Oprah ‘had no idea’ that her Sussex interview would have this ‘reverberating impact’

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah interview was everything we wanted out of Finding Freedom. In some ways, Finding Freedom was just the appetizer, it primed us for the revelations during the Oprah interview. FF was a good first step, but the Oprah interview was the cultural reset. And now, about seven weeks since the interview aired, Oprah is talking about what surprised her about Meghan and Harry, and what surprised her about the reaction to the interview. Oprah spoke about all of this and more as she appeared on The Nancy O’Dell Channel on talkshoplive, as she promoted her book What Happened To You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing.

She didn’t know the interview would be this big: “I had no idea that it would have the reverberating impact that it has had and continues to have. I did a lot of preparation for that. It was really important to me that what we put out there in the world was put out into the world at the time that everybody could see it and that things didn’t leak and things weren’t misconstrued before the actual interview happened. I remember when we finished doing the interview, and that interview was 3 hours and 20 minutes I think, I stood up and said to the crew, ‘We all know what was said here and how important it is to have a trust to the people who just shared that so I’m hoping you all will not go out into the world and share what has happened here.’ And nobody did. So as we were releasing clips to CBS, we were releasing them in such a way that whatever was being put out there could not be exploited. So a lot of time and effort and energy went into it on my part.”

She exchanged messages with M&H: Oprah also spoke about how she did not meet with Meghan and Harry in person but the trio did exchange messages prior. “I didn’t see Meghan and Harry before but I did text them and say intention is very part important to me, tell me what your intention is so that we can be aligned in our goal. Our shared intention was the truth. They wanted to be able to tell their story and tell it in such a way that allowed them to be as truthful as possible.”

She was surprised by them: When asked if she was “surprised” by how “forthcoming” Meghan and Harry were in their responses, Oprah said, “I was surprised,” adding, “What? You’re going there? You’re going all the way there…The reason why it was such a powerful interview … What makes it powerful is when you have somebody else who is willing to be as open as vulnerable, as truthful as they were. The reason the interview was what it was because they answered the way they did.”

[From People]

All that and I keep thinking… it was just the tip of the iceberg. Harry didn’t name names. Meghan didn’t even get a chance to fact-check HALF of the lies they told about her. There was no mention of Prince Andrew. There was not even a whiff of William’s affair with Rose Hanbury and his subsequent tit-for-tat with the British media to hide the affair. I do believe Oprah about how she didn’t want to, like, rehearse what they would say. I think all of Oprah’s reactions were genuine, and a lot of what was said was a shock to her. I still would love to see the full three-hour-twenty-minute unedited interview though! And I wish Oprah would do a follow-up interview. Maybe in the fall.

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Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex reacts as she arrives to visit Canada House, in London on January 7, 2020, in thanks for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada.

Photos courtesy of CBS.

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100 Responses to “Oprah ‘had no idea’ that her Sussex interview would have this ‘reverberating impact’”

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  1. Cecilia says:

    Oh how i wish we could see the full 3 hours and 20 minutes of tape they have. And for all the whining the British media does about hollywood, turn out hollywood is a lot more professional. Because had they conducted this interview with a British broadcaster it would have leaked as soon as the interview was conducted.

    • Yvette says:

      @Cecilia … Wasn’t there some mention of Oprah considering releasing the ‘cut’ material in another show, sort of a “Meghan and Harry, Part 2” kind of thing? She may have changed her mind with all of the vitriol from “Meghan and Harry, Part 1.”

      • Merricat says:

        I doubt O would release anything without the express wish of Harry and Meghan.

      • Yvette says:

        @Merricat … But isn’t it all up to CBS? They contracted for an interview, Oprah got more footage than could be aired in the original time-slot allotted by CBS, so does’t the extra footage belong to CBS?

      • SomeChick says:

        CBS contracted for an interview special with Oprah, through her production company, Harpo Productions. She delivered the special, and I would guess that the rights to the raw footage remain with Harpo/Oprah.

      • Nic919 says:

        Harpo Productions owns the footage not CBS so the extra footage only goes out if Oprah approves it.

  2. Over it says:

    These bitchy brits should be glad that Harry and Megs are such class acts because if it were me, I would have said f it. To heck with all you and your dirty secrets.

    Like Harry could have said when a certain story about a certain flower incident including a family member was making its rounds in the press, my wife was thrown under the bus in exchange for burying the story. Then Megs could say how she help launch a cookbook and then her credit was given to the white duchess. Just for starters .

    • Louise177 says:

      The interview was about Meghan and Harry not Andrew and William. I think generalizing and not naming names made for a better interview. They got their point across about the courtiers, media, TRF. If they talked about Andrew or William it could have drove the interview off the rails. An insightful interview could have become very gossipy and hurt Meghan and Harry. Their issues would have gotten lost in favor of tabloid sleaze.

  3. Phoenix says:

     “They wanted to be able to tell their story and tell it in such a way that allowed them to be as truthful as possible.”
    I guess that means they wanted to tell their truth but without going into details about Andrew or William’s affair.
    Although I wanted them to speak about the KP whole smear campaign in details.

    • (The OG) Jan90067 says:

      While Meghan was offered as the “sacrifice” to the BM for burying the other stories, the dirt about Pedo and Rage Monster aren’t her stories to tell. HER truth is the impact on her and her family, what was said about her/them. While I’d have LOVED to hear all of it, I have immense respect for H&M for what/how they said their truth.

  4. Jais says:

    Love how Oprah is stressing the professionalism and lack of leaks from her crew. Seems like a pointed dig at the palace, like this is how it’s done, you trifling fools.

  5. Becks1 says:

    Yeah , they were very open, and yet the interview only scratched the surface. Even the clips released the next day were as good as the original interview. I can’t imagine what else was said.

    They exposed the courtiers, the press and the royals family. No wonder they are still in freak out mode 7 weeks later.

  6. Amy Bee says:

    As jaw dropping as it was, the interview could have been even worse. If I’m William and Charles, I’d be thankful Harry and Meghan didn’t go all in and I’d shut up about being hurt by the interview.

  7. Midge says:

    I still love that Meghan wore black. I remember reading that the palace did not want her to wear black when she was a working royal.

    • Noki says:

      Are they only allowed black at funerals? Maybe thats why Kate didnt wear black at the BAFTAS. There was an awards show Meghan wore a black dress with black nail polish,I think during that depressing time she was just sick of the rules.

      • Becks1 says:

        No, they’re allowed to wear black. I’ve read the queen doesn’t like to, but they’re allowed to. Kate has worn all black before – let’s recall her black pantsuit from this past winter for the video she did (National history museum maybe)? And Anne frequently wears a lot of black – usually with a scarf or hat or something to break it up, but she wears it a lot.

        It was only a problem when Meghan wore black.

      • Mooney says:

        @Noki Kate has worn black at BAFTAs. In 2017 I think. It was an off shoulder gown with florals. Just that they weren’t such hypocrites about rules.

      • SenseOfTheAbsurd says:

        Kate wore a black dress with a silver fern brooch or silver fern beading in NZ a few years ago, whenever they last toured here. Literal dressing, again.

        She just didn’t want to support #MeToo.

      • Nic919 says:

        Kate wears black whenever she wants. She specifically chose not to wear black for MeToo at the BAFTAs because that’s the kind of woman she is. She does not support other women ever.

    • Kelly says:

      There’s no rules about colors. The Queen wears bright colors so she can easily be seen in a crowd.

      BLM is an American movement, so I would not expect UK royals to dress for it. Also UK police don’t carry guns, so the whole premise of BLM isn’t as relatable there.

      • Carrie says:

        Black Lives Matter all the time and anywhere people of Color are treated less than – and let’s face it, where is this not an issue? It was huge in Australia where Aboriginals are treated appallingly as indeed are many non white immigrants.

      • M says:

        This is sort of bad timing to say that, considering what’s actually been happening in the UK!

      • whateveryousay says:

        This is 100 percent not true regarding BLM. POC have been treated terribly throughout the UK. They also had a huge BLM rally in the UK and tons of people talked about how tone deaf it was the Royals didn’t say anything about it.

  8. Noki says:

    There was actually no need to get into Andrew and Bills direct affairs that didnt concern them. I am glad they kept it classy on that,it would have been explosivs to even hint at the Rose bush story and frankly all their other race topics would have gone unnoticed.

    • Lexilla says:

      Absolutely agree.

    • SurelyNot says:

      valid point and while we all want the Rose story in the public realm to hurt and humiliate Kate — Rose is a private citizen and having a member of the BRF go on television and out you as an adultress is something she doesn’t deserve.

      • Snap Happy says:

        I don’t want the story out to hurt Kate. I’m not a believer in an eye for an eye. I think that story is a private one. I also don’t get why comments on this site set up a Kate vs. Rose thing. Like Rose is the better choice. They could both be terrible people. I find it sort of classicist to hold Rose up as the better option and the glee some people have because Kate wishes she had Rose’s background.

      • SurelyNot says:

        …Kate wishes she had Rose’s background.

      • JT says:

        Even Kate wishes she had Rose’s background. She’s been doing the most to hide her middle class upbringing for 20 years. It’s why her mother had her and Pippa chasing down any titled aristo within 10 miles for them to marry. It’s why she’s been putting on a fake accent for the past decade. Class shouldn’t be important, but it is very important to Kate. I don’t know why it’s wrong to say so.

      • Beach Dreams says:

        It’s a Kate vs. Rose thing because William made it that way in the first place. Kate did too with her astoundingly idiotic attempt to freeze Rose out, but William is the source of this narrative. The problem is that not only does Kate wish she had Rose’s background, WILL clearly thinks better of Rose than of his own wife. I think it should be seriously considered that it’s not just Kate desperate to hide her middle-class heritage, her husband wants her to. He consistently went after women in his aristocratic circles, but had to settle for Kate. He insists on people calling her Catherine, but she’s still widely referred to as Kate. She pulls that ridiculous accent and heavily cosplays the aristocrats because she wants to be part of that world AND IMO because deep down, she knows William would’ve preferred someone from that world.

      • swirlmamad says:

        I don’t want the Bill affair story to come out specifically to hurt Kate. I don’t like her personally, and a lot of that is down to how she has treated Meghan and Harry and just her mean girl behavior in general. She absolutely needs to be brought down a peg or two, and if that happens one day when everything comes out in the wash (and it always does) so be it…it will be satisfying to have that happen but I don’t actively wish for her to be hurt and humiliated, if that makes sense. IMO to wish for something like that makes you no better than she is.

      • TheOriginalMia says:

        @Beach Dreams, exactly! Kate desperately wants people to forget her middle class roots. That’s why she acts the way she does and why the aristos don’t like her. She wants it too badly. William sleeping with their neighbor and Kate’s “best friend” (which I doubt she is) is an pointed insult to Kate. He’s sleeping with the very women who wouldn’t marry him because he’s an ass.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I want the Rose story out to reveal the 10 year sham of a business arrangement marriage, along with the future future unelected ‘leader’ being outed for threatening a free press to cover up his repeated cheating.

      • windyriver says:

        Don’t feel particularly, for Rose. Any woman who spends three days, or even three hours, much less the rumored three years, in any kind of relationship with Will is someone I definitely side eye. Can’t imagine what he adds to her life, which already has so many apparent advantages. Plus, aristocratic lifestyle or not, she’s sleeping with another woman’s husband, and that woman is not okay with it. He’s a high-profile figure, especially with the Harry/Meghan controversy, so Rose must know it’s always possible the affair will be publicly revealed.

        Don’t care much what happens to the three principals, but I feel for the kids, especially the Cambridge kids, in the public eye and already trotted out more than necessary. Would be nice to think Will remembers how he felt about his parent’s affairs and divorce, and at least avoid screwing a close neighbor, but…

        And while part of me thinks the “public” should know what Will the FFK has done re: the press to cover up the cheating, how that included sacrificing the safety of his brother and brother’s family, etc., between Will, the courtiers, and tabloid press, there’s more than enough evil to go around. The system stinks from the inside out, and that’s been true for years; the same forces were in play when Charles, the FK, was trashing Diana, and then rehabbing Camillla, and no doubt he’s still in the game himself.

      • tempest prognosticator says:

        “… to hurt and humiliate Kate” Wow. Just… wow.

      • Anne Call says:

        Opens up a story about British royal family against better judgement, reads it and some of the comments, closes story immediately and goes to another site.

      • Lizzie says:

        Rose doesn’t deserve to be outed? I’m not following the logic. If Kate is hurt and humiliated that is the doing of her husband and his actions, not anyone else.

      • Nic919 says:

        William using a super injunction to hide the mention of an affair is highly disturbing and anti democratic. His actions are the ones that hurt and humiliate Kate more than anything.

        Also throwing Meghan under the bus to hide the affair is pretty despicable and Meghan has absolutely nothing to so with Rose or Kate and yet she’s the one who has to have experienced the attacks in the media.

      • Jaded says:

        @Surelynot – no, we don’t want the story revealed to hurt and humiliate Kate. You’re missing the point – we want it out there to bust William as an unfaithful, arrogant and tempermental man-child who doesn’t seem to have the least bit of interest in his marriage or his children other than carefully staged photo ops to counter Harry and Meghan’s favourable press coverage. If anything it would garner sympathy for Kate as the poor, cheated-on wife.

      • SurelyNot says:

        I assure you, I didn’t miss the point — from the very first post, which was reflected in my response.
        It has been enjoyable though, hope everyone had a fantastic day.

  9. Snuffles says:

    That’s right Oprah, remind the people that you have enough interview footage left over for another 2 hour special. 😏😏😏😏

    • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

      I think Oprah has been instructed by Harry and Meghan not to release the other interview unless something bad happens to them.

      • Mariposa says:

        I don’t think Harry and Meghan would control that – Harpo Studio probably has the rights to all of that footage.

      • Jaded says:

        @Mariposa – Oprah has so much respect for, and an active friendship with H&M that she would never drop another special without getting permission from them first. I like to think of the extra footage as a bank account that H&M can draw from if the leaks and smearing from the Windsors, Cambridges and Midds, in cahoots with the tabloids, continues or gets worse. They know they’re all behind the 8-ball and lobbing any more insults or lies about the Sussexes is only going to dig them into a deeper hole.

      • swirlmamad says:

        I would hope it’s not so sinister as that. But, if things continue on this trajectory — as in the RRs keep on hammering at Will’s and/or Charles’ behest, then it may be no holds barred and they might release more of the interview then.

      • Ann says:

        I like that, it’s a like a back-up detonator.

      • Anna says:

        Rest assured H&M would never consent to losing all control over the footage. It’s likely protected through joint ownership and/or approvals required from all parties before any second of it is released.

  10. T says:

    It’s my feeling that this is their one-and-done interview. Unless something major happens, I think they will only officially comment on news going forward and only give promo interviews in regard to their work. They just strike me as they got their side out there, now they want to move forward.

    • (The OG) Jan90067 says:

      I totally agree (as much as I’d love to hear the rest!). I believe they’ve even said that they’re done; they’ve said what they needed/wanted to say and they’re moving forward.

      Their future will be their family and the Foundation. I seriously doubt there will be any *real* reconciliation btwn Harry and William, and even Charles for that matter, other than (maybe) a *very* cordial, surface relationship, if that. Honestly, how can you ever forgive/forget your family almost driving your wife to suicide??

    • Snuffles says:

      Agreed. They will issue corrections when necessary but from here on out the focus will be on their professional endeavors.

    • Sofia says:

      I agree.

    • Beach Dreams says:

      Same. This was their moment to finally have their say and speak for themselves without being shut down or heavily filtered. My one regret with the interview is that the privacy clip wasn’t in the main broadcast. It would’ve done a lot to shut down the BM’s whining about privacy and make more people realize that this was a media-created talking point to bash H&M with.

  11. Julia K says:

    “As truthful as possible”. I truly hope she is not setting the stage to walk back some of the issues that were presented. Meghan needs the freedom to tell her truth and be supported in it, no second guessing.

    • Nivz says:

      I don’t think “as truthful as possible” is a set up for a walk back. She means they restrained themselves from naming names while giving us a sense of their experience.

    • Beach Dreams says:

      It’s like Nivz said: they wanted to say what happened to them without saying too much. Meghan said last year that they were always careful about what they said and how they said it because they wanted to protect Archie. Now they have their daughter on the way and this interview is going to have an impact for some time to come. They’re going to be even more protective from here on out. Then there’s Archewell and all of the deals, jobs, and collaborations they have. They clearly want to focus on their work and their future, and they couldn’t really do that if they went all out in the interview. They had to approach this carefully, and they definitely did so.

  12. Sofia says:

    I get why they didn’t talk about Andrew or Rose. Andrew is a big legal issue and if they mentioned him, it could get the FBI involved and become ugly for them. Plus they like Eugenie and may not want to talk about her dad – no matter how much of a terrible human being he is.

    And Rose isn’t any of their business tbh. It’s an issue for the Cambridge-Cholmondeley clan and for them to deal with. Not the Sussexes.

    • Becks1 says:

      I get why they didn’t talk about the rose rumors, but also think they came
      Pretty damn close – talking how W was trapped, the invisible contract with the press – I thought that a saying a lot if you read between the lines.

      • Sofia says:

        I can see that and agree but it seems that some people (not on this site) were annoyed Harry seriously didn’t say “So yes my brother is sleeping with Rose”

  13. DuchessL says:

    I think Oprah wants the world to know that her team is hermetic and that we still have enough footage for another explosive, so the island better watch out because Oprah isnt there for the money the power or the fame. She’s there for the truth, the women, the racism.

    • Pix says:

      I agree – this was a soft warning. Her people did not/do not leak. I bet she could drop a 30 minute special that could destroy the RF. I like to think she’s saying you better keep my name and Gail’s name out of your mouth.

  14. TheOriginalMia says:

    If I squint, I can sorta believe Oprah didn’t know her interview would land like a nuclear bomb. I guess she’s a bit naive like George Lucas was about the cultural impact of Star Wars. That said I applaud her understanding of the trust Harry & Meghan put in her and her team. The fact not one leak of the details made their way to the tabloids tells you she’s got a good team working for her.

    Although, I wish we could see the rest of the interview, I doubt we will. The unedited version will remain under lock & key. It was cathartic for Harry and Meghan to speak the truth about their time within the Firm. But they won’t publicly air anymore of their truth. They will correct lies and release information about themselves and their foundation, but that’s it. They are done with the Firm. They are free.

    • Nic919 says:

      I think Oprah knew it would get ratings in North America. What she probably didn’t expect was the overreactions by the BRF and the UK media even before and especially after it aired. There is a level of crazy that hasn’t been seen since the Charles and Diana interviews.

  15. Jay says:

    I find it hard to imagine any other member of Harry’s family setting an intention to be “truthful”. To repair their image, maybe, to preserve power, even to get revenge, but not truth as an end to itself. That says a lot, I think.

    Also, we aren’t done hearing about this – these kinds of specials are often up for awards, right? I could see Oprah and CBS reminding us of the interview around baby Montecito’s birth, the Diana statue, etc so it’s top of mind whenever emmy nominations are made.

    Just the memes alone – it’s not going away!

  16. NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

    I think the additional interview is Harry’s insurance policy/blackmail that no harm will come to him and Oprah has explicit instructions to release it in the event anything tragic happens to Harry or Meghan. I really want to believe the two hours he spent with his dad and his brother was him showing them the additional footage saying “[Bleep] around with me and find out.” I also imagine he was the true Hollywood star and put on his sunglasses as he walked away from the exploding trainwreck of that family too…

    This leads me to believe Harry has effectively disowned Charles and William. I think they’re trying to make it look like they’re disowning him and take control of the narrative. I think the funeral was confirmation nothing will be reconciled. Everything about the past year screams desperation for Charles and William to take over a narrative as Harry’s actions set the tone and I think it’s Harry refusing any contact with either of them at this juncture, hence the leaks. I do think Charles will take away Harry’s titles when he becomes king, no matter how stupid and petty he looks, though…because Charles only cares about himself and thinks that HE was betrayed by Harry. I think William is angry his younger brother was allowed to get away and that is what all of these tantrums are simply about. I’m certain if Charles doesn’t pull every one of Harry’s titles, William will. They are trying to ruin Harry’s reputation in Hollywood but it won’t work. I think Harry has too many Hollywood power players in his corner.

    • Bloemheks says:

      Charles can’t take Harry’s titles any more than he could run around removing titles from any other aristocrat. It’s under the purview of Parliament. It would be next to impossible to come up with a justification to remove Harry’s titles that wouldn’t also apply to other titled Brits.

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        You are correct. But the choice is coming: Reform the monarchy or Disband the monarchy? If Charles wants any chance of keeping the institution going, sacrifices and changes will need to be made.

      • Lorelei says:

        The funny thing to me about the title discussion is that the BRF thinks it’s an enormous deal and possibly the worst punishment they could hit Harry and Meghan with, but outside of a small group of royalists and aristocrats in the UK, NO ONE CARES. Most people (definitely most Americans) probably don’t even know their titles, he’s just “Prince Harry” just like Princess Diana was and remained “Princess Diana” to the entire *world* until the day she died even after her HRH was technically removed.

        I understand what a petty, awful thing it would be to do to them since they don’t deserve it, and I’m sure H&M would be somewhat upset because it would just be Harry’s family sh!tting on them again, but realistically, it would not matter in the least. Charles and William might smugly think they’ve dealt a blow with this kind of vindictiveness, but the next day, they would still be dull as dishwater and all of the coverage would continue to be about Harry and Meghan. PRINCE Harry. It’s actually funny to me that they think 99.999% of human beings know or give a hoot about their little titles and “styles,” etc.

    • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

      Or even still that these people think anyone wants titles from them or titles at all.

      Do you see Daisy (Queen Margrethe of Denmark) or Tjabo (King Carl of Sweden’s nickname for those who don’t know) out there handing out titles left and right? No! Because no one wants a title anymore and the Brits haven’t gotten the memo.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They’ve both handed out titles when it would have been better not too. Joachim’s children didn’t need titles, Alexandra didn’t need a new title for her divorce. CG handed out so many titles because he wanted to make sure his poor little son’s children got titles. He’s had to walk it back in the past year or two, removing the HRHs.

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        I would argue that in Carl’s case it was the right thing to do since Philip was heir apparent when he was born in 1979 and then it switched to Victoria when Absolute Primogeniture was established in 1980.

        As far as the situation with Daisy, Alexandra was threatening to take the kids back to Hong Kong and raise them there instead of in Denmark and also alert the European media and expose Joachim’s issues. Daisy was in a tight corner with that situation but did it to keep her grandkids close and keep a situation from blowing up.

  17. Duch says:

    While I agree that Harry is “done”, I just can’t see him refusing his father’s or brother’s calls. He’s just not that type of person. (Unlike his father.)

    On the titles, I thought I read here months ago that it would take an act of Parliament? If Charles did attempt it, he might try it as a “housekeeping” thing, and sweep Andrew in there too. I just don’t see him wanting to spend time and political capital lobbying for it. Now WIlliam? Maybe.

    • Bloemheks says:

      Removing titles isn’t easily done and rarely in the interest of the Royal Family or the aristocracy. The last time they made a law related to the removal of titles it was to deal with Nazi sympathizers. Currently, a titled person would have to commit treason, which means the UK would have to be at war and that person would have to be actively fighting for or aiding and abetting the other side.

      What justification could they come up with to remove Harry’s titles that wouldn’t also apply to other titled Brits? I can’t imagine the aristocracy is going to be on board with any proceedings to remove titles from Harry. It would set a bad precedent.

      Charles may remove his HRH style, but that’s as far as it will go imo.

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        @bloemheks Under current circumstances it is not. What you forget is Charles’ desire for streamlining. In the face of Brexit, Parliament may be willing to do a lot to change hereditary titles. Elizabeth currently, or Charles in the coming years has to be the one to set Parliament on this path but I think that we will see unprecedented changes made to the British monarchy in the not-too-distant future if it has any chance of surviving.

        One of the changes I’d anticipate is legal restrictions on hereditary titles to only the heirs and their immediate family for their lifetime (meaning for example Charlotte won’t be able to pass down any titles to her children but will have them for her lifetime). It’s more or less how it works already but they will cement it legally and I think there will be an option to “opt out” of the royal fanily (the government will pay for university education but you’re on your own after that). But I expect that will come with Andrew’s titles for sure and most likely Harry’s. Elizabeth has been resistant to change anything and leave many Windsors out in the cold but we know Charles couldn’t care less.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Charles couldn’t even get the Duchy of Cornwall to change inheritance practices; he doesn’t have the power to make the aristocracy change how they do titles.

        What might have the power to do so are lawsuits making their way through the European Court of Human Rights. Brought by women who have been denied titles and inheritance because of the UK’s outdated and sexist system.

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        @Nota Parliament can and as you pointed out, there is a need to. Charles just needs to show some control before Parliament makes a decision he does not like. But these court cases are the reason Parliament will act, if for any reason to keep the EU and World Court out of these affairs.

        The smartest thing Charles could do to protect the UK? No titles for anyone except for the heir’s family during their lifetime and keep the heir’s family limited in number and even then I’m not sure it will be enough to save the royal family.

    • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

      @Duch I think Harry has been driven to that and I also think…he doesn’t care anymore and wants to be left alone by the lot of them. I agree he would not under normal circumstances refuse a call but I think he is in extraordinary circumstances that led to the fallout. I also think he “leaks” knowing it will make contact impossible. It’s intentional and is a clear signal he doesn’t wish to actually speak with them. That is how aristocrats do with people they don’t like. They magically become indiscreet.

      • True says:

        Let C and W take the titles. Guarantees the world would talk about them more.

        What you term as leaking I think of Harry not letting C and W set the narrative. The Omid and Gayle items came after their were already stories in the BM. If that says to other aristocrats he’s not playing ball then that’s is probably his intent. C and W only want a Harry they can control and that is no longer the case. They are mad that he has a voice.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        NSSTaylor, with Harry countering some of the stories leaked to the BM, will this slow down all of the smearing that’s being done by the brf? I think the interview was meant as the demarcation line where they are now going forward. The Gail statements to correct some of those BM stories soon thereafter seemed to me to be Harry saying, “You do NOT want to play this game with me.”

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        I said it the day after the Oprah interview and I stand by it now: that interview was a warning shot.
        The majority of the interview is with Meghan. She was only there for 18 months. She was also vague and she was smart. However, I do think there is a 90 minute interview with more of a focus on Harry and on the traumas Harry has experienced in the royal family that would light the house of cards Charles has built on fire. I don’t think Harry wants it released but I think the royal family knows it exists and knows to more or less back off. I also have noticed a cooldown on Daily Mail and Sun articles since he left the UK on Tuesday. I would expect that cooldown to continue. The UK media is taking some nasty final shots to remind Harry and Meghan that they can’t hide but I also think that they are backing off. I think it’s unreasonable to expect all leaks to stop immediately.

        Oprah did clue us in she has 220 minutes of footage. I can’t imagine more than 60 minutes of that is filler footage or bad takes So I do believe there is another interview and I think that interview is the one the royals hope never see the light of day and I think with Charles’ future contemplation, leaks will be non-existent by the end of this year. I think if anything happens to Harry and/or Meghan, we will see that interview but I hope for the sake of family that it does not ever come to that.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        NSSTaylor, Thank you, you’ve given me something to think about with that extra footage of Oprah’s. I kept wondering when Harry was in the UK whether his security team was still close by. I know the RPO’s (supposedly) are to protect him while he’s there, but the more the merrier. Let’s hope that it really does get a lot quieter in the media.

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        True you are 100% on point. I just can’t think of a better word than “leaking” but I think “countering” is the world I was looking for but I could not find that word. Harry and Meghan have made it very clear that they will not allow themselves to be used for PR purposes by the royal family and they told their truth, no private information was released about those conversations so I don’t know why the BRF is whining. We all know Harry and Meghan have American journalist friends in high places. We know that Harry and Meghan work as a unit too.

  18. iconoclast59 says:

    I do wish Oprah had said something about how the BM is doing their d@mnedest to completely rewrite the narrative since the interview.

  19. Jaded says:

    It just goes to show how incredibly well-spoken both Meghan and Harry are by how they handled the questions lobbed at them, of which they had no prior knowledge, with diplomacy and dignity while still being honest. It must have been incredibly difficult for Meghan to speak openly about her depression and suicidal ideation. It must have been equally difficult for Harry to speak of the breakdown in communication with his own father and brother. And yet nothing was said that came across as a cheap shot or anything other than the sad truth. I’m sure between the two of them they have enough receipts to sink the Windsors and Cambridges, but that’s not what they were there to do. They just wanted to speak their truth. Both are class acts the whole way.

  20. Sam says:

    Meg did say Kate was upset about something at the time of the incident and i remember reading that Kate found out about the affair around the time she was pregnant with Louis

    I would have named names. I don’t believe in “when they go low,you go high” I’ll go lower. The palace were probably relieved that it wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be and they still haven’t learned anything so Harry and Meghan should not have to feel they owe them.

  21. L4frimaire says:

    I wasn’t expecting them to be so open and didn’t realize how awful it was from within the palace. I wish they’d spoken more about the press but who knows what else they said. I know a lot of people are talking about the impact of the interview on the royals themselves, but it has gone beyond that. The royals will stay in denial and see the interview as an attack on them because how dare the Sussexes not take the mistreatment and racism and be scapegoats forever. I think it really opened up a lot of conversations on race in the U.K. that was not happening before the interview. Not expecting major changes but people are at least seeing it and openly talking about systemic racism.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      L4frimaire, I keep thinking that this was what H&M wanted to happen–that the brf would start really looking at the issues of race within the UK and extended to the British history of Commonwealth countries. I really do think that Harry sees the writing on the wall and would like to see the monarchy continue into the future, but with the changes that need to be made. Also, the issues around Meghan’s mental health are huge, too. I watched as the Diana years played out. The brf didn’t care about Di’s mental health and they doubled down on Meghan. I think Harry was giving them another opportunity around the mental health of family members. He’s done the best he could, now it’s up to them. H&M will keep their eyes on the horizon.

  22. Tessa says:

    I really dislike it that Charles gives William a say in this. William has his own agenda and it’s not a nice one.

    • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

      Does Charles have a choice, Tessa?

      • True says:

        They are aligned now. I wonder when we will see them turn on each other more? Without Sussex leaks from the BRF the BM will
        turn on someone.

        Especially like if you said earlier that Harry has fired his warning shot and the leaks will gradually not be as much so the rest doesn’t come out. The BM the will always have some Sussex drivel but if it’s old stuff redone then the clicks will dry up and the media will have to get fed somehow.

  23. Well Wisher says:

    Gail was right. It was one of the best interviews. After briefings from October 2019, it was refreshing to finally hear the other side. That it was a hostile working environment , unacceptable terms of employment being negotiated by someone who was unqualified and had an agenda.
    The heart of the interview was one question,
    ‘Why did they leave?’
    The answer was compellingly honest and believeable without pointing fingers and laying blame.
    The repercussions all indicate a deeply insecure individual with ingrained troubling behaviour and his enablers/future employers/ opportunists.
    All the articles, drama at the funeral etc unintentionally lay bare the untenable situation the Sussexes found themselves in.
    Now the Sussexes have and well-earned opportunity to heal, to thrice and to live, their marriage is relatively young and everything is brand new and exciting.
    I hope they enjoy their new working and living environment, there is no need to defend, to engage, to explain nor to personalize anything. They have accepted their new reality and there is no need to feed anyone’s ego by validations nor arguments.
    Many people are rooting for their success on their terms.

  24. swirlmamad says:

    Kinda/sorta related: Just saw Tyler Perry won the humanitarian award at the Oscars and I immediately thought about how his graciousness helped Meghan and Harry. Very well deserved….he is kind and genuine through and through.

  25. swirlmamad says:

    Kinda/sorta related: Just saw Tyler Perry won the humanitarian award at the Oscars and I immediately thought about how he so graciously helped Meghan and Harry. Very well deserved….he is kind and genuine through and through.

  26. Before the pandemic and the global lockdown in March 2020, my sisters and I bought airline tickets and booked hotel accommodation as were set to take a vacation in the UK. I am a Princess Di diehard fan and a Meghan fan. I wanted to see majestic UK and its pomp and pageantry, the magnificent palaces. I wanted to be in the land of royalty. But now that all the racist issues about the UK have been brought out to the fore and how Meghan was lambasted in the UK press and condemned by the Royal family, I am glad that our trip was cancelled. I have buried all my UK travel plans in the future even if travel restrictions are lifted .