Oprah’s long-awaited interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry aired this past Sunday, and the tea was not only piping hot, but it has in fact spilled everywhere.
A plethora of revelations showcasing damning issues within the royal family was revealed, which allowed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to be anything but protected.
Meghan and Harry disclosed heartbreaking details about the struggles they endured from the British press, from the institution of the royal family and by individual family members.
One of the first details Meghan described was the media circus that surrounded her and the difference in how the media treated her as opposed to how they treated Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. She explained a situation in which there was a disagreement between her and Kate regarding the flower girl’s dresses for her wedding.
The British tabloids sold a story describing Meghan as a “bridezilla” who made Kate cry, but in reality, it was Kate who had made Meghan cry.
While Kate showed great remorse through a note and flowers, the damage had been done to Meghan in the form of false stories. The palace refused to refute the stories about Meghan despite her defense of other members of the royal family. Additionally, the press treated Meghan with a cruelty that was all too evident and entirely unique from what Kate or any other senior member of the family had experienced previously.
When the Daily Mail published stories of Kate cradling her baby, they described the act as “tender.” When Meghan did the same, the outlet ran a much different story, begging the question “Why can’t Meghan Markle keep her hands off her bump?” and deeming it an act of “pride” or “vanity.”
In addition to the awful treatment Meghan and Harry received from the British press, the couple described feeling “trapped” within the establishment of the royal family and the horrendous treatment of their son, Archie. Meghan divulged that the family’s publicists refused to let her go outside of the house at the beginning of her career as the Duchess of Sussex because they feared she would garner too much attention.
She told Oprah how she would simply ask to go out to lunch with her friends, to which palace advisers would tell her, “No, you’re oversaturated; it would be best for you if you didn’t.”
Meghan stated that because of this isolation she “had never felt lonelier.”
Shortly after announcing her pregnancy, Meghan described discussions of her unborn son’s title and security, explaining that rules were changed from the original protocol. She and Harry were told Archie would neither have a title nor his own protection. In tandem with this were apparent concerns over how dark Archie’s skin tone would be.
Oprah’s jaw dropped, a feeling we all experienced, and consequently inquired about the identity of the people behind these comments. Both Harry and Meghan remained mum on the particular person or persons who made those statements as it would be “very damaging” to them.
The most heartbreaking detail to learn was Meghan’s mental health issues and suicidal thoughts went unacknowledged. She explained how she asked for help from staff members, advisers and the human resources department, but was told that she would not receive counseling as it “would not be good for the institution.”
She recalled telling Harry in the morning, but swiftly reverting back to duty to attend an event at Royal Albert Hall. Meghan became emotional when seeing pictures of that evening, as she felt they were holding onto each other’s hands in order to survive.
After much struggle, the couple felt a lack of support and decided to demote themselves as senior members of the royal family. They described having no other option but to leave the toxic environment.
The Queen has since released a statement saying that “the issues raised are concerning.” However, the damage has already been done.
Many across the world have noted that Meghan Markle could have been the royal family’s chance to embrace diversity, but the royal family instead chose to show their antiquated values.
