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- 11 Truth Bombs Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Just Dropped in Their Oprah Interview
11 Truth Bombs Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Just Dropped in Their Oprah Interview
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are finally getting the opportunity to speak their truth. On Sunday, the couple – who are currently expecting their second child – sat down with Oprah Winfrey for their first joint interview since their royal exit. Based on the few teasers we had already gotten, we knew the tell-all would be explosive, but Meghan and Harry truly held nothing back. Given the insane amount of scrutiny and blatant racism Meghan has faced since she first got together with Harry in 2016, this moment was long overdue. It was incredibly refreshing to hear Meghan and Harry’s side of the story, and our only hope is that the palace and the British press were actually listening.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed in February that they would not be returning as senior members of the British royal family following their 12-month trial period. As a result, Queen Elizabeth II stripped them of their honorary military appointments and royal patronages; however, they still hold their titles (at least for now, anyway). Since then, the tabloids have remained hellbent on tarnishing Meghan’s name, most recently with bullying allegations from a former advisor. But if we learned anything from Harry and Meghan’s interview, it’s that the palace and the British press just don’t know how to handle a woman who’s independent, speaks her mind, and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo.
Check out the biggest revelations from Meghan and Harry’s tell-all ahead.
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- Meghan and Harry actually wed three days before their royal wedding. The couple secretly got married by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on May 16, 2018.
- Despite previous reports, it was actually Kate Middleton who made Meghan cry before her wedding. “The reverse happened,” Meghan said while confirming that there had been issues over the flower girl dresses. “It made me cry. It really hurt my feelings . . . 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. But she owned it, and she apologized and she brought me flowers and a note apologizing.”
- Meghan was “silenced” by the royal family for her “protection.” When Oprah asked Meghan whether she was silent or silenced, she confirmed that it was “the latter.” The duchess was told that she, along with her family and friends, had to respond with “no comment” to any reports about her. Meghan initially believed this was to protect her, but she quickly learned she wasn’t the one being protected. “They were willing to lie to protect other members of the family,” she explained. “But they weren’t willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.”
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- It was actually the palace who decided not to give Archie a title, not Harry and Meghan. Before Archie was even born, the palace had already decided that he would not be given a title or any royal protection. There were also “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” Meghan explained. “They didn’t want him to be a prince . . . which would be different from protocol, and that he wasn’t going to receive security.”
- When Meghan sought help for her mental health struggles from a senior aide, she was denied. “I didn’t want to be alive anymore. That was a very clear and real and frightening, constant thought,” Meghan revealed. “I went to one of the most senior people to get help. I share this because there are so many people who . . . are afraid to voice that they need help, and I know personally how hard it is to not just voice it, but when you voice it, say no . . . [Going to a hospital] is what I was asking to do. You can’t just do that, I couldn’t call an Uber to the palace, you couldn’t just go.”
- Meghan and Harry ultimately decided to step down as senior royals due to lack of support from both the palace and the British press. The couple made it clear that there had been ongoing discussions about their royal exit prior to their January 2020 announcement and that the queen was not “blindsided.” “When we were in Canada, I had three conversations with my grandmother and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls and asked me to put it in writing,” Harry said. “I never blindsided my grandmother. I have too much respect for her.”
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- Despite welcoming Meghan with open arms, the royal family didn’t show any support for her after the slew of racist attacks. “There was an opportunity, many opportunities, for my family to show support,” Harry stated. “No one from my family said anything.” He also admitted that the family are “scared” of the British press.
- Harry was cut off financially by the royal family after he announced his departure in 2020. “I’ve got what my mom left me,” Harry said. He also revealed that his recent deals with Spotify and Netflix were not planned, but rather a product of necessity.
- Even though Harry is on good terms with the queen, his relationship with his father, Prince Charles, remains strained. “I feel really let down because he’s been through something similar,” Harry said. “He knows what pain feels like . . . but at the same time, I will always love him. There’s a lot of hurt that’s happened. I will continue to make it one of my priorities to heal that relationship.”
- As for him and Prince William, their “relationship is space, at the moment.” “As I said before, I love William to bits. We’ve been through hell together and we have a shared experience, but we are on different paths,” he said. “Time heals all things, hopefully.”
- Meghan and Harry are expecting a baby girl! On a happier note, the couple revealed that their second child is due this summer. “It’s amazing,” Harry said. After their daughter is born, Harry and Meghan are finished having children.