Here's what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have to say about their life as a royal
In one of the most highly anticipated and bombshell interviews of the year, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with the popular TV host and actress, Oprah Winfrey and unveiled the many layers of the British Royal Family and its institution. From announcing their baby's gender to accusing the royal family of having concerns over Archie's skin color to struggling with suicidal thoughts, the royal duo really took a grand leap and said what they had to say.
Photo: Joe Pugliese/AP/Harpo productions
The Royal Split in 2020
Early last year in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit their royal life and announced that they would be stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family.
The royal couple made the statement on their Instagram page, writing, "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution." "We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," they added.
Meghan and Harry now live in Santa Barbara, California with their son Archie - awaiting to welcome their new baby.
Photo: Getty images
What does this interview mean for the Sussexes and the British Royal Family?
The explosive interview between Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey is being reckoned as one of the greatest interviews after Princess Diana's 1995 BBC interview. The revelations made by the royal couple were quite similar to that of the late Princess.
Since the Sussexes gave up on their royal life, they have been in the news for various reasons. Latest reports suggest that Meghan bullied her royal staffers, which according to her spokesperson is just another smear campaign against the Duchess. In light of all the accusations and the controversies, speaking up on such a big platform seems almost desperate yet necessary on the couple's part.
As for the royal family, a lot remains under speculation as the Buckingham Palace is yet to comment on the interview.
Photo: Joe Pugliese
The biggest takeaways from the interview
As expected, the interview had some really sensitive yet crucial information regarding the royal household. The Duke and the Duchess made revelations that described what living a life of royalty really meant and how stepping back has changed their life. That said, here are some big takeaways from the explosive interviews.
Photo: Joe Pugliese
The royal wedding and the life that followed
In the interview, Meghan discusses her wedding and calls it an "out of body experience." Prior to getting married, she says she hardly knew much about the royal family. "What do you know about the royals? It's what you read in fairy tales," Meghan said.
The Duchess goes on to reveal that she and Harry got married three days before the royal wedding. "We called the archbishop, and we just said, 'Look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us,'" she shared. "So, like, the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury."
While speaking about her life as a royal, she says, "The perception and the reality are very different things, and you're being judged on the perception of it, but you're living with the reality."
Photo: Getty images
On what it means to finally speak for herself
Meghan was as calm and composed in the interview with Oprah and expressed how positive and independent she felt at that time and after having stepped back for the royal life. She said, “We’re on the other side of a lot of life experience and also that we have the ability to make our own choices in a way that I couldn’t have said yes to you then. That wasn’t my choice to make." "So, as an adult who lived a really independent life, to then go into this construct that is different than what I think people imagine it to be, it's really liberating to have the right and the privilege in some ways to be able to say yes, I'm ready to talk," Meghan added.
Photo: Getty images
Prince Harry on being trapped without knowing
Meghan has been accused of distancing Prince Harry from his family on many occasions. But Harry denies all claims and says, "I was trapped, but I didn't know I was trapped," he shared. "Trapped within the system, like the rest of my family are." As per him, the other members of the royal family are as constricted as he had felt before.
Photo: Getty images
He reveals how Prince Charles stopped taking his calls
In the interview, it was also revealed that following the royal exit (Megxit), Prince Charles had "stopped taking (his) calls." On being asked as to why Charles had ignored his calls, Harry says, "by that point, I took matters into my own hands. It was like, 'I need to do this for my family. This is not a surprise to anybody. It's really sad that it's gotten to this point, but I've got to do something for my own mental , my wife's, and for Archie's, as well, because I could see where this was headed."
Photo: Getty images
Archie's skin color was a matter of concern for the royal family, Meghan says
While discussing the issue of baby Archie's royal title, Meghan said, "There were also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he was born." According to Meghan, at least one person in the royal household was concerned about the skin color of their first child.
Photo: Henk Kruger
Meghan on being lonely and having suicidal thoughts
One of the biggest and shocking revelations in the interview was quite similar to what we had seen in the 1995 BBC interview with Diana. The Duchess like the late Princess talked about how lonely she felt in the royal household.
Life in the royal family was isolating, and she had little freedom. She wasn't even allowed to go out for lunch with friends, she expresses. All of this led to excessive pressure and she realized how her plight was quite similar to her late mother-in-law.
According to Meghan, "I just didn't want to be alive anymore." She said her suicidal thoughts were 'constant' and thought it was the only resolve for everyone.
The Sussexes reveal their baby's gender
On a lighter note, the Sussexes took the opportunity to announce their baby's gender in the interview. The royal couple revealed that they're expecting a baby girl.
The baby is due in the summer, Meghan said.
The couple's life after stepping back from the royal life
According to Prince Harry, the change in their life after the royal exit has been momentous. He told Oprah Winfrey that the past year has offered great many things including quality time with his son Archie.
In the interview, he said, "This year has been crazy for everybody, but to have outdoor space where I can go on walks with Archie, and we can go for walks as a family, and the dogs, we can go for hikes or down to the beach, which is so close."
"I guess the highlight for me is sticking him on the back of a bicycle in his little baby seat and taking him on bike rides, which is something I was never able to do when I was young," Harry added.
Photo: Samir Hussein