On March 7, the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle met with Oprah Winfrey to discuss her departure from the Royal Family. Meghan spoke openly for the first time about the media’s misconstruction of her character as the only biracial member of the Royal Family. They were joined by Meghan’s husband Harry in the latter half of the interview. Here are the biggest reveals from their interview.
Note: this piece contains heavy themes of racism, sexism, and mental health issues. Do not read if you are unprepared to handle these themes.
Meghan and Harry got married secretly three days before their public ceremony. The pair called the ArchBishop to officiate privately so that their union could remain sacred between them.
Princess Kate made Meghan cry during her wedding planning. The media instead reported that Princess Kate made Meghan cry, despite having witnesses to the actual situation. The rumor was “a turning point” for Meghan as she realized that the Institution would not protect her as she was told. Meghan refers frequently to the Institution, employees of the Monarchy who maintain the functionality of the Royal Family. Meghan made sure to note that Princess Kate has since apologized, and she does not hold any ill will toward her sister-in-law.
Meghan fell into a deep depression during her pregnancy, during which she contemplated ending her life. She reached out for help multiple times, to which the Institution responded that getting receiving care would not be good for their public image. The Institution had also taken Meghan’s passport, driver’s license and keys upon arrival at the Palace, so she could not seek care for herself.
Meghan and Harry are expecting a daughter who is due in the summertime. They say that after having a boy and a girl, they don’t plan on having any more children.
There were “concerns and conversations” about her son’s potential skin color between members of the Royal Family. While Meghan was pregnant with her son Archie, Harry says that members of his family were concerned about how dark his skin might be. Both Meghan and Harry declined to say who took part in these conversations, but Harry has since confirmed that they did not include Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip.
Archie was never supposed to receive a Royal title, according to the Institution. Meghan was told during her pregnancy that Archie would not hold a Royal title or receive security. There is a Convention that protects the grandchildren of royalty, which the Institution discussed amending to exclude her son.
The Royal Family cut off Meghan and Harry financially in the first quarter of 2020. Harry gave both verbal and written confirmation to his family that he and Meghan planned to step down from their titles before his father stopped taking his calls, and was soon cut off. Harry survived off of his mother’s inheritance.
Tyler Perry opened his home to the couple when they moved to the States. Meghan and Harry originally moved to Canada, a commonwealth country, with the intention of continuing their Royal duties as non-senior members. Once security was revoked, they moved to Los Angeles, where American actor Tyler Perry offered his home and security team for them to use. Three months later, they bought their own home in Santa Barbara.
Meghan’s one regret is “believing [the Institution] when they said I would be protected.” Harry says that he has no regrets about the situation. He feels that Meghan saved him, in the sense that “I was trapped but I didn’t know I was trapped.” Although he believes his mother would have been disappointed in the way things panned out, she would have wanted him and Meghan to be happy, which they now are.