shared her support on her website, saying, “thank you Meghan for your courage and leadership. We are all strengthened and inspired by you.”
Serena Williams, a tennis star and a close friend of Markle’s, took to her Instagram account to show support as well.
At the beginning of the interview, Meghan described that she felt like she was “being judged on the perception but living the reality” of her situation. Being a part of the royal family may seem like all glitz and glamour, but it was no fairy tale for Markle.
As true as that is, Markle compared herself to Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” as she fell in love with a prince and lost her voice. However, like Ariel at the end of the film, she got her voice back.
Now Meghan describes her happy ending with Prince Harry as “greater than any fairy tale you’ve ever read.”
On March 9, The Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of the Queen regarding the topics brought up in the interview. It explained that the family is saddened to hear of Prince Harry and Markle’s experiences and will discuss the issues presented as a family.
It’s time to hold this family and the institution accountable for their acts. Hopefully this interview acts as a wakeup call for the royals, but this behavior can be traced back for generations, and their actions are unfortunately not shocking or new.
You can watch Oprah’s full interview with Prince Harry and Meghan here.
