The Duke & Duchess of Sussex with Oprah II - Interview, March 7th-9th 2021

[Princess_Eleanor]

Yeah I think Charles said the comment because it seemed Harry looked pretty sad when he started talking about him.

But it is not the Queen. He seemingly has a great respect for her.

I really don't think that Charles made the comment, he doesn't seem like the type. Harry is just mad that Charles has (finally) cut him off financially, it seems.

Certainly not the Queen, no.

 

[Fem]

It's done. We survived. I think this interview has done more damage than I thought it would.

1. It's always "ME ME ME ME ME" with those two. Never about serving, never about duty, never about anyone other than themselves.

2. I do not believe anyone in the palace turned down a pregnant woman with suicidal thoughts asking for help. Like WTF, here's the Oscar and Pinocchio nose.

3. They are not as stable financially as I thought - or their lifestyle is costing them much more than they can afford.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

Obviously, no one said 'house arrest.' Quite clearly, there's just not the same level of freedom if you are told that you can't take lunch with friends, and this or that is a problem, which means Meghan experienced some loneliness when Harry was away. That's understandable.

We do all remember what it was like for Diana, and the isolation and loneliness she felt. And Diana didn't have an attentive husband. Despite being a member of the aristocracy, Diana was so young when she married and even she had no idea of what it would truly be like on the inside.


In this whole saga of history repeating itself, I'm the most sad for Harry and all the pain and disappointment he's had to suffer after finally finding the love of his life and during times which should have been the happiest for a young couple. This after the trauma he went through in his teens and twenties. There's only so much the psyche can take. I'm glad he was strong enough to overcome it all and assert himself. As he said, and I believe it's true, Diana was watching over him. Harry made the best decision for himself and his core family, after being loving and supporting to his relatives all of his life, despite the fraught problems of royal life. And he and Meghan still wanted to serve. It's all so complicated on so many levels.

I'm so glad M&H both found the courage and fortitude to come out on the other side. They have strong friendships which have also meant a lot during these difficulties. This goes to show that life is complicated for everyone underneath the surface.

My problem this is that if she was feeling isolated and her mental state kept her from resolving the issue, Was Harry that attentive? If so, why didn't he arrange for her to see her friends or her mother? Didn't Doria spend a lot of time in the UK? Even if she just talked to Doria via Skype or phone, did Doria miss her distress?

I believe she was depressed and unhappy and didn't know what to do. I'm not sure that her accusations against the royal family, firm or whomever are fair or accurate.

 

[Zonk]

It's done. We survived. I think this interview has done more damage than I thought it would.

1. It's always "ME ME ME ME ME" with those two. Never about serving, never about duty, never about anyone other than themselves.

2. I do not believe anyone in the palace turned down a pregnant woman with suicidal thoughts asking for help. Like WTF, here's the Oscar and Pinocchio nose.

3. They are not as stable financially as I thought - or they lifestyle is costing them way much than they can afford.

IMO the Firm probably made suggestions on who Meghan should visit in terms of her personal health and by this point, they didn't trust the Firm and could have wanted to see someone they preferred to see. I am not saying that anyone lied but I think maybe someone was loosey goosey with the truth

And I agree with everything else you stated. They don't get it and it appears they never well.

I am surprised that he hasn't spoken to Charles but felt the need to through Charles under the bus. Especially since Charles supported his marriage to Meghan and walked her down the aisle. But IMO his statement about William and Charles are trapped...you basically just disregarded everything Charles has worked for the last 60 plus years.

Just awful.

 

[yukari]

Honestly, at worst I'm expecting something similar to Fergie's past interview with Oprah while hoping that it mainly will be about promoting Archewell.

Seems like it turned out to be another Markle's interview ...

 

[Mbruno]

Oh yes, I forgot about that one. So Harry basically omitted this whole issue of citizens of Canada not wanting to pay for non-working royals and made it seem like it was his family who made that decision. Wow.

The RCMP (i.e. the Canadian federal police) provides security for members of the Royal Family when they are visiting Canada. There is no precedent , however, for providing 24/7 security for non-working royals who were planning to settle permanently in the country as private citizens. That is my understanding of what the responsible minister in Canada said at the time when he was asked about it. I don't understand what Harry expected, but, judging from the interview, he clearly thought he was entitled to keep his security.

 

[Alisa]

I never asked for comparisons, reread the thread of discussion. I simply pointed out to the user that Zara was never on par with Harry

The point is, you said that Zara can't be compared to Harry (considering their lack of officially paid security), because she was never a working royal. Well, here's an example of a working royal couple who do not have the 24/7 security that Meghan and Harry were expecting.

 

[Zonk]

The RCMP (i.e. the Canadian federal police) provides security for members of the Royal Family when they are visiting Canada. There is no precedent , however, for providing 24/7 security for non-working royals who were planning to settle permanently in the country as private citizens. That is my understanding of what the responsible minister in Canada said at the time when he was asked about it. I don't understand what Harry expected, but, judging from the interview, he clearly thought he was entitled to keep his security.

And I get why he still wanted security if the risk was still there. But you plan ahead. I don't put my notice at my job until I have another job.

Harry is the definition of privilege and didn't think any of this through despite what he says.

 

[MaiaMia_53]

There's still a lot that M&H didn't say because there's only so much that can be covered in 2 hours broken up into increments. And it was also edited down. Oprah said she will share more clips on CBS This Morning.

We did get to see a small glimpse of Archie but not actual close-ups, and it was in black & white. His hair looks dark. From the Instagram picture that was posted on a fan site which came originally from a friend of Meghan's and was then removed, Archie's hair looks dark brown with red highlights. I'm happy M&H will be able to raise Archie in a healthy environment. That's so sad about the fact it wasn't Harry and Meghan who were dead set against titles for their son.

I'm so happy for them that they are having a girl, which was my hope and guess! They must be deciding on possible names. I'm surprised they shared their knowledge publicly. They apparently decided not to know with the first birth. And Oprah didn't pry about the painful miscarriage. I don't think that was mentioned at all. Maybe Oprah has talked with Meghan about that privately, as a friend.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

IMO the Firm probably made suggestions on who Meghan should visit in terms of her personal health and by this point, they didn't trust the Firm and could have wanted to see someone they preferred to see. I am not saying that anyone lied but I think maybe someone was loosey goosey with the truth

I see what you are saying but I am not even sure about that. Apparently she said something about not being able to get help because she wasn't a paid member of the family. The royal family didn't try and keep Diana and Sarah from consulting the people they wanted to. It just doesn't make any sense.

 

[Alisa]

Charles wouldn't have his farms from the Duchy of Cornwall were he to walk away.
Harry said Diana's inheritance allowed them to have "all this".

Well, Charles has his farms in Cornwall which make quite a good income and William has his inherence from Diana so not all their money comes from the tax payers. Harry has just gone through all his money from Diana which was millions.

 

[Duchess_Watcher]

It was horribly damaging. I doubt America will cover any future Royal wedding or coronations.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

I never asked for comparisons, reread the thread of discussion. I simply pointed out to the user that Zara was never on par with Harry

Harry is higher profile than Zara and I believe is at more risk but the U.S. government doesn't pay for security for private citizens and it seems that the U.K. doesn't either. He had security as a senior member of the family but they left. They have these huge deals with Netflix and Spotify, they live in a huge mansion and before the lockdown, took expensive vacations. Why should the taxpayers pay for their security.

 

[Kellydofc]

Charles wouldn't have his farms from the Duchy of Cornwall were he to walk away.
Harry said Diana's inheritance allowed them to have "all this".

He has purchased some lands with his own money so yes, Charles would still have those. They do have personal wealth.

 

[Alisa]

So they care more about her public image than their own family? My experience is that complaining about your family and friends never ends well. It's usually better to work out disagreements privately.

When their public image and the way they were being treated behind the scenes affects their mental health- then yes!

 

[Fem]

I see what you are saying but I am not even sure about that. Apparently she said something about not being able to get help because she wasn't a paid member of the family. The royal family didn't try and keep Diana and Sarah from consulting the people they wanted to. It just doesn't make any sense.

I will accept an award, because I actually watched that for the second time to make sure what Meghan said.

She said she was feeling suicidal and it didn't seem like her, so she was afraid for herself, blah blah, so she went to some senior palace official (no name was mentioned, no description given to whom) and asked them to be admitted somewhere and claimed that was refused, because it would look bad on the family. (So my guess here be some US clinic known for getting celebrities back into working shape? )

Then she went to the HR department and asked for help, where she was turned down, because she was not a paid employee. Which makes sense, because the HR department is for employees and not members of BRF.

But you're right, it does not make any sense whatsoever. Between the fact that the BRF never actually hide the fact that they do indeed look for professional help in regards to their mental health, all the mental health initiatives they do, like... Just no. Something smells fishy here.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

It was horribly damaging. I doubt America will cover any future Royal wedding or coronations.

It may have hurt their image, as the War of the Wales did but I fully expect that there will be major coverage of the Jubilee and when the time comes, Charles and William's coronations.

 

[Alisa]

Thank you! You spared me having to write my summary!!

I saw the interview just now. As you all know, I have a different perspective on the Sussexes and Megxit than many on the Forum. There were a few bombshells in there. Many of the things Harry and Meghan spoke about, the royal system and individuals being trapped within it, I have long suspected.

Also the deal that the British Press has with the royals ?you stroke our back, we?ll stroke yours, you write a great article about us, you?ll get access next time? we?ve seen, time and time again with Junor etc. The replies also, when Harry asked for some help and public support from other royals against the tabloid bullying ?We can?t do anything. That?s just the way it is?. rang true as well.

As we have seen many times in the past, the tabloids have to set up a narrative of hero and a villain, and in Meghan they had the perfect foil to set up against Kate, older, divorced, biracial, American actress, and they ran with it as she mentioned.

And the senior royals ARE trapped in ?The System?. It?s inevitable until the whole system of monarchy crumbles. And it will, eventually.

I?m glad that the little Sussex family are now settled and happy and content, after the dark period they?ve been through. Im happy that the Queen wasn’t attacked and that Harry was discreet about his father (apart from Charles not taking his calls, and his brother.

As for their new baby being a girl that is a wonderful surprise.

 

[Duchess_Watcher]

It may have hurt their image, as the War of the Wales did but I fully expect that there will be major coverage of the Jubilee and when the time comes, Charles and William's coronations.

One thing is for certain is I do not believe Meghan or Harry will be there. These accusations they have accused Harry's family of is bad and I doubt Harry or William will forgive.

I feel bad for Archie and their daughter. They won't know their cousins.

 

[Fem]

I never asked for comparisons, reread the thread of discussion. I simply pointed out to the user that Zara was never on par with Harry

Then consider this, much better comparison, volunteered in good faith and need to provide accurate information!

 

[MaiaMia_53]

Yeah, I'm sure they're fine financially and have more money than most of us will ever dream of. Harry's just going to have to learn to live more modestly. And they're going to have to let stuff go like the security. I don't doubt this has been a huge change for him but life is change.

They aren't "letting go" of security. They didn't say that. They said that in Canada their RPO security was pulled, which meant Harry had to make some quick decisions. Because they had friends, like Tyler Perry, they were given a breather to figure things out. Tyler Perry paid for their security, sent his private plane for them to fly out of Canada before the border shut down, and allowed them temporary shelter in his Beverly Hills home, till they figured things out. That's what friends are for. Even better when they are friends with money.

M&H weren't and aren't destitute obviously. But who they are as people automatically means extraordinary expenses, chiefly with security, and trying to obtain the kind of lifestyle Harry was accustomed to. Meghan had already given up her entire life and profession. She probably had a few million in investments and the royalties I mentioned earlier, but that's not enough to cover everything they were staring at. Therefore, Harry had to utilize some of the money his mother and great-grandmother left to him. So no neither of them are broke. But I don't think we can imagine the type of expenses they were facing right off the bat. They had to look forward to generating income.

One of their stated desires upon stepping back was to be financially independent because of how the press kept bashing them about paying for their lifestyle, which was not a criticism continually leveled at other royals. They were able to have the breather to make some decisions about how to make money for financial independence, and it worked out for them. They definitely have security that Harry is paying for, and they were able to purchase a lovely, secure home. The Netflix and Spotify deals have helped, and what's commendable is that they also never stopped thinking and planning to launch Archewell Foundation. I thought they might talk about Archewell more than they did. But I guess the main concern for this interview was to clear up some misperceptions about Sussexit, and the constant negative press stories, and how their mental health was affected throughout these challenges.

 

[texankitcat]

It was horribly damaging. I doubt America will cover any future Royal wedding or coronations.

There won’t be anymore Royal weddings until one of William’s children gets married in a few decades. I am sure the US will be all over it.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

When their public image and the way they were being treated behind the scenes affects their mental health- then yes!

I think that is very sad. I guess Harry can no longer complain that Charles cared more about his public image than him.

 

[Duchess_Watcher]

The part I don't get is Meghan saying Kate made her cry, but it could have been Meghan's emotion. She was really discreet on it, but she said Kate was upset. Sounded like it was something to do with flower dresses.

They better hope American's don't turn on them.

 

[Kellydofc]

That's so sad about the fact it wasn't Harry and Meghan who were dead set against titles for their son.

This is all laid out in the Succession Act of 2013, as of right now Archie isn't entitled to be called a Prince. However, once Charles becomes King he will automictically become one. It's an act of Parliament. Harry knows this and I have NO DOUBT Meghan knows it as well. Apparently they wanted the Queen to make Archie a prince right away. But he will be one someday when Charles is king. Honestly Meghan should have corrected Oprah.

 

[Kataryn]

Meghan now claiming that "they" "did not want" her child to be a "prince/ princess" and that "they" would had "no explanation." She "heard a lot of this" "through Harry" and "other members of the family."

Now claiming that it was her son was going to be "the first member of color in this family" was "not going to be titled" the same way as other members of the family.

IMHO she meant that for Archie like for the kids of William, new letters patent by the queen would have been needed to make him into a prince before his grandfather became king, because great-grandsons were not considered to even exist when the original letters patent was given in 1917.



I did not see the interview but read a report about it by The New York Times and it didn't sound so off to me.The mechanism how this works has been discussed here and I guess Meghan was informed about the decision and as the NYT put it, she was more concerned about the fact that Archie on not being made a prince, would not receive personal security. Which is a concern I can understand as a mother.

 

[Estel]

I don't really believe a word of the interview. I don't think anyone from the mainstream media, apart from Piers, has the guts to call BS on them.
The so-called royal commentators are a pathetic lot.

 

[AC21091968]

Some banter between Russell Myers and Camilla Tominey on what happened in the interview with Oprah.

Russell Myers @rjmyers
Meghan has just claimed Buckingham Palace throw "holiday parties" for the UK tabloids and now I am wondering why I never got a ticket #OprahMeghanHarry
1:31 PM · Mar 8, 2021·Twitter Web App​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1368751321696894978

To which Camilla Tominey retweeted

Camilla Tominey @CamillaTominey
Me too! #nfi
1:40 PM · Mar 8, 2021·Twitter Web App​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1368753431456923651

 

[Erin9]

Or maybe, because they’re adults, William and Charles know that life is a series of compromises and trade offs, and that it’s usually more complex than feeling either totally happy or totally trapped. Harry and Meghan both showed some pretty adolescent thought processes tonight.

You said it. Very adolescent thought processes. But- I’ve thought that for a long time honestly.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

I did not see the interview but read a report about it by The New York Times and it didn't sound so off to me.The mechanism how this works has been discussed here and I guess Meghan was informed about the decision and as the NYT put it, she was more concerned about the fact that Archie on not being made a prince, would not receive personal security. Which is a concern I can understand as a mother.

She knows that is not true - Harry is a prince and they complained that he is no longer getting security.