Oprah Winfrey’s Interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

On March 7, CBS aired a primetime special called “Oprah with Harry and Meghan” at 8 p.m. The special is also available to stream at any time on the CBS website or app.

The first half of the two-hour broadcast included a one-on-one interview between talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle. Then, Markle’s husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, joined the two women for the second half of the broadcast.

John Koblin of The New York Times reported, “The number of viewers climbed as the show went on. It drew 16.9 million in the first hour and 17.3 in the second, Nielsen reported. That audience was about twice the size of the viewership for the prime-time ratings winner in a given week.”

The interview was filmed at a mutual friend’s home in California during the month of February.

Prince Harry and Markle wed on May 19, 2018 during a grand royal wedding which was broadcasted live across the world in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom.

During the interview, Markle revealed that she and Harry actually said their vows three days prior to the royal wedding in a private ceremony that was only attended by her, Prince Harry, and the Archbishop.

“That was so shocking,” said sophomore Rachel Petti.

On May 6, 2019, the couple welcomed their first born, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

On Jan. 8, 2020, Harry and Meghan made the announcement that they “intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.” The two made that announcement on their joint Instagram account at the time, @sussexroyal.

The family then spent the majority of 2020 in the United States starting their new lives.

On Feb. 19, it was announced that Prince Harry and Markle would never be returning as working members of The Royal Family. Buckingham palace released a notice saying, “Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.”

The notice also said, “The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.”

Prince Harry, Markle and Winfrey discussed these events and many others during the interview. The main point of the interview was to discuss why Prince Harry and Markle decided to step away from The Royal Family. At the end of the interview, Winfrey thanked the two for sharing their story. In reply, Markle said, “Thank you for giving us the space to do it.”

“When I saw the Harry and Meghan interview, I was proud of them. They really didn’t hold back on anything and I felt like they were being really authentic,” said senior Devin Gavigan.

Perhaps one of the most shocking parts of the interview was when Markle revealed that she had suicidal thoughts during her time as a royal. “I just knew that I didn’t want to be alive anymore,” said Markle during the broadcast.

“That was the most shocking part,” said Petti. “It made me feel really bad for her and both of them. I feel like they both really tried and tried to get help and no one would help them, so they decided to leave for the safety of them and their family.”

Markle and Winfrey discussed the many headlines in British tabloids surrounding Markle and her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. They discussed in detail one headline that claimed Markle made Middleton cry days before her wedding to Prince Harry over the matter of flower girl dresses. Markle revealed that “the issue was correct” but she was the one who was brought to tears, not Middleton.

Markle is currently pregnant with her and Prince Harry’s second child. During the interview, the couple revealed that they are having a girl and that Markle is due sometime during the summer.

On the subject of pregnancy, Markle also revealed that while she was pregnant with Archie, an unnamed member of the royal family asked Harry “how dark” Archie’s skin would be. Winfrey later asked Prince Harry about this and he said that he was uncomfortable sharing who asked him the question.

“That was appalling,” said junior Emma Riccardi.

On March 11, Prince Harry’s brother, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, told a reporter for Sky News, “We are very much not a racist family.”

During the interview with Winfrey, Prince Harry revealed the current status of him and Prince William’s relationship was “space.” In the Sky News Interview, William said that, “No, I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will.”

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