On social media last night, Megyn Kelly sat down with Prince Harry for an explosive one-on-one conversation live on her new NewsNation program. What resulted was truly must-see TV, as Kelly grilled Harry on his and Meghan's decision to leave the royal family, their endless grievances aired publicly, and more. She really did not hold back at all, and what ensued was fireworks as Kelly dismantled many of Harry's claims and pushed back on his narrative in a way no other journalist has quite dared to yet. So let's recap some of the key moments from the highly anticipated interview.
The segment began with Kelly greeting Harry warmly, but then instantly diving into pressing him on why he and Meghan seemingly can never let go of their complaints about royal life and Buckingham Palace after choosing to depart. Harry stuttered, trying to explain they need to continue the conversation about injustice and systemic problems within the institution of the monarchy, but Kelly was having none of it, shooting back, "The conversation seems quite one-sided coming from you though, doesn't it? We've heard your perspective and grievances ad nauseam, but haven't heard much from your family to balance it out."
Harry grew visibly frustrated, arguing they were silenced as royals but now have freedom of speech. Kelly wasn't buying it, replying, "But that freedom seems to only apply to criticizing your relatives. I've yet to hear you say one positive thing about anyone left in the UK."
That really set Harry off as he started angrily, his fingers trembling, stating they had been lied to and gotten a raw deal. But then Kelly delivered a killer response that made headlines the next morning. She bluntly told Harry, "With all due respect, you seem like you've become rather delusional and detached from reality. Is it possible Meghan has you under her spell so much you've lost sight of the situation objectively?"
The studio audience audibly gasped at Kelly's bold accusation. Harry stammered indignantly, saying that was outrageous and untrue. Kelly fired back, "Is it, though? Because from over here, you just seem like a puppet dancing to whatever tune Meghan calls out. You've given up your livelihood, family duties, everything for her. A bit of independent thought wouldn't hurt."
You could have heard a pin drop in the studio. No one had ever openly implied on TV that Meghan was somehow controlling Harry. He was red-faced at this point, gripping the armrest so hard his knuckles were white, but Kelly was unstoppable, hammering him with follow-up questions whether he ever questioned if they were doing the right thing leaving, or if it was all really Meghan's idea. Harry spluttered, trying to insist they mutually decided together as a team, but Kelly was unswayed, continuing to paint a picture of Harry as a struck pushover who blindly followed Meghan off a cliff without comprehending the consequences. It was a total evisceration the likes of which none expected from an interview meant to promote Harry's new book.
Sensing she had truly gotten under Harry's skin, Kelly shifted to questioning why he and Meghan constantly trashed the press for coverage of them but then eagerly did lucrative multi-million dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify. Harry defended it as taking control of their narrative, but Kelly wasn't having any double standards, responding, "So essentially, you chose to selectively participate with only favorable media while retaining the right to savage any critical outlets as racist. Forgive me, but that's not taking back control, it's wanting your cake and eating it too."
She went on to question the large funding they secured from Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer and whether Harry truly left royal duties for freedom or just a hefty paycheck. She openly wondered if it was more complex than the heroic tale Harry framed it as.
At this point, Harry seemed to have reached his tipping point. He snapped back that it was an unbelievably disrespectful interview, implying he didn't think for himself or properly support his mother's legacy in leaving. Kelly didn't back down, coolly staring him down and saying, "Sometimes the truth hurts, Your Highness, but the public deserves honesty and perspective beyond just yours."
Harry threw his mic off angrily and stormed off the set as Kelly simply said, "Thank you for coming. The people deserve transparency and both sides of complex situations."
It was about as ferocious and compelling an interview as I've ever seen. Kelly held absolutely nothing back and went scorched earth on Harry, daring to speak uncomfortable truths many think but won't say.
