Meghan and Harry interview: Jessica Mulroney defends actress amid ‘pressure and politics’

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Meghan Markle’s best friend Jessica Mulroney has come out in support of the Duchess of Sussex ahead of the broadcast of her bombshell CBS interview with chatshow legend Oprah Winfrey.

The Canadian stylist, 41, said no one ‘has ever had to deal with the pressure, the politics and the press’ like Meghan in an Instagram post.

Uploading a photo of the pair of them, she added: ‘In the face of it all, I have never seen her wave from kindness, empathy and love.’  

Meghan and Prince Harry are in a war of words with Buckingham Palace after the Duchess accused ‘The Firm’ of smearing them and peddling ‘a wholly false narrative based on misleading and harmful misinformation’. 

The acrimonious back and forth has become increasingly tense ahead of the release of Meghan and Harry’s sit-down interview with Oprah while the Duke’s 99-year-old grandfather Prince Philip remains in hospital.    

In other twists and turns in the Royal saga: 

• CBS is paying Oprah up to $9million to air her bombshell interview;
• Senior Royals and Palace aides will reportedly watch the ‘shocking’ interview ‘at the same time’ as the rest of the world;
• Friends of the Sussexes said the Royal Family is using the Duke of Edinburgh’s health as an excuse to keep her ‘muzzled’;
• Tory MP Bob Blackman said: ‘To be doing a tell-all interview screened in the UK when Philip is in hospital… they are badly advised’;  
• Harry and Meghan’s friend Omid Scobie accused the Royal Family of hushing up claims against Prince Andrew in a shock interview; 
• Buckingham Palace launched an investigation into bullying allegations made by former aides against the Duchess of Sussex. 

It was reported last year that the Duchess had cut ties with Mulroney after influencer Sasha Exeter accused the stylist of ‘threatening her livelihood’ when she posted a Black Lives Matter call-to-action on Instagram.

Mulroney later faced accusations that she had used Meghan as her ‘superpower,’ though denied this was the case and refused to speak about the Duchess in interviews. 

A source had claimed their friendship is no longer ‘what it once was,’ adding this was not due to the fall-out with Exeter, but because they have ‘just grown apart.’

The insider added: ‘Of course, Meghan has been worried about Jess. She’ll always have love for her.’

However, Mulroney told Page Six in November that she and Meghan are ‘constantly’ in touch via FaceTime.  

The stylist assisted Meghan in choosing a wedding dress for the Canadian actress’ Suits character, Rachel Zane, in 2015.  

The pair have been close friends for years, with Mulroney’s daughter, Ivy, appearing in the Royal Wedding as a bridesmaid. Her two sons, Brian and John, were page boys.  

Confidants of the Duchess have recently taken to social media to defend her against accusations she drove out two personal assistants and that staff were ‘humiliated’ on several occasions.

Meghan’s friend Silver Tree, who directed the US drama Suits – which the duchess starred in, said in a tweet: ‘This is Meg. A real person- not a cover story. She is one of my very nearest and dearest. Like all her friends I love her madly.

‘She is the friend who insists on always hearing the details of your life, your day, your kids life, your kids day, before hers. Always before hers.’ 

Patrick J Adams, who played Meghan’s on-screen love interest in Suits, tweeted that she was ‘an enthusiastic, kind, cooperative, giving, joyful and supportive member of our television family’. ‘She remained that person and colleague as fame, prestige and power accrued,’ he said.

‘She fell in love, moved to a new country, became a household name across the entire globe and began the difficult work of trying to find her place in a family dynamic that can at best be described as complicated and at worst, seemingly archaic and toxic,’ he added.

Another of the Duchess’s friends, Lindsay Roth – a television producer, posted a message of support on her Instagram page: ‘Meg’s M.O. has always been kindness; goodwill runs in her bones.

‘I know this to be true after 22 years of very close friendship. I have seen first-hand how she treats her friends and their families, and her colleagues.’

She added: ‘If you have a specific goal, she will help you get there, and your passions will become hers on your behalf. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Meg – and I hope more of you do – you will see the altruistic, magnanimous friend who I am so lucky to have in my corner.’  

It comes amid reports that the Queen has not been given an ‘advanced copy’ of Meghan and Harry’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, reports claim. 

Senior royals and Palace aides will watch the much-anticipated interview ‘at the same time’ as the rest of the world with network CBS set to air the two-hour special in the US at 1am UK time on Sunday night. 

Officials have vowed to ‘reserve judgement’ on the show and will decide on Monday whether to make a public response in light of anything specific Meghan and Harry have to say. ITV will broadcast it at 9pm that evening.

In a further blow to relations between the royal family and the Sussexes, sources revealed that the Queen does not have an ‘advance copy’ of the no-holes-barred special – which is set to contain ‘shocking’ revelations about Meghan’s short time as a working royal.

Over-produced teaser trailers have already seen the Duchess of Sussex accuse the ‘Firm’ of ‘perpetuating falsehoods’ about her and Prince Harry while the pair during their time in Kensington Palace.

The couple, ITV and CBS have all faced furious backlash at the decision to push ahead with broadcasting the interview while Harry’s 99-year-old grandfather Prince Philip recovers from heart surgery in hospital.

A friend earlier said Meghan would never ask to postpone Sunday’s release of her tell-all interview with Oprah and said the royal family is using the Duke of Edinburgh’s health as an excuse to keep her ‘muzzled’.

Although most of the interview will be a one-to-one chat on what the duchess has to say about her brief but acrimonious time as a working royal, Harry is understood to come in towards the end to have his say on the media and discuss their plans for the future.

It is believed that this approach has in part been done in an attempt to distance himself from any of the stronger allegations made about his own family by his wife.

But if the 36-year-old prince, who is still sixth in line to the throne, thinks it will go any way to protecting his already fragile relationships with his relatives, notably his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, he will have to think again.

William has barely spoken to his brother in recent months and their relationship is said to be ‘hanging by a thread’  although Prince Charles is understood to have tried not to get involved.

Despairing officials also cannot believe that Harry is so ‘blinkered’ that he cannot see how the interview is likely to destroy any vestige of trust between him and his family.

It comes as the charity watchdog is reviewing Harry and Meghan’s charity amid concerns on how it was run and whether it complied with charity law before it was shut down last year following their move to the US.

Sources told the Telegraph the Charity Commission has opened a ‘regulatory and compliance case’ into Sussex Royal, though the watchdog has not yet determined whether or not there was any wrongdoing.