Meghan Markle and Prince Harry opened a rare door into life within the British royal family in an intimate two-hour conversation with famed American presenter Oprah Winfrey.
"It is explosive content: raw, revealing and enormously damaging to [Buckingham] Palace," said the BBC journalist specializing in the British monarchy, Jonny Dymond.
The program was broadcast on Sunday night in the United States -in the United Kingdom it is broadcast this Monday night- and in it the couple talked about the pressures in the palace, racism, mental health and the dynamics of the royal family .
1. "I didn't want to stay alive"
One of the most dramatic moments of the interview was when the journalist asked the Duchess of Sussex about some of her past statements, in which she described her time as a royal in the UK as almost impossible. of survive".
"It sounds like there was a turning point," said the famous presenter.
"I just didn't want to be alive anymore," Markle replied, adding that she felt "ashamed" to confess to Prince Harry, her husband and son of Diana of Wales, because of the great "losses she has suffered."
"It was a constant, real and scary thought," she said.
At this point, Markle also spoke about the loss of freedom: "When I joined the family, that was the last time until we left that I saw my passport, my driver's license, my keys... everything has to be handed over. ".
The Duchess of Sussex assured that she requested help from "the Institution" (Buckingham Palace), asking them to go to a center where they assisted her.
Her request was denied, she said.
"Did you have suicidal thoughts?" Winfrey asked.
"Yes," Markle replied. "I thought that would solve everything for everyone."
In the midst of strong media pressure, which the couple harshly criticized, the Duchess of Sussex explained that she limited her activities and she could not leave the house for months, which led her to feel deep loneliness.
Prince Harry, for his part, explained that he had "no idea what to do" and that he himself ended up "in a very dark place."
"I had no one to turn to," he said.
After this episode they decided to depart from their roles, in March 2020, and leave the country, after denouncing the discrimination, lies and persecution of the British tabloids.
"[Harry] saved all of our lives," Markle said.
2. The truth behind a photograph
Markle said that the evening she told Harry that she was having suicidal thoughts, the couple had to attend an official event at the Royal Albert Hall.
At that point, the Duchess of Sussex spoke of a photograph that has stuck with her because of the memories she brings back to her.
She said a friend commented on how good they looked, but visibly moved, she added: "In that photograph, if you zoom in, what I see is how tight your knuckles are on mine."
"We're smiling and doing our job, but we're both just trying to hold on. Every time the lights went out, I just cried."
3. "What will the skin tone be like"
Oprah Winfrey and Meghan Markle also discussed the royal family's decision not to grant Archie, their eldest son, the title of prince or the official security that comes with it.
At that point, the Duchess of Sussex said there had been conversations from family members about how dark the baby's skin would be when it was born: "[about] what it would mean or what it would look like."
Asked by Oprah Winfrey if there were concerns that her son was "too dark" and that was a problem, Markle said: "If that's the inference you're making, I think it's pretty accurate."
The Duchess of Sussex's statements provoked astonishment from the journalist, who asked who exactly she was referring to.
According to Markle, it was a conversation between members of the British royal family and Prince Harry.
Asked about these comments, the grandson of Elizabeth II refused to offer more details: "It is something that I will never share publicly."
"At the time, it was weird, I was kind of shocked," he said, adding that the conversation took place "right at the beginning" of their relationship.
Prince Harry also said that he was hurt that no one in his family condemned the racist media coverage of them.
4. "He stopped answering my phone."
The personal relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other members of British royalty also came up, and it was at this point that Prince Harry commented that his father, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, stopped answering his phone. in the midst of the crisis.
"There's a lot to work on [in that relationship]," he said. "I'm really disappointed because he [Prince Charles] has been through something similar, he knows what pain is…and Archie is his grandson."
"But at the same time, of course I will always love him. A lot of damage has been done and it will continue to be one of my priorities to try to heal that relationship," Prince Harry said.
On his brother, Prince William, he said that they are both on "different paths", describing both him and his father as "caught up" in the system.
However, Lady Di's son assured that he has a "very good relationship" with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, with whom he has spoken more in the last year, including video calls with Archie, than in previous years.
"He's my colonel-in-chief, right? He always will be."
Markle also praised the queen, saying she gave her some gorgeous jewelry for the couple's first joint engagement.
5. "Financial Cut"
The couple also revealed that their financial support has practically been withdrawn, which is why they sought agreements to do projects with the Netflix and Spotify platforms.
Harry explained that these agreements were not part of the initial plan. "I had to allow security for us," said the prince. "But I have what my mom left me and without it we couldn't do this."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recounted, after financial support was withdrawn, American billionaire Tyler Perry offered them a home and security last year when they moved from Canada to Southern California.
6. "The opposite happened": Meghan's relationship with Kate
The reporter also asked Meghan Markle about her relationship with the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, following rumors that Meghan brought Kate to tears over a disagreement over flowery dresses from Harry and Meghan's wedding.
Those rumors led to a torrent of stories in the British tabloids.
The Duchess of Sussex said that in fact what happened was "the opposite" and that Kate later apologized and brought her flowers to make amends.
"I'm not telling this about Kate to talk bad about her," said Meghan, who said that Kate is "a good person" who would like the story to be corrected.
In that sense, the royal family also received criticism for not defending the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with Markle noting that the situation "really started to get worse" when they married in May 2018.
"I came to understand that not only was she not going to be protected, but they were willing to lie to protect other family members," she said.
"But they weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me or my husband."
Markle, however, stressed that Queen Elizabeth was always wonderful to her, explaining that before she became part of the monarchy, she was unaware that curtsying to the queen also occurred with members of her family.
The Duchess of Sussex exemplified her lack of knowledge about the protocol with the anecdote of what happened when she first met the Queen: when Harry told her that he would introduce her to her, she was enthusiastic, to which he asked her: "Do you know take a bow?".
"But she's your grandmother," Markle told her, amazed. "She's the queen," Prince Harry replied.
The Duchess of Sussex also claimed that she had not researched the royal family before the wedding and that she had never searched for information about Harry on the internet.
7. "A secret wedding" and a "girl"
The couple also revealed several facts about how their family started and... how it will continue.
Meghan Markle explained that the couple got married in secret three days before their official wedding date, in May 2018.
And once they were both in front of Oprah Winfrey they announced that the baby they are expecting will be a girl.
Despite the harsh accusations, the interview ended in a positive tone, with the well-known presenter asking Meghan Markle if she, despite everything that had happened, she got her happy ending with the prince.
And the Duchess of Sussex did not hesitate:
"Better than any fairy tale you've ever read."
What to expect after a "devastating" interview
Meghan and Harry have upended the narrative created by the best-selling British press.
They have revealed the terrible pressures within the palace. They have painted a picture of callous individuals in an indifferent institution. They have talked about racism in the royal family.
Oprah's was a devastating interview. Hearing Harry describe his brother and his father as "trapped" and Meghan reveal that she repeatedly asked for help only to be met with rejection is a blow to the institution.
It is not entirely clear if Buckingham Palace will respond, or when. Many of the revelations are so personal that getting any kind of reaction seems unlikely. The queen has repeatedly made clear her affection for the couple.
And about the newspapers that the couple so despises: will they change their tone? It is not in it's nature.
There were bile-laden pages in some of the Sunday papers leading up to the interview. Meghan and Harry have forfeited the chance of a fair trial from many of the country's most popular publications.
It seems extremely unlikely that they're going to see anything posted that will change their minds.
