On Monday Mar. 8, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfery to discuss their experiences with the Royal Family after stepping back from their duties in early 2020. 

CBS aired the two hour special where The Duke and Duchess of Sussex cleared up any misconceptions and spoke freely for the first time regarding certain situations they felt the world should hear about. The interview reveals that the main reason Prince Harry and Markle stepped down from their royal duties stemmed from racism and a lack of support from within The Royal Family.

Royal Family Questioned Archie’s Skin Color:

Markle revealed that, prior to her son Archie’s birth, members of The Royal Family discussed how dark his skin would appear. Prince Harry relayed this information to Markle, who was not present when the conversation occurred. Both Prince Harry and Markle refrained from revealing who said the statements, as doing so would damage their reputation. Winfrey confirmed the following day that neither Queen Elizabeth or Prince Phillip contributed to those conversations. 

As a bi-racial couple, Markle made many statements hinting that she received different treatment in the royal family and media due to racism. Winfery noted that Archie did not receive an official hospital picture following his birth, a tradition dating back to 1982. Markle stated there was no request for a picture. Archie was not granted an official prince title and currently goes by Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. Without the title, Archie cannot receive security from The Royal Family, so Markle and Prince Harry have to pay for security out-of-pocket.

The Royal Family cut off Prince Harry financially and the couple did not have access to certain financial benefits without their titles. In order to make money to protect their family, Prince Harry and Markle made business deals with Netflix and Spotify. Prior to making the deal, the couple survived off of money Princess Diana left for Harry. The couple signed a multiyear production deal with Netflix to produce documentaries, shows and more to create content for their viewers. The couple also plans to host a podcast with Spotify through their company Archwell Audios to connect with others and act as a way to stay interconnected. 

Markle Becomes A Target In the British Tabloids:

Markle became a target in the infamous British tabloids, which published many harmful and misleading stories about the Duchess. Markle revealed that while the stories burdened her, what upset her more was that no one in the Royal Family stood up for her. Winfery referenced instances when the tabloids published stories claiming that Markle made Kate Middleton cry regarding bridesmaids dresses worn in her royal wedding. Markle revealed the opposite had occurred and Middleton actually made her cry. Markle stated Middleton apologized with flowers and a card, and only talked about the incident in order to clear-up what actually happened. Tabloids wrote about the incident for about a year, and The Royal Family made no effort to clear the air regarding the incident. The tabloids continued to slam Markle after her royal wedding and throughout her pregnancy.

Markle Reveals She Contemplated Suicide

Markle told Winfrey that palace officials wanted her to stay out of the public’s eye and that she left her home in Nottington Cottage twice in the span of four months. Markle revealed the mixture of isolation and hate from the press eventually led her to have suicidal thoughts. Markle told Prince Harry how she felt and they both went to the royal staff the following day to request for help in bettering Markle’s mental health. The royal couple stated that the royal staff did not help Markle. 

On Tuesday, The Royal Family broke their silence and said they felt saddened when learning the extent that Markle and Harry experienced, especially the issues regarding race, and plan to handle the situation privately.

History Repeating Itself 

While the tabloids came after Markle, Prince Harry revealed he did not want history to repeat itself, a reference to his mother Princess Diana. Princess Diana died in a car crash due to the paparazzi chasing her car in a Parisian underpass. Prince Harry revealed he felt his mothers presence throughout the whole process and felt determined to protect his wife from her fate. Princess Diana agreed to a sit-down interview with BBC in 1995 after her divorce with her husband, Prince Charles. Princess Diana revealed her struggle with bulimia and the details of Prince Charles’ affair. Both Princess Diana and Markle’s interviews revealed they did not receive help from The Royal Family and felt isolated after their weddings. 

Prince Harry has already undergone traumatic and negative experiences with the tabloids due to them causing his mother’s death in 1997 and revealed every camera flash takes him back to his mother’s death. In order to protect his wife, Prince Harry explained they felt it necessary to  step down from their royal duties. 

Family Relationships

The Royal Family has not reached out to apologize to Prince Harry and Markle for the circumstances they left the institution in. The Royal Family also has not said anything in support of Markle regarding her tabloid experiences. The couple stated they hoped to have a reduced role rather than step down.The Royal Family released a statement in February confirming Prince Harry and Markle would not return to their royal duties and Prince Harry would no longer hold his military titles, officially confirming their split from The Royal Family. Prince Harry revealed his relationship with his father, Prince Charles, remains a work-in-progress and they did not talk for a while after their split. He describes his relationship with his brother, Prince William, as “space.” Both Prince Harry and Markle spoke highly of Queen Elizabeth throughout the interview.

Feel free to reach out for help at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

at any time. Please call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 if you or anyone you know experiences suicidal thoughts or actions.