Last night was a big one for people who haven't bothered cutting their cable television just yet, as Oprah Winfrey sat down with Meghan Markle and her hubby Prince Harry to discuss the couple's break from the Royal Family.
The much-hyped two-hour interview aired on CBS last night (March 7) after 60 Minutes, and the hype was hopefully worth it for the network, who paid an estimated $9 million USD to air the piece.
The interview was full of fascinating — and upsetting — tidbits about Markle's life spent in the Royal Family. She explained that she learned how to curtsy for the first time mere minutes before meeting the Queen, who she described as warm and endearing. She added that her and Harry were married three days before their much-publicized wedding, hoping to have a ceremony of their own outside of the fanfare.
Markle went on to explain that she first noticed the Royal Family handlers didn't have her back when tabloids shared a story that she had made Kate Middleton cry in the lead-up to her wedding. According to Markle, it was the opposite that happened, but the Crown's communication team would not set the record straight.
"What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn't do but what happened to me and the people that were a part of my wedding going to my comms team, saying, I know this didn't happen," Markle said in the interview.
She added that when she had Archie, her son with Harry, the Royal Family decided they would not make him a prince. Markle was particularly concerned because it meant the family would not provide security for Archie. Further, it represented a double standard, as she said, "the first member of colour in this family isn't being titled in the same way as other grandchildren would be."
That wasn't the only racism she experienced. She added that there were "concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he was born" while she was pregnant.
In a follow-up quote today [via The Hollywood Reporter], Oprah explained that it wasn't Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip. "[Prince Harry] did not share the identity with me but he wanted to make sure that I knew and, if I had an opportunity to share it, that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather that were a part of those conversations," Oprah said.
Markle's mistreatment by the Crown organization resulted in her experiencing suicidal ideation for the first time in her life. She went to the human resources department of the Palace, but was told that it "wouldn't be good for the institution" for her to get help. "I went to one of the most senior people to get help. And I share this because, there are so many people who are afraid to voice that they need help, and I know how hard it is to not just voice it but to be told no."
Ultimately, Meghan and Harry moved to Canada before settling down in Santa Barbara, CA, where they now reside. In the interview, Harry added that his father Prince Charles no longer takes his phone calls, but he made the decision to move because he was worried about "history repeating itself," referring to his mother Princess Diana who died following a car crash involving the paparazzi.
The ratings bombshell, which attracted over 17 million viewers in the United States and had the second biggest audience for a non-sports broadcast this season, also included the news that Meghan and Harry are expecting a baby girl this summer.
Watch the full Oprah with Meghan and Harry special here.
The much-hyped two-hour interview aired on CBS last night (March 7) after 60 Minutes, and the hype was hopefully worth it for the network, who paid an estimated $9 million USD to air the piece.
The interview was full of fascinating — and upsetting — tidbits about Markle's life spent in the Royal Family. She explained that she learned how to curtsy for the first time mere minutes before meeting the Queen, who she described as warm and endearing. She added that her and Harry were married three days before their much-publicized wedding, hoping to have a ceremony of their own outside of the fanfare.
Markle went on to explain that she first noticed the Royal Family handlers didn't have her back when tabloids shared a story that she had made Kate Middleton cry in the lead-up to her wedding. According to Markle, it was the opposite that happened, but the Crown's communication team would not set the record straight.
"What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn't do but what happened to me and the people that were a part of my wedding going to my comms team, saying, I know this didn't happen," Markle said in the interview.
She added that when she had Archie, her son with Harry, the Royal Family decided they would not make him a prince. Markle was particularly concerned because it meant the family would not provide security for Archie. Further, it represented a double standard, as she said, "the first member of colour in this family isn't being titled in the same way as other grandchildren would be."
That wasn't the only racism she experienced. She added that there were "concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he was born" while she was pregnant.
In a follow-up quote today [via The Hollywood Reporter], Oprah explained that it wasn't Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip. "[Prince Harry] did not share the identity with me but he wanted to make sure that I knew and, if I had an opportunity to share it, that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather that were a part of those conversations," Oprah said.
Markle's mistreatment by the Crown organization resulted in her experiencing suicidal ideation for the first time in her life. She went to the human resources department of the Palace, but was told that it "wouldn't be good for the institution" for her to get help. "I went to one of the most senior people to get help. And I share this because, there are so many people who are afraid to voice that they need help, and I know how hard it is to not just voice it but to be told no."
Ultimately, Meghan and Harry moved to Canada before settling down in Santa Barbara, CA, where they now reside. In the interview, Harry added that his father Prince Charles no longer takes his phone calls, but he made the decision to move because he was worried about "history repeating itself," referring to his mother Princess Diana who died following a car crash involving the paparazzi.
The ratings bombshell, which attracted over 17 million viewers in the United States and had the second biggest audience for a non-sports broadcast this season, also included the news that Meghan and Harry are expecting a baby girl this summer.
Watch the full Oprah with Meghan and Harry special here.
