The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Oprah I - Pre-interview, Feb-March 2021

[carlota]

The Queen is not overshadowing her grandson's interview. Her Commonwealth program was planned for that date months ago. Sick and tired of people saying the Queen has done this and is doing this. No, I do not know her and no one on this forum does either, but she does not seem to be the type of person who deliberately upstages someone else or plays these games.

absolutely. she is a 94 year old woman, a head of state and a person who has lived through far worse times and crises than this. what a stupid thing to suggest that a mature woman who has been in this game for way longer than the sussexes have even been alive would engage in such games.

 

[acdc1]

I've said this from the beginning- I think that anyone expecting some sort of explosive, tell-all interview where they completely trash the Royal Family is going to be sorely disappointed. I think that it will primarily be discussing their future projects with Spotify, Netflix, and the philanthropic side of Archewell, as well as their new journey as a family (we'll probably learn a little bit more about her pregnancy, probably showing off her cute baby bump, gushing about how excited they are for the new baby, hopefully get some cute tidbits about Archie, etc.).

 

[Osipi]

absolutely. she is a 94 year old woman, a head of state and a person who has lived through far worse times and crises than this. what a stupid thing to suggest that a mature woman who has been in this game for way longer than the sussexes have even been alive would engage in such games.

I would suggest that the American media has no clue about Commonwealth Day in the UK (or even that there *is* a Commonwealth of Nations) let alone the American public being aware of it. They're just seeing the two separate incidents as clashing because they're on the same date.

Perfect example of assuming something dastardly is happening where a bit of research could have explained it so very easily. ?

 

[Mbruno]

Continued reports regarding the apparent scope and content of the upcoming interview:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertain...ah-winfrey-tell-all/ar-BB1dXnNJ?ocid=msedgntp

"Speaking their truth" has become the ultimate American woke slogan.

I don't claim to assume that there is only one objective and universal truth, which is a deep philosophical debate, but at the same time I cringe at the extreme moral relativism that has become pervasive in our society where each and every person now talks about his/her "own truth" and facts and evidence don't matter anymore.

I don't want to spark a debate, but it is how I feel.

The Queen is not overshadowing her grandson's interview. Her Commonwealth program was planned for that date months ago. Sick and tired of people saying the Queen has done this and is doing this. No, I do not know her and no one on this forum does either, but she does not seem to be the type of person who deliberately upstages someone else or plays these games.

Yes, that was a ridiculous statement that shows just how clueless American media can be. I wouldn't expect them to have any understanding of the annual Commonwealth Day service when they cannot even point out some Commonwealth countries on the map, or don't even know what the Commonwealth is.

 

[ACO]

I would suggest that the American media has no clue about Commonwealth Day in the UK (or even that there *is* a Commonwealth of Nations) let alone the American public being aware of it. They're just seeing the two separate incidents as clashing because they're on the same date.

Perfect example of assuming something dastardly is happening where a bit of research could have explained it so very easily. ?

Except it is more the UK media trying to play the rivalry game. That said there is zero competition. Literally non existent except for the media's clicks.

 

[Mbruno]

Except it is more the UK media trying to play the rivalry game. That said there is zero competition. Literally non existent except for the media's clicks.

Well, it was an American media outlet that claimed that the Queen scheduled the Commonwealth Day broadcast to coincide deliberately with the Oprah interview and called it some kind of "comeback" by the Palace.

Besides, some people seem to forget we now live in a streaming, VoD world. People don't have to watch programs at fixed time slots as in 1960s television or even 1990s cable.

 

[ACO]

I’ve seen way more of the usual MSM of the UK first going on about it. Literally as they announced the programming they linked it to the Oprah interview. Yes the US media piggybacked off it but they by no means kickstarted the silliness.

That said it’s all ridiculous. And yes streaming negates it all. People will watch when they want too.

 

[TLLK]

I would suggest that the American media has no clue about Commonwealth Day in the UK (or even that there *is* a Commonwealth of Nations) let alone the American public being aware of it. They're just seeing the two separate incidents as clashing because they're on the same date.

Perfect example of assuming something dastardly is happening where a bit of research could have explained it so very easily. ?

I agree Osipi. It's disappointing to read this type of "journalism."

Once she and Harry unveiled the plan for their historic tell-all, Queen Elizabeth seemingly had a comeback with an announcement of her own. Westminster Abbey posted news that a message from Her Majesty will air during a BBC One special entitled A Celebration for Commonwealth Day, on the same day, March 7, raising eyebrows as to whether she's attempting to overshadow her grandson's interview.

Even more interesting is that MSN reported in March 2020 that the Commonweatlth service was an annual event. However it appears that they've forgotten that information in the last twelve months.

Below is the link to their article from last year.




https://www.msn.com/en-my/entertain...mmonwealth-day-service/ss-BB10XEox?li=BBr8Hnu

 

[Osipi]

I agree Osipi. It's disappointing to read this type of "journalism."



Even more interesting is that MSN reported in March 2020 that the Commonweatlth service was an annual event. However it appears that they've forgotten that information in the last twelve months.

Below is the link to their article from last year.




https://www.msn.com/en-my/entertain...mmonwealth-day-service/ss-BB10XEox?li=BBr8Hnu

I honestly believe that if I went into journalism way back then, I'd have definitely quit already in sheer disgust. Good journalism is a rare commodity these days.

 

[Alison H]

The Queen does not try to overshadow other people's interviews. No-one overshadows her: she's the Queen. She does not get involved in tit-for-tat spats like a schoolkid squabbling in the playground.


Commonwealth Day takes place every year. It (originally Empire Day) dates back to 1902. It really hasn't been invented just because Harry and Meghan are going to be on a TV talk show.


I gather that Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Sophie, and maybe some of the other senior Royals as well, will also be involved.

 

[Betsypaige]

Please don’t take E-online seriously ...it’s a gossipy, celebrity-oriented rag. Their notion that HM is trying to slap back at H and M’s interview is just asinine.

 

[AC21091968]

The Queen does not try to overshadow other people's interviews. No-one overshadows her: she's the Queen. She does not get involved in tit-for-tat spats like a schoolkid squabbling in the playground.


Commonwealth Day takes place every year. It (originally Empire Day) dates back to 1902. It really hasn't been invented just because Harry and Meghan are going to be on a TV talk show.


I gather that Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Sophie, and maybe some of the other senior Royals as well, will also be involved.

Without going off topic, you are right that Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Sophie will take part of the pre-recorded Commonwealth Service programon BBC One.

TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and HRH The Countess of Wessex will also take part in the programme, sharing their perspectives on the importance of our Commonwealth links.

https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-news/a-celebration-for-commonwealth-day

Who is suggesting this?

As for stories that the Royal family try to overshadow the Sussexes' Oprah interview for moving a day forward (from 8th to 7th March), it's very ludicrous. It did not help that some staunch Sussex supporters ("Sugars") tried to spread rumours and conspiracy theories. It's almost as if they don't know about the service or even the Commonwealth. Lainey Lui from Lainey Gossip also perpetuated this "coincident/conspiracy" by throwing the Royal Family under bus in order to make Harry & Meghan look good. What's even worse is that Lainey kept bringing Meghan's race into it and how the "pale, male and stale" royal family did not support her, as well as the Royal Family not being representative of the Commonwealth.

https://www.laineygossip.com/britis...ce-harry-meghan-markles-oprah-interview/68097

I am an ethnic minority in Australia and I find it very nauseating that Lainey Lui is dragging race and identity politics into every arguments just to appear virtuous. It's not Meghan's race that lead the Sussexes lose their royal patronages, it's because they are no longer full-time working royals, representing The Queen and doing public services in The United Kingdom.

Perhaps the news that the BBC not to broadcast Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah could be the factor of the "overshadowing" stories (i.e. The Beeb does not want both of these programs on the same day)

 

[QueenMathilde]

I would agree with those who say American's don't know much about the commonwealth. Meghan's fan base who these articles are aimed at don't seem to know much about the UK or the royal family at all.

 

[Curryong]

It's not just Sussex fans who don't know much about the BRF or the Commonwealth. There are a great many Britons who don't know or care about their royals or the Commonwealth either. And as a Commonwealth citizen of Australia I would bet that if you asked the average Aussie on the street about the Commonwealth you might get something about us competing in the Commonwealth Games and that would be about it!

I refuse to link it, but one of the U.K. tabloids, The Sun, is reporting that ITV have gained the rights to the Oprah interview and intend to broadcast it in prime time. I believe the Commonwealth Day broadcast will air during the afternoon.

 

[RandyDrx]

Without going off topic, you are right that Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Sophie will take part of the pre-recorded Commonwealth Service programon BBC One.



https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-news/a-celebration-for-commonwealth-day



As for stories that the Royal family try to overshadow the Sussexes' Oprah interview for moving a day forward (from 8th to 7th March), it's very ludicrous. It did not help that some staunch Sussex supporters ("Sugars") tried to spread rumours and conspiracy theories. It's almost as if they don't know about the service or even the Commonwealth. Lainey Lui from Lainey Gossip also perpetuated this "coincident/conspiracy" by throwing the Royal Family under bus in order to make Harry & Meghan look good. What's even worse is that Lainey kept bringing Meghan's race into it and how the "pale, male and stale" royal family did not support her, as well as the Royal Family not being representative of the Commonwealth.

https://www.laineygossip.com/britis...ce-harry-meghan-markles-oprah-interview/68097

I am an ethnic minority in Australia and I find it very nauseating that Lainey Lui is dragging race and identity politics into every arguments just to appear virtuous. It's not Meghan's race that lead the Sussexes lose their royal patronages, it's because they are no longer full-time working royals, representing The Queen and doing public services in The United Kingdom.

Perhaps the news that the BBC not to broadcast Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah could be the factor of the "overshadowing" stories (i.e. The Beeb does not want both of these programs on the same day)

That's not surprising considering she is/was a friend of Meghan, they were even pictured together once in the past.

 

[Osipi]

Perhaps the news that the BBC not to broadcast Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah could be the factor of the "overshadowing" stories (i.e. The Beeb does not want both of these programs on the same day)

Logic tells me that the BBC most likely doesn't want to air this interview due to the fact that it's airing on CBS at 8pm EST in the US which would make it 1am in the UK.

That brings up a question. Should a UK media pick it up, would they air it the next day or at 1am ?

 

[AC21091968]

Logic tells me that the BBC most likely doesn't want to air this interview due to the fact that it's airing on CBS at 8pm EST in the US which would make it 1am in the UK.

That brings up a question. Should a UK media pick it up, would they air it the next day or at 1am ?

There is a rumour that ITV or Sky will pick it up, neither of them are state funded like the BBC.

I then read an article on Honey Nine Australia where Holly Willoughby (host of ITV This Morning) was contacted by Oprah Winfrey's team. Apparently, Oraph's team were asking for footages from This Morning (morning TV program on ITV) on the interview Samantha Markle. However, Holly Willoughby does not know if CBS will use the old interview footage nor will ITV broadcast Oprah Winfrey's show.

More details about Meghan and Harry's Oprah interview
https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/me...-details/20705c6b-7ae0-4b90-9171-f827071c971b

 

[ACO]

That's not surprising considering she is/was a friend of Meghan, they were even pictured together once in the past.

They are not friends nor does Meghan even know her. She admitted that herself. They interacted once due to her working at the same company as her friend’s husband, and that picture was Meghan attending a dinner where they were both the plus ones.

She said that people assumed more and she just didn’t go out her way to deny it because I was a business opportunity.

And I’m sure that’s the case for many...

 

[MaiaMia_53]

That's not surprising considering she is/was a friend of Meghan, they were even pictured together once in the past.

Lainey Liu is a gossip columnist. I personally would not place too much importance on anything Lainey has to say about the Oprah interview or about the British royal family.

In the interest of accuracy, please note that Lainey Liu was only ever a random person who briefly came into contact with Meghan once. Lainey was never a friend of Meghan's, and certainly never a Meghan-insider. Lainey and Meghan may have previously been pictured together at an event or a gathering in Toronto. This is possible because Lainey used to be a work colleague of Ben Mulroney (husband of one of Meghan's close friends).


ETA:
I posted the above prior to seeing ACO's similar post, with the same correction.

 

[QueenMathilde]

Hopefully this is not true

https://www.thedailybeast.com/oprah...-shine-a-light-on-what-they-have-been-through

 

[Curryong]

Daily Beast journalists know no more of what the Oprah interview is likely to contain than any other outside source, including 'E'. Of course people close to the Oprah/CBS team are going to hint about the interview being explosive. They want a big audience to watch it. What is written here just seems like a rehash of rumours we've read before.

 

[akina21]

Lainey Liu is a gossip columnist. I personally would not place too much importance on anything Lainey has to say about the Oprah interview or about the British royal family.

In the interest of accuracy, please note that Lainey Liu was only ever a random person who briefly came into contact with Meghan once. Lainey was never a friend of Meghan's, and certainly never a Meghan-insider. Lainey and Meghan may have previously been pictured together at an event or a gathering in Toronto. This is possible because Lainey used to be a work colleague of Ben Mulroney (husband of one of Meghan's close friends).


ETA:
I posted the above prior to seeing ACO's similar post, with the same correction.

She is however pretty close to Omid, no matter how much they now try to hide that. She was also the one who published the shopping trip blind item

 

[ACO]

Well we are now a week out from the interview. I assume that we will be getting teasers very soon. Maybe as soon as Wednesday.

 

[ACO]

A few previews for next week

 

[AC21091968]

A few previews for next week

Thank you ACO for the links to the sneak peak and preview!

Speaking of the devil, I was just watching Oprah's interview with Sarah, Duchess of York (filmed on 1996) yesterday on Youtube and just about to comment about Oprah's style of interview.

I quite like the outdoor setting in the garden, which kind of made things more relaxing and less contrived compared to indoor with a studio audience. Yes, I understand that it's probably due to COVID that it was filmed outside. In these two short clips, only Harry and Oprah are shown to be speaking. In the second clip, the camera cuts away once Oprah finished asking the questions, so the viewers don't get to hear/see Meghan's response. Judging from the second clip, like what Oprah had said, no questions will be off-limits and the interview could be hard-hitting or "trying to get towards the bottom of things". I don't think Oprah would be grilling like Jeremy Paxman or Andrew Neil, but she will definitely want a clear answer not "dancing around the tune".

It's interesting that the issue of Meghan feeling silent or being silence is brought up in the second video, which was previously being tipped in some rumours

 

[TLLK]

Thank you for the links ACO. Lovely setting for the outdoor interview and that shade of purple mauve is very pretty on Oprah.



Honestly I am a little surprised by Meghan's choice of eye makeup and clothing color. IMHO it's a little too close to Diana's heavier black eyeliner and her clothing color. Typically I've noticed that Meghan doesn't go for very heavy eyeliner.

 

[acdc1]

Meghan looks great, pregnancy obviously agrees with her! I think that the dress is pretty and very flattering on her figure but the black combined with the heavy eye makeup does look odd when set against the beautiful outdoor backdrop.

 

[Curryong]

To be fair though, Meghan has often worn dark clothing. I can remember begging on the Meghan fashion threads for 'More Colour Please' during her Royal engagements and when on tour. There was a lot of monochrome. So I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the colour chosen this time.

Meghan also seems to have been experimenting with her makeup a bit lately as well. She's been wearing very pale lipstick, for example.

 

[intothesea]

I haven't watched too much Oprah in my life but to me this is what she’s known for...creating a moment with teary eyes, asking questions that cause the subject to pause and reflect before responding, asking a soft follow-up question that won’t make the interviewee too uncomfortable but allows them to either reframe the answer or reiterate it.

In other words, there won’t be anything truly shocking as far as I can tell, despite what the ads suggest. I can’t ever remember a truly bombshell interview with Oprah. I think her most “shocking” interview was Tom Cruise jumping on a couch and that was due to his odd behavior, not her questions. Jon Stewart was far better at hard hitting interviews, such as with stock guru Jim Cramer. David Letterman was far better at shocking interviews, even though he could be pompous, for they are remembered in popular culture.

I assume the complaints will be that Harry and Meghan are too “Woe is me!” and the praise will be that they will be seen as very affectionate with one another and especially warm when talking about their son/baby on the way, and will seem eager in their charitable plans.

In any case, the ad didn’t make me more curious about it. I won’t watch it that night, and will only see it later if there are any truly new things to know and analyze.

 

[TLLK]

Meghan looks great, pregnancy obviously agrees with her! I think that the dress is pretty and very flattering on her figure but the black combined with the heavy eye makeup does look odd when set against the beautiful outdoor backdrop.

I agree that it's a great dress and she looks very healthy. Not even sure that it's truly maternity.