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Meghan And Harry Share 24 Things About The Royal Family They’ve Never Told Anyone In A Surprisingly-Honest Oprah Interview
In an emotional and candid interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have opened up about their lives and the difficulties they faced. Some are already calling the interview ‘devastating’ for the British Royal Family, as Harry and Meghan held nothing back during the two-hour CBS primetime special.
There was bombshell after bombshell in the interview, aired on Sunday. Meghan Markle revealed that she had suicidal thoughts when she was 5 months pregnant, opened up about the alleged racism within the Royal Family, and how Kate Middleton once made her cry instead of the other way around. Meanwhile, Harry said that he has now been financially cut off by his family after they distanced themselves from ‘The Firm.’
In the midst of the emotional storm, accusations, and pain there was one patch of calm, however. A ray of good news that nearly everyone could celebrate. The couple revealed their baby, due in the summer, is going to be a girl.
Celebrity, entertainment, and pop culture expert Mike Sington gave Bored Panda his take on what he called a "stunning, shocking, raw, candid, and even heart-breaking" interview. "There were a lot of shocking revelations, the most shocking was the claim there were concerns within the palace about how dark Archie’s skin would be. Having a hard time getting past that one."
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#1
"With the added pressure of, racism and social media. My biggest concern was history repeating itself. I've said that before on numerous occasions, very publicly. And what I was seeing was history repeating itself, but more, perhaps, or definitely far more dangerous, because then you add race in, and you add social media in. And when I'm talking about history repeating itself, I'm talking about my mother," Prince Harry said.
"I think she would feel very angry with how this has panned out. And very sad."
varwenea 3 years ago (edited)
Poor Harry never recovered from Diana's death. Now that it's revealed Meghan wasn't allowed to see a therapist, chances are young Harry didn't receive as much support as he likely needed having lost his mum so tragically at his young age. It's commendable that he is fighting so fiercely to protect his young family.
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#2
"It's not our decision to make," Meghan revealed, speaking about how royal protocol was changed so that her son, Archie, would not become a prince.
She learned about this decision while she was pregnant. "I regret believing them when they said I would be protected," she criticized the Royal Family.
#3
There were two ceremonies, not one, like we were led to believe. Harry and Meghan wanted a private ceremony just for the two of them before the public event.
"This spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us," Meghan told Oprah during the two-hour interview. The vows that the couple have framed in their home are from the private backyard ceremony between them and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Hollywood's Ultimate Insider, Mike, told Bored Panda in an interview that he believes the fallout for the Royal Family is going to be intense. "There will be a response, there must be a response. They were basically accused of causing mental health issues, racism, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, and security and safety concerns," he said.
"There are of course two sides to every story, but I think the interview will garner more support for Harry and Meghan. The public was yearning to know ‘what happened?’ Well now we know, and the reasons for why they fled make much more sense. They literally fled to save their lives."
#4
"In those months, when I was pregnant, all around this same time, we had in tandem the conversation of he won't be given security, he won't be given a title... and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin will be when he's born," Meghan told Oprah.
"That was relayed to me from Harry, that was from conversations that family had with him. It was really hard to see those as compartmentalized conversations," she added.
It's unclear which member(s) of the Royal Family made the comments about Archie. And it's unlikely that we'll ever find out because Harry and Meghan don't plan on revealing that information. "That conversation I am never going to share," Harry later added in the interview.
#5
“They really seemed to want a narrative of a hero and a villain,” Meghan said.
The British tabloids seemed to apply double standards to how they reported the same things about Kate and Meghan. Even a cursory glance will show you that editors and journalists applied very different angles to similar stories.
Drama generates more attention than honest reporting, after all. This led to the public having skewed views about Meghan. Internet users are very polarized about whether or not they support the Duchess of Sussex, in part due to biased reporting.
#6
Meghan and Harry then practiced curtseying outside before she met his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. It's a stunning and romantic scene that would look wonderful in a movie or a TV series.
According to Meghan, her first meeting with the Queen was "Lovely and easy —and thank God I hadn’t known a lot about the family, thank god I hadn’t researched, I would have been so in my head about it.”
Mike believes that the topic is so polarizing, he can't see Harry and Meghan's supporters and haters ever coming together and making peace. "The two camps have dug in and dug in hard. The interview will only serve to polarize the two camps more, and I already see it’s being amplified more and more on social media right now," the expert shared.
"I’m only hoping the interview will bring some understanding to the haters who didn’t understand why they ‘turned their back’ on the Royal Family. I would think anyone with any compassion would have a better understanding of what they went through, and the motives of love and survival shouldn’t be questioned."
#7
"Touching back on what you asked on what my mum would think of this, I think she saw it coming," he said. "And I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process."
Prince Harry has sought out deals with Netflix and Spotify to keep his young family afloat after getting cut off.
#8
"I just didn’t see a solution. I would sit up at night and I was just like I don’t understand how all this is being churned out," Meghan spoke about how the press was constantly giving her negative attention. She felt that she was a victim of character assassination, conducted by the media.
“I was really ashamed to say it at the time, and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry, because I know how much loss he’s suffered—but I knew that if I didn’t say it, that I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore and that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought,” Meghan shared how she contemplated suicide.
She reached out to the Buckingham Palace HR team for help, however, she was told that she'd have to seek help elsewhere because she was not a paid employee.
#9
Among all of the emotional revelations, there was one bit of good news that most people were happy to hear: Archie is going to have a baby sister. She will be born sometime this summer.
“Two is it,” Harry said, saying that they don't plan to have any more kids after that.
Meghan told Oprah that there were times when she had suicidal thoughts because life as a British royal was so isolating and lonely. “I just didn't want to be alive anymore,” she told Oprah.
The Duchess mentioned that one member of the Royal Family had concerns about how ‘dark’ her son Archie’s skin would be. The revelations shocked people, ordinary and celebrity alike.
American model Chrissy Teigen and Meghan's on-screen husband Patrick J. Adams (aka Mike Ross from 'Suits') were among those who declared their public support for the couple and criticized the media and the royals for their treatment of the Duchess.
#10
“I’ve never blindsided my grandmother, I have too much respect for her," Harry told Oprah. He says that he told the Queen numerous times about their upcoming announcement.
#11
"There's a lot of hurt that's happened," he said — Charles didn't even take Harry's calls for a time. When asked to define his relationship with Will right now, he said, “The relationship is space.”
Vicky Z 3 years ago
The interview is not going to make things better though.. I understand they wanted to be heard but I don't understand the timing.. With Philip in the hospital and the possibility of him dying they will be in very uncomfortable position cause they will probably have to be there...
#12
Though the media had suggested that it was actually Meghan who made Kate cry, it's likely that the story happened in the complete opposite way.
“The reverse happened, and I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone because it was a really hard week of the wedding and she was upset about something,” Meghan opened up to Oprah during the in-depth interview.
The issue had arisen over the flower girl dresses. However, there is a happy ending to all of this. Meghan said that Kate then apologized, to her and she accepted her apology.
"There was no confrontation," Meghan said.
Despite the seemingly overwhelming support, not everyone is happy with how the interview turned out. The British tabloids, ever the thorn in Harry and Meghan’s sides, have denounced the interview as ‘self-serving’ and suggested that they’re curating and cultivating a certain public image for personal gain. The couple has made deals with Netflix and Spotify after being financially cut off.
Meanwhile, internet users from all walks of life are fighting a heated battle in the comment sections of news media outlets.
For most, the revelations confirmed their suspicions about the dark side of the Royal Family and they rushed to show their support for Harry and Meghan. Others, however, pointed out that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in no position to complain, as they were (and still are) far more privileged than, well, pretty much anyone on Earth.
#13
"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."
Mir Adwari 3 years ago
The trouble with this one is there are no examples of what was said and who was protected over her. We can guess but we don't know. The Royal Family's answer has, for decades, been to ignore the press. With Kate and Camilla it worked. Kate was not popular and Camilla was absolutely loathed. Hated for what happened to Diana. Now she has respect and admiration. Sometimes keeping your head down and getting on with things does work. It takes time is the problem.
#14
"I wouldn't have been able to, I, myself was trapped," he said, "Trapped within the system, like the rest of my family are [...]. They don't get to leave."
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago
You can see in previous interviews that he was not happy with the life he was given especially after losing his mum. Now he has a family he has them to think about and the horrible treatment of Meghan just made that decision easier for him to leave. It is no longer about him but he also needs to protect his family and leaving the royal institution is the only way he felt he could do that. I know that I would do anything for my hubby and kids even if it means leaving behind other family.
#15
"But at the same time, I completely respect my grandmother's decision."
Members of any royal family can seem so illustrious, charming, and powerful that people forget that they’re human beings with very human problems. And no family—royal or ordinary—is ‘perfect.’ But with the glitz, the glamor, and the prestigious upbringing, some of us assume that members of the aristocracy are beyond reproach.
Expectations should be high for royalty, absolutely. However, like with putting anyone on a pedestal, we’re bound to end up disappointed if we idolize them through illusions instead of seeing them grounded in reality like we are.
What did you think of the interview, dear Pandas? Did any of the revelations shock you? What is your opinion about the Royal family and about Harry and Meghan? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and just remember—we’re better than the British tabloids, so let’s keep it civil.
#16
"Greater than any fairytale you've ever read."
#17
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.
#18
"From my perspective, all I needed was enough money to be able to pay for security, to keep my family safe," Harry told Oprah.
Thenatural 3 years ago
Keep my family safe??? So you move to a country with more guns than people where the murder rate per 1000 is something like 10 compared to less than 1 in the uk? You're a f*****g idiot then aren't you..
#19
“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.
Chris Jones 3 years ago
Who have they done it for? They very, very rarely go on record and negate things. Never complain, never explain. They just ignore it and eventually it goes away. I don't think it's necessarily the right way to go about it but that has been the policy for decades. No disrespect for Meghan but they weren't going to change it for her when they left Kate to put up with it and she was only 19 or 20 when she started seeing William.
#20
"That's what we do, being able to default to not having to every moment go, 'Is that appropriate?'" Meghan told Oprah.
Wayne Dorman 3 years ago
Calling a sick relative to check if they are ok is not really something to be commended about - it's what any normal person with compassion would do and should go without saying.
#21
"I wasn't supposed to see it. I wasn't supposed to know."
Raven Sheridan 3 years ago
I'm sorry but I don't have any sympathy for Meghan. Unless she was completely stupid, she should have known what she was getting into by joining the royal family. Privacy and anonymity gone forever. Everything about you and your life scrutinized under a microscope. No amount of money is worth that. And love? Sometimes love isn't enough either.
#22
“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.”
Chris Jones 3 years ago
Though a friend said she has a lot on information on the royal family and she visited Buckingham Palace when younger - she was meant to be a fan of Diana.
#24
"Can you imagine how little sense that makes?" she told Oprah. "I left everything because I love him."
Howard Moody 3 years ago
She left being an actress in a cable TV show to being a member of the Royal Family.
What do you think ?
Bepina 3 years ago
The only thing devastating is that this Meghan&Harry soap opera is taking all the media space instead of prince Andrew and his involvement with Epstein and sleeping with minors.
Carrie de Luka 3 years ago
At least he is no longer a working royal and also no longer protected by the palace. The people investigating just need to get on and follow this up by interviewing him directly. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
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ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
A billionaire and millionaires talking about oppression,priceless,i can relate
ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
@Foxxy,so their net worth of only 10 mil doesn't make them millionaires?They are sooo poor
Load More Replies...
N G 3 years ago
Harry and Megan be like, 'we don't want this media attention following us'. Then they do this million dollar interview and self promotion, 'and why aren't we been paid now we've quit been royals. oh, lets sell our celebrity value on Netflix'.
K. 3 years ago
Since they can’t stop the media’s fascination with them, why can’t they change the image portrayed of them and benefit from it or talk about their truth. You can either hide from the world (unsuccessfully) or you can make something of it.
Load More Replies...
Bepina 3 years ago
The only thing devastating is that this Meghan&Harry soap opera is taking all the media space instead of prince Andrew and his involvement with Epstein and sleeping with minors.
Carrie de Luka 3 years ago
At least he is no longer a working royal and also no longer protected by the palace. The people investigating just need to get on and follow this up by interviewing him directly. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Load More Replies... ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
A billionaire and millionaires talking about oppression,priceless,i can relate
ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
@Foxxy,so their net worth of only 10 mil doesn't make them millionaires?They are sooo poor
Load More Replies... N G 3 years ago
Harry and Megan be like, 'we don't want this media attention following us'. Then they do this million dollar interview and self promotion, 'and why aren't we been paid now we've quit been royals. oh, lets sell our celebrity value on Netflix'.
K. 3 years ago
Since they can’t stop the media’s fascination with them, why can’t they change the image portrayed of them and benefit from it or talk about their truth. You can either hide from the world (unsuccessfully) or you can make something of it.
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