Harry and Meghan open up to Oprah about ‘breaking point’ in ‘shocking’ interview
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‘Were you silent, or were you SILENCED?’: Oprah Winfrey pushes Meghan Markle for answers in trailer for CBS interview with Harry – and promises viewers ‘shocking revelations’ with ‘no subject OFF LIMITS’ in extended two-hour broadcast
- Prince Harry and his pregnant wife Meghan Markle joined Oprah for CBS interview airing on CBS on March 7
- Royals are warned to ‘hide behind the sofa’ when it is broadcast at 8pm US time, and around 1am UK time
- Harry says that he took family to LA because of his mother’s ordeal and feared ‘history repeating itself’
- He says that the past year has been ‘unbelievably tough for the two of us but at least we have each other’
- Meghan does not speak in the 30-second trailer but Oprah hints that ex-actress uses the word ‘unsurvivable’
- Billionaire interviewer also confirms no topic was ‘off limits’ and asked Meghan if she was ‘silenced’ by palace
Oprah Winfrey pushes Meghan Markle on whether she was ‘silenced’ by the Crown while Prince Harry claims he emigrated to LA with his family because he feared ‘history repeating itself’ after the death of his mother Princess Diana, a trailer for the incendiary interview revealed today.
The Duke of Sussex says that leaving the Royal Family was ‘unbelievably tough’ and Oprah claims the couple both say ‘some pretty shocking things’ in the bombshell interview that is expected to upset the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William when the show is broadcast on Sunday, March 7.
Oprah promises viewers there will be ‘shocking’ revelations and ‘no subject off limits’ in the heavily-produced teaser complete with dramatic music released online by CBS in the US overnight. And in more bad news for the royals, who have already been warned to ‘hide behind their sofas’, Oprah last night revealed she has extended the 90-minute show to a two-hour special.
During the trailer a visibly-pregnant Meghan, wearing a $4,700 black Armani dress, says nothing, and is only shown looking emotional while either cradling her baby bump or holding on to her husband’s hand in the garden of their £11million Montecito mansion.
But in a hint that Meghan will not hold back about Harry’s family, Oprah reveals the former actress calls her 20 months as a royal: ‘Almost unsurvivable’ and the interviewer brands her account: ‘Shocking’.
Ms Winfrey then tells her friend: ‘It sounds like there was a breaking point,’ before asking the former actress: ‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’ Oprah also says to the camera: ‘Just to make it clear to everybody, there is no subject that is off-limits’ in the interview the Sussexes plan to use to boost their popularity in the US and continue their war with the press.
Harry, wearing a smart grey suit and white shirt, also said he was ‘relieved and happy’ to have his wife by his side in an interview where Meghan appears to describe their life together in the UK as ‘unsurvivable’.
But there will be some disquiet at the palace because it has now emerged that Harry has chosen to reference Princess Diana, who died in 1997 in a Paris car crash along with her partner Dodi Fayed.
He tells Ms Winfrey in the 30-second clip: ‘I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her going through this process by herself all those years ago’. He added: ‘Because it’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us but at least we have each other.’
The teaser trailer will likely upset Buckingham Palace days amid fears that the interview will be a no-holds barred airing of the feud with her husband’s family. And while it is not clear exactly how Harry compares their treatment to Princess Diana’s, royal experts have already criticised his decision to raise it.
Robert Jobson, a biographer of Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh, said: ‘Meghan, whilst a working royal, was always protected by a team of Scotland Yard officers. Thankfully, she was never in danger physically and Harry knows that.
‘I covered all the Sussex’s tours and many of their engagements, Meghan delivered many speeches on her travels as a royal and was given a platform to do so. When you step back from this and see it for what it is – a promo to promote an interview that a US network expects to earn a fortune from – such talk of being “silenced” is just ridiculous. It suits a narrative, I suppose, but at what cost to the Queen, Prince Philip and the Royal Family and our reputation as a country’.
Another critic tweeted sarcastically: ‘It’s been so unbelievably tough moving into our $11 million home, signing huge deals with Netflix and Spotify, and drawing on my huge trust from my Royal lineage. Like if you want a quiet life, go have one, keyword being quiet’.
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Prince Harry reveals his ‘biggest fear was history repeating itself’ in new teaser for bombshell sit down interview with Oprah
Prince Harry appears to fear that Meghan could suffer the same fate as his mother Princess Diana
Sitting down with Meghan alone, Oprah asks her in the first teaser: ‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’
CBS’ Gayle King claimed this sit-down with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is ‘the best Oprah has ever done’, and it has now been decided to extend it from 90-minutes to two hours
Pregnant Meghan Markle cradles her baby bump in trailer for bombshell Oprah interview – but remains quiet as TV mogul probes her about ‘un-survivable’ royal life, and asks if she was ‘silenced’ by palace
Sitting down with Meghan alone, Oprah asks her, ‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’ in what appears to be a question about the Duchess’ relationship with the Royal Family
Pregnant Meghan Markle proudly cradled her baby bump while showing off her growing stomach in a teaser trailer for her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey – her most high-profile appearance since she and Prince Harry revealed they are expecting their second child later this year.
The 39-year-old emphasized her blossoming baby bump in a $4,700 black Armani dress, which was belted above her stomach and featured floral embroidery over one shoulder. She paired the look with some simple heels from designer Aquazurra and wore a necklace from sustainable designer Pippa Small.
Meghan placed a hand on her bump while fielding questions from 67-year-old TV mogul Oprah – who asked her about her brief time as a royal, and her decision to quit palace life with her husband last year.
Meghan says nothing in either of the short teaser clips that have been released, however Oprah’s line of questioning makes clear the sensitive topics that will be covered – some, if not all of which will likely send fears through the palace over what potentially-uncomfortable revelations may come to light during the primetime sit-down.
In what could be seen as a warning to the Royal Family, Oprah reminds viewers that ‘there is no subject that is off limits’ while sitting opposite the former Suits star, who simply nods her head in agreement with the bold statement.
Oprah then asks a somber-looking Meghan: ‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’ in what appears to be another jab at the Royal Family – this time over the palace’s treatment of the Duchess.
Later in the interview, Oprah refers to comments Meghan appears to have made about life in the Royal Family being ‘almost un-survivable.’
It came days after Harry’s 17-minute interview with his friend James Corden on the Late Late Show last week.
On that show Duke of Sussex said the move to California last year was about ‘stepping back rather than stepping down’ as royals. The Duchess of Sussex also made a brief appearance on the show during a FaceTime call, revealing her pet name for Harry is ‘Haz’, while her husband calls her ‘Meg’ throughout and reveals that his grandmother bought their son Archie a waffle maker for Christmas.
There is already tension between Harry and his family after their ‘horribly disrespectful’ swipe at The Queen after she took away their patronages, telling Her Majesty that ‘service is universal’, left Prince William and courtiers furious.
The way the couple blindsided the Palace and the Queen with the Oprah deal also sparked anger and prompted the announcement that they would lose their royal patronages.
In a second, 30-second teaser posted Sunday, Harry said he was ‘relieved’ to be opening up with Meghan by his side – and said he can’t imagine what his mother went through ‘going through this process by herself. Oprah’s with Prince Harry and Meghan is scheduled to air on CBS at 8pm on March 7.
Oprah called her interview with the royal couple ‘the best she has ever done’, according to her best friend Gayle King.
King, 66, who is an anchor for CBS, made the comments on This Morning on Friday while reporting on the Duke of Sussex’s appearance on James Corden’s Late Late Show.
King said the interview with Oprah, which was filmed before Harry’s appearance with Corden, is the couple’s ‘first major broadcast interview since giving up their senior royal duties.’
‘I’ve heard from reliable sources, this is Oprah talking, that it’s the best interview she’s ever done so I’m curious. That’s saying something,’ King said.
King revealed on February 16 that Oprah had been given permission to ask Harry and Meghan ‘anything she wanted’ and that ‘nothing was off limits’ during the interview.
News of the interview likely sparked fresh fears for Buckingham Palace over what embarrassing revelations could come to light – particularly in the wake of the Queen’s decision to remove the couple’s remaining royal patronages and honorary titles, a move that prompted the Sussexes to bite back in a petty public statement.
On Monday, it was revealed that the Queen address the UK in a pre-recorded speech that will air on BBC One before the interview with Harry and Meghan.
The Queen was due to attend the annual Commonwealth Service on March 8 – but this has been cancelled for the first time in nearly half a century due to COVID-19, Westminster Abbey announced on Monday.
Instead, the Queen has chosen to share her annual message 24 hours earlier with a show of support from Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.
The Royal Family will also take part in the Queen’s A Celebration For Commonwealth Day show, hosted by Anita Rani to share their royal perspectives on the importance of Britain’s Commonwealth links.
On Monday, it also emerged that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s incendiary interview with Oprah may have to be re-edited or even partially re-shot due to the rift it has caused with the royals and 99-year-old Prince Philip’s hospitalization.
Some previously claimed that the interview, believed to be completed two weeks, could even be toned down – though new trailers show that seems unlikely.
Harry’s decision to mention his mother and any suggestion by the couple they were silenced is likely to cause upset with the Royal Family
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were pictured holding hands in the interview while discussing their decision to leave the Royal Family
Look lavish like Meghan in a dress by Giorgio Armani
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A highly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey that shows a glimpse into Harry and Meghan’s new life is yet to air and already we are swooning over her elegant black dress we see here.
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Buckingham Palace previously announced that Harry and Meghan had been stripped of their remaining roles following their move to California
It has also emerged that Meghan is expected to speak about the feud with her own family on her father Thomas’ side in the interview with Oprah.
This Morning host Holly Willoughby said that Oprah’s team had been in contact with ITV for footage of an interview with her half-sister.
In the January 2020 broadcast Samantha Markle said the former Suits actress and Harry owed her and their father an apology for ‘incredibly wrong, untoward, and shocking’ behavior after the royal wedding in 2018.
‘Oprah Winfrey’s team contacted This Morning requesting footage from our interview with Samantha Markle in preparation for the interview with the Duchess of Sussex,’ Willoughby said on Monday.
She added: ‘So, we don’t know whether or not they used that in the interview, but what we do know is nothing was off limits.’
Insight into the no-holds-barred interview with Oprah has prompted further questions about why Harry and Meghan chose to take part in such an explosive sit-down, in spite of their continued insistence that the media respects their privacy.
Those same questions arose after Harry’s interview with Corden aired – while critics also outrage over his decision to defend Netflix show The Crown, despite its very negative portrayal of his grandmother, parents, and wider members of the family.
Harry, who, along with his wife, inked a very lucrative deal with Netflix last year, told long-time friend Corden that he has watched The Crown, and said that the show is ‘fictional’ but ‘loosely based on the truth’ and captures the feeling of being expected to put ‘duty and service above family and everything else’.
While sitting down for the widely-publicized interview, which partly took place on an open-air double-decker bus in Los Angeles, Harry hit out at the ‘toxic’ media – blaming the press for his decision to quit the UK and relocate to the US.
The Duke said the pressure of being in London was ‘destroying my mental health’, but insisted that he never ‘walked away’ from the royals – instead describing the move as a ‘step back’.
‘It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment, which I think a lot of people saw. So I did what any father or husband would do and thought: ‘How do I get my family out of there?’ But we never walked away.’
And while the interview was carried out before the Queen stripped the Sussexes of their royal patronages, Harry appears to know what was coming.
‘My life is public service, so wherever I am in the world it’s going to be the same thing. As far as I’m concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side [in Britain], I will never walk away,’ he said.
Let the battle commence: Gayle’s comments about Oprah’s interview were made just hours after James Corden’s sit-down with Prince Harry aired on CBS
The Archewell website had featured this picture of a young Prince Harry sitting on the shoulders of Princess Diana, taken at Highgrove in Gloucestershire in July 1986
Is Harry and Meghan’s rebrand a swipe at the palace? New Archewell logo features the word ‘service’ after Queen said their multi-million dollar US media career was not compatible with life of public service
Harry and Meghan rebranded their website yesterday in the build-up to their Oprah Winfrey interview – with a defiant new swipe at Buckingham Palace.
The pair dropped a photograph of Princess Diana and their ‘Letter for 2021’ from the home page of their Archewell website, and replaced them with a lofty new mission statement.
The Archewell logo was also updated, to include the words ‘Service. Compassion. Action. Community.’
The couple’s prominent use of the word ‘Service’ is likely to raise eyebrows at Buckingham Palace, following a row over whether the Sussexes could continue a life of public service after their decision to quit as working royals.
Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, are preparing for a ‘tell-all’ interview with chatshow host Oprah Winfrey to be shown in the US next Sunday. It is likely to be broadcast on ITV in Britain a day later.
The Sussexes have updated their Archewell website, swapping an image of Prince Harry’s late mother with a picture of the couple volunteering in California (pictured now)
The Sussexes have updated their Archewell website, swapping an image of Prince Harry’s late mother with a picture of the couple volunteering in California (pictured now)
In December last year the pair launched the website of their non-profit organisation, in which they vowed to ‘unleash the power of compassion’ and Harry described himself as his ‘mother’s son’ (pictured in December)
The site still plugs the couple’s commercial ventures – Archewell Audio, the brand they have chosen for their £30m podcasting deal with Spotify. Pictured, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their California home
The 90-minute chat is expected to focus on Meghan’s experiences as a member of the Royal Family, including why she and Harry decided to quit and make a new life for themselves and son Archie in the US, where they have signed lucrative media contracts with the likes of Netflix and Spotify.
Their updated Archewell website outlined their aims for their non-profit work in a mission statement written in the ‘woke’ language of their new home in California.
It said: ‘Welcome to Archewell. Through our non-profit work, as well as creative activations, we drive systemic cultural change across all communities, one act of compassion at a time.’
The home page previously featured photographs of Harry and Meghan as children with their mothers.
Those images have been replaced with a single picture of the Sussexes handing out supplies for low-income families at a charity event in Los Angeles last year.
A lengthy message, entitled ‘A Letter for 2021’, was also removed from the home page.
The message started with the words ‘I am my mother’s son’ and urged the couple’s supporters to help them ‘work to build a better world’.
The couple, who are expecting their second child later this year, have insisted they will continue to ‘live a life of service’ outside the Royal Family.
When it was announced they would not be returning to royal duties, Buckingham Palace said their new life meant they could not continue ‘the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service’.
The Queen is understood to have told the couple that their commercial careers were incompatible with the impartiality required of those in public service, but insisted they remained ‘much loved members of the family’.
The pair issued an immediate response, saying: ‘We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.’
Their interview for US TV is likely to be one of the most-watched programs this year.
According to a close friend, Meghan declared ‘nothing is off limits’ for the show, entitled Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special.
The photo of Prince Harry and his mother was replaced by this photo of the Duke and Meghan volunteering with Baby2Baby at Dr Owen Lloyd Knox Elementary School in LA last August
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, appeared alongside the Duke, 36, in a 20-second video to plug their Archewell Audio podcast at a Spotify live stream event broadcast earlier this week
Last week Harry took a fresh swipe at the Royal Family when he insisted he had not walked away from royal duties.
The sixth in line to the throne appeared in a 17-minute skit with friend and TV host James Corden on the US entertainment programme, The Late Late Show.
It came as Prince Philip spent a second weekend in hospital battling an infection. The Duke of Edinburgh has been in London’s King Edward VII hospital for 13 nights.
In a segment filmed before he and wife Meghan confirmed they will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family, Harry joined James Corden for a double-decker bus tour of Los Angeles where he broke his silence on quitting as a royal
The friends video call Meghan, who in response to Corden’s suggestion they buy the Fresh Prince’s house, quipped ‘I think we’ve done enough moving’ and reveals she calls her husband ‘Haz’
