In an emotional and honest interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke openly about their lives and the challenges they have faced. Many people described the interview as very damaging for the British Royal Family, as Harry and Meghan shared details they had never publicly discussed before during the two-hour CBS special.
The interview, which aired on Sunday, included several major revelations. Meghan said that she experienced suicidal thoughts when she was five months pregnant. She also spoke about alleged racism within the Royal Family and said that Catherine, Princess of Wales made her cry, rather than the other way around. Harry said that his family had stopped supporting him financially after he and Meghan stepped away from royal duties and distanced themselves from what they referred to as “The Firm.”
Amid the emotional discussions, accusations, and painful experiences, there was also some positive news. The couple revealed that their baby, expected in the summer, would be a girl.
Celebrity, entertainment, and pop culture expert Mike Sington shared his opinion with Bored Panda about the interview. He described it as “stunning, shocking, honest, open, and even heartbreaking.”
He said there were many surprising revelations, but the one that shocked him the most was the claim that there were concerns within the palace about how dark Archie Mountbatten-Windsor’s skin might be. He added that he found that allegation especially difficult to process and move past.
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Prince Harry said that racism and social media added extra pressure to the situation. He explained that his biggest fear was seeing history repeat itself.He said, “My biggest concern was history repeating itself.” He added that the situation felt even more dangerous because race and social media were now involved.When he spoke about history repeating itself, he said he was referring to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.Harry also said that he believed his mother would be very upset by how events had unfolded. He felt that she would be both angry about what happened and deeply saddened by it.
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“It was not our decision to make,” Meghan Markle said while discussing the decision that her son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, would not receive the title of prince. She explained that she learned about this while she was pregnant.Meghan also expressed disappointment with the British Royal Family, saying, “I regret believing them when they said I would be protected.” She felt that the support and protection she expected were not provided.
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According to Meghan, there were actually two ceremonies, not just the public royal wedding that people saw. She said that she and Prince Harry wanted a private ceremony for themselves before the public event.Meghan explained, “This spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us.” She shared this during her interview with Oprah Winfrey.She said that before the public wedding, she and Harry exchanged vows in a private ceremony in their backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The vows displayed in their home are from that private ceremony.
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Meghan told Oprah Winfrey that while she was pregnant, several issues were being discussed at the same time. She said there were conversations about her son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, not receiving security protection, not receiving a royal title, and concerns about how dark his skin might be when he was born.Meghan explained that Prince Harry told her about these conversations, saying they came from discussions he had with family members. She said it was difficult for her to see these as separate issues because they were happening at the same time.The interview did not identify which member or members of the British Royal Family made the comments. Harry later stated that he would never reveal who was involved in that conversation.
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“People seemed to want a story with a hero and a villain,” Meghan Markle said.She suggested that some British newspapers treated her and Catherine, Princess of Wales differently, even when reporting on similar situations. According to Meghan, the same types of stories were often presented in very different ways depending on who they were about.As a result, many people developed strong opinions about Meghan. Public opinion became highly divided, with some people supporting the Duchess of Sussex and others criticizing her. Meghan believed that media coverage played a role in shaping those views.
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Before meeting his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle practiced curtsying outside.Meghan described the moment as very natural and memorable. She said that her first meeting with the Queen was “lovely and easy.” She also said she was glad she did not know too much about the Royal Family beforehand and had not done a lot of research, because otherwise she might have felt nervous and overthought the situation.
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Referring to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry said, “I think she saw it coming.” He also said that he felt her presence and support throughout the challenges he and his family were facing.
Harry explained that after he and Meghan stepped away from royal duties and lost financial support, he pursued business agreements with **Netflix and Spotify to help support his family financially.
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Meghan Markle said that she felt overwhelmed by the constant negative attention from the media. She explained that she stayed awake at night wondering why so many negative stories were being published about her and felt that her reputation was being unfairly damaged.Meghan also spoke openly about her mental health struggles during that period. She said she felt ashamed to tell Prince Harry how much she was suffering because she knew he had already experienced significant loss in his life. However, she felt she had to be honest about her feelings.She revealed that she experienced suicidal thoughts and no longer wanted to live. She described these thoughts as constant, serious, and frightening.Meghan said that she sought help from the human resources department at Buckingham Palace, but was told that she would need to look for help elsewhere because she was not a paid employee.
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Amid all the emotional and difficult topics discussed in the interview, there was also some happy news. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed that their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, was going to have a baby sister.The couple shared that their daughter was expected to be born during the summer. Harry also said, “Two is it,” explaining that they did not plan to have more children after their second child.
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Prince Harry told Oprah Winfrey that he would never surprise or mislead his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, because he has great respect for her.Harry said that before making their public announcement, he had informed the Queen several times about his and Meghan Markle’s plans. He wanted to make sure she knew about their decision in advance rather than hearing about it through the media.
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Prince Harry said that a lot of hurt had occurred within his family. He revealed that there was a period when his father, Charles III, was not taking his phone calls.When asked about his current relationship with his brother, William, Prince of Wales, Harry replied, “The relationship is space.”By this, he suggested that there was distance between them at that time, although he also indicated that he still cared about his family despite the difficulties in their relationships.
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According to Meghan Markle, media reports that claimed she made Catherine, Princess of Wales cry were not accurate. Meghan said that the opposite happened.She explained to Oprah Winfrey that there was an issue involving the flower girl dresses during the week of the wedding. Meghan said it was a stressful time and that Kate was upset about something.However, Meghan also made it clear that she was not criticizing Kate. She said that Kate later apologized to her, and she accepted the apology. Meghan added that the situation was resolved peacefully and said, “There was no confrontation.”
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Meghan Markle said that she felt she was not being protected by the British Royal Family. She claimed that the institution was willing to make false statements to protect other family members, but was not willing to correct misinformation or speak up to protect her and Prince Harry.In her view, she and Harry were not given the same level of support that was provided to others within the family.
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Prince Harry said that he felt unable to leave his situation earlier because he felt trapped by the royal system.He explained that he believed he was “trapped within the system,” and said that, in his view, other members of the British Royal Family were also trapped by the same system. Harry suggested that, unlike him, they did not feel free to leave or step away from their royal roles.
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Prince Harry said that even though he had disagreements with how things were handled, he still respected Queen Elizabeth II and her decisions.His comment showed that, despite the challenges and tensions he described, he continued to hold respect for his grandmother and her role within the British Royal Family.
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“Greater than any fairytale you’ve ever read.”
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Harry spoke of an “invisible contract” between the tabloids and the royal family, where the tabloids would be given full access in exchange for positive coverage.
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“From my perspective, all I needed was enough money to be able to pay for security, to keep my family safe,” Harry told Oprah.
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“I had been asking the institution for help for quite a long time,” Meghan told Oprah. However, they weren’t willing to “go on the record and negate” bad stories for her — even though they would do the same for “the most ridiculous story” for others.
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“That’s what we do, being able to default to not having to every moment go, ‘Is that appropriate?'” Meghan told Oprah.
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“I wasn’t supposed to see it. I wasn’t supposed to know.”
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“I’ve never looked up my husband online, I just didn’t feel a need to because everything I feel I needed to know he was sharing with me.”
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The “constant barrage” from the press was also integral.
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“Can you imagine how little sense that makes?” she told Oprah. “I left everything because I love him.”
