Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, sat down for a highly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey airing Sunday on CBS.

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Meghan’s encounters with the Royal family and the Queen

• It was revealed early on that Markle did not get paid for the interview. Markle told Oprah that she did not know much of the royals prior to meeting Harry nor has she ever looked up any headlines written about her husband.
• She mentioned that the Queen was the first royal family member she met and Harry helped her practice her curtsy prior to meeting the Prince’s grandmother. However, before meeting The Queen, Markle knew Princess Eugenie, Prince Andrew’s daughter, before anyone. Prior to her wedding day, Markle told Oprah that she listened to “Chapel of Love” by the Dixie Cups and she said that she slept very well the night before the big day a few years ago.
  

Meghan and Harry were secretly married three days before their public wedding

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Meghan Markle reveals she knew this royal family before Prince Harry

• Markle also touched upon the difference between perception and reality when it comes to the royals and she said how judgements are made based on what the public thinks they know instead of what Markle is actually living through.
• Oprah got right into asking Markle about her relationship with her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. Oprah read headlines how Middleton made Markle cry but Markle quickly clarified that it was Middleton who made her cry over a rift about the flower girl dresses at Markle’s wedding. Markle admitted to believing that there are different expectations for each woman.

Oprah asked,“Were you silent or were you silenced?”

“The sad irony of the last four years is that I‘ve advocated for so long for women to use their voice, and I was silent.” [Meghan]

• Markle said she was silenced and was given clear direction from everyone to say “no comment” to the media.
• She said when things started to roll out in the media, her friends would call her and bring headlines to her attention and Markle believed she was being protected by the monarchy, because that was the impression she was under. Markel told Oprah once she and Harry were married, things in the media worsened, and she realized that she actually was not being protected like she once thought.
• Markle revealed that the royal family were willing to lie to protect other members but did not tell the truth to protect her and Harry. Markle did tell about how warm and inviting the Queen is and even told of a time that the Royal Highness shared her blanket with Markle. In general, Markle said everyone was welcoming to her when she married Harry.

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“You can’t do this because it’ll look like that,” She was also told not to go to lunch with her friends, so she could lay low because she was everywhere in the headlines. Markle said she felt so lonely, although she wasn’t lonely in her marriage with Harry but she was very lonely because of the very little she was allowed to do.

Markle also told Oprah how the royal family didn’t want Archie to be a prince and as a result he wasn’t going to receive the same security he would have if he held the title.

Markle said that she was told this in the last few months of her pregnancy from Harry and other family members. Markle wasn’t concerned about the title her son would hold but more so about his protection and safety.

“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore” [Meghan]

“It takes so much courage to admit you need help.” [Meghan]

• “It became almost unsurvivable,” Oprah quoted that sentence that Markle said in a podcast about all of the terrible tabloids being written about her.
• Markle revealed to Oprah that she was ashamed to admit at the time, but she told Harry that she didn‘t want to be alive anymore. Markle said she wanted to seek help and when she asked for it, the institution said no and that it wouldn’t be a good look.
• Markle then went to human resources, but they too said she couldn’t be protected because she wasn’t a paid employee of the institution. Markle said in the interview with Oprah that she was having suicidal thoughts during this time. T
• The two spoke about an event Marke and Harry went to during this sad period and Markle made it a point to get dressed and go because she didn’t want to be left alone because she was afraid of what she would do to herself.
  

Prince Harry and Meghan are having a baby girl

By the second hour, Harry joined his wife for the sit-down interview with Oprah. Right away, the couple finally revealed the gender of their baby - a girl!

“To have a boy and then a girl, what more could you ask for?” Harry said to Oprah.

The two said “two is it” and they are content with having two babies and two dogs. It was told in the interview that when coming to California, the couple stayed in Tyler Perry’s house since they did not have a plan at the time. Their U.K. security was being removed due to a change in status. In January 2020, they announced they would step back from the royal family - it started a media frenzy and Markle was blamed for it. “I was desperate, I went to all of the places I thought I should to ask for help,” Harry told Oprah. “We’re in pain, you can’t provide us the help we need, we need to take a step back.” Harry was concerned about history repeating itself, referring to his mother. He told Oprah that he wasn’t aware of unconscious bias until he met Markle.

“I never blindsided my grandmother, I always had respect for her,” Harry responded when Oprah asked if he shocked the Queen with the news of their exit.

• Harry put it into writing and even planned when the couple would make their announcement of leaving. Harry revealed to Oprah that his father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls. “I’ve got to do something for my own mental health and my wife’s,” he said to Oprah on how he came to this decision.
• “I didn’t have anyone to turn to,” Harry said to Oprah. Even friends of Harry have the mentality, “this is how it is, you can’t change it,” regarding how the monarchy works. Harry said the race element was what made things different for Harry and things couldn’t carry on as they were.
• Harry told Oprah that his family is afraid of the tabloids turning on them. If a royal family member is willing to wine and dine reporters, the family will get better press, Harry said about the royal family’s relationship with the press. Markle revealed to Oprah that the British press has holiday parties at the palace.
• “I left my career, life, and everything because I love him,” Markle said when questioned about the headlines that Markle married Harry for her clout. Harry said he felt trapped and Markle opened his eyes to him feeling trapped within the system. Oprah asked Harry what his mother, Princess Diana, would say about his decisions. He said she would feel angry and very sad about how it all panned out.

Prince Harry reveals his family has cut him off financially but “I’ve got what my mom left me.”

• The royal family cut him off financially, he has what his mom left him. He wanted enough money to pay for security to keep his family safe. Harry told Oprah that he spoke to his grandmother a lot in the past year.
• Harry revealed that he has a lot to work through with his father, he feels very let down. Harry said his father has been through something similar and he knows what pain feels like. “I will always love him, but a lot of hurt has happened,” Harry said in the interview.

Harry, “What I was seeing was history repeating itself, but far more dangerous because you add race in, you add social media in. When I say history repeating itself, I‘m talking about my mother.”

If the couple had more support, they still would have been a part of the royal family. The couple spoke more about Archewell, the organization the two started that revolve around non-profit efforts and creative media ventures. Markle said Archewell will give a voice to people who are underrepresented.

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“What delights you now in your everyday life here with Archie and Meghan?” Oprah asked Harry. He spoke about being able to freely go to the beach and go on bike rides with his son. Oprah circled back to ask Harry again about his relationship with his brother, Prince William. “Time heals all things...hopefully,” Harry said in response. Harry said he doesn‘t have any regrets, he’s proud of him and his wife, especially that Markle safely gave birth during a difficult period in her life. Markle said Harry saved all of them, her and Archie.

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“My father and my brother, they are trapped,” Harry says.

Meghan says her relationship with Harry is “greater than any fairytale you‘ve ever read”

“What delights you now in your everyday life here with Archie and Meghan?” Oprah asked Harry. He spoke about being able to freely go to the beach and go on bike rides with his son. Oprah circled back to ask Harry again about his relationship with his brother, Prince William. “Time heals all things...hopefully,” Harry said in response. Harry said he doesn‘t have any regrets, he’s proud of him and his wife, especially that Markle safely gave birth during a difficult period in her life. Markle said Harry saved all of them, her and Archie.