6 things Harry and Meghan revealed about the royal family during their interview with Oprah
‘I think that would be very damaging to them’
The long-awaited interview with Meghan Markle has finally been aired in the US. As expected, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn’t mince their words when they sat down with Oprah Winfrey. Here’s what Harry and Meghan revealed about ‘the Firm’.
1. Meghan did not feel protected
At first, Meghan just wanted to do what the Firm told her to do, thinking they would protect her that way. But the opposite proved true: “Not only was I not being protected, but 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.”
2. Meghan did not get help when she had suicidal thoughts
Life as a royal and the negative media attention drove Meghan to despair. During her pregnancy with Archie, she reached her lowest point. “I was really ashamed to say it at the time, and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, because I know how much loss he has suffered,” she reveals in the interview.
“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore. That was a very clear and real and frightening and constant thought.”
However, the Royal Family didn’t offer any help to the Duchess. “No one from my family ever said anything. That hurts”, Harry said. Even worse, palace officials did not let Meghan seek help, because they were worried about the impact it would have on the monarchy.
3. There was a conversation about Archie’s skin colour
A member of the royal family raised questions about the baby’s skin colour during Meghan’s pregnancy. The Duchess doesn’t want to reveal who started this conversation. “I think that would be very damaging to them.” Harry adds: “I’m never going to share that conversation.”
4. The Queen knew Harry and Meghan would be leaving
“I’ve never blindsided my grandmother, I have too much respect for her,” Harry told Oprah. Even before Meghan and Harry announced their departure from the Royal Family, they had spoken to the Queen about it on several occasions.
Meghan stresses that she never intended to leave at first, and neither did Harry. “I wouldn’t have been able to, I, myself was trapped. Trapped within the system, like the rest of my family are […]. They don’t get to leave.”
5. There seems to be an ‘invisible contract’ between the tabloids and the Royal Family
From the moment Meghan became associated with Prince Harry, all the tabloids seemed to turn against her. And things only got worse. According to Harry, there was an ‘invisible contract’ between the Royal Family and the press: the tabloids were given access to information as long as the rest of the family would be represented positively in the media.
6. The couple no longer receive financial support from the Royal Family
Since their departure in 2020, the Sussex couple no longer receive financial support from the Royal Family. Prince Harry reveals that he relied on the money that his mother, princess Diana, left him:” I think she saw it coming.”
