Downloaded from YTS.MX
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
>> Oprah: NEARLY TWO BILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE WATCHED
THEIR WEDDING.
FROM THE OUTSIDE, IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A FAIRY TALE
AND APPEARED TO SIGNAL A NEW DAY FOR THE MODERN BRITISH MONARCHY.
>> THIS COUPLE REPRESENTS EVERYTHING PEOPLE CAN CELEBRATE.
>> IT'S A WONDERFUL FAIRY TALE, IT'S...
>> Oprah: THEY BECAME ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT COUPLES IN THE
MEDIA.
THEN, IN JANUARY 2020...
>> THERE'S BEEN AN ALMOST SHOCKINGLY QUICK TURNAROUND.
>> Oprah: ...HARRY AND MEGHAN STUNNED THE WORLD WHEN THEY
DECIDED TO STEP BACK AS SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.
>> MEGHAN SEEMS TO HAVE MOVED FROM THE NATION'S HEROINE TO THE
NATION'S VILLAIN.
>> Oprah: TONIGHT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY TELL THEIR STORY.
I'M SITTING DOWN WITH MEGHAN.
I THINK WHAT WE REALLY HAVE GOT TO CLEAR UP HERE IS THAT YOU,
MEGHAN, ARE THE ONE WHO MANIPULATED, CALCULATED THIS
"MEGXIT."
AND LATER, HARRY JOINS US.
WHAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT?
DID YOU BLINDSIDE THE QUEEN?
>> HI, GIRLS.
>> Oprah: I ALSO VISIT THEM AT HOME, WHERE THEY'RE BEGINNING
THEIR NEW LIFE IN AMERICA.
WHOA!
>> Meghan: I KNOW!
>> Oprah: YOU REALLY ARE HAVING A BABY!
>> Meghan: WE'RE HAVING A BABY!
>> Oprah: THAT'S MORE THAN A BUMP.
>> Meghan: I KNOW.
>> Oprah: WOW.
>> Meghan: YEAH, I KNOW!
HI.
>> Oprah: HUGS, HUGS.
VIRTUAL HUG.
>> Meghan: I KNOW.
>> Oprah: YEAH, DISTANCE HUG.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE-- WE CAN'T HUG BECAUSE WE'RE PRACTICING--
>> Meghan: ALL THE THINGS.
>> Oprah: DOING ALL THE THINGS.
WE'VE BEEN SO STRICT.
EVERYBODY AROUND HERE LITERALLY IS DOUBLE-MASKED AND HAS FACE
SHIELDS.
BUT YOU LOOK LOVELY.
>> Meghan: THANK YOU.
SO DO YOU.
>> Oprah: PREGNANT AND LOVELY.
>> Meghan: THANK YOU, YES.
>> Oprah: DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE HAVING A BOY OR GIRL?
>> Meghan: WE DO, THIS TIME.
I WILL WAIT FOR MY HUSBAND TO JOIN US, AND WE CAN SHARE THAT
WITH YOU.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR.
SO, BEFORE WE GET INTO IT.
>> Meghan: ( LAUGHS ) YEAH.
>> Oprah: I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYBODY THAT EVEN
THOUGH WE'RE NEIGHBORS DOWN THE-- I'M DOWN THE ROAD, YOU'RE
UP THE ROAD...
>> Meghan: YEAH.
THIS ISN'T MY HOUSE.
THIS ISN'T YOUR HOUSE.
>> Oprah: THIS ISN'T MY HOUSE.
WE'RE USING A FRIEND'S HOUSE BECAUSE THEY HAD A VERY NICE
PERGOLA.
>> Meghan: BEAUTIFUL.
>> Oprah: THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN AGREEMENT.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK.
>> Meghan: NO.
>> Oprah: AND THERE IS NO SUBJECT THAT'S OFF LIMITS.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: AND YOU ARE NOT GETTING PAID FOR THIS INTERVIEW.
>> Meghan: ALL OF THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Oprah: ALL OF THAT IS CORRECT.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: SO, YOU READY?
>> Meghan: I AM.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS IT.
I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE NOW...
>> Oprah: ( LAUGHS ) >> Meghan: ...WHEN YOU ASKED
ABOUT BABY, AND WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
BUT I REMEMBER SITTING IN THE CHAPEL AND-- THANKS FOR INVITING
ME, BY THE WAY.
>> Meghan: YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> Oprah: SO, I WAS THERE ON THAT WEDDING DAY, AND I SO
RECALL THIS SENSE OF MAGIC.
I MEAN, I-- I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE IT.
AND WHEN YOU CAME THROUGH THAT DOOR, IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WERE,
LIKE, FLOATING DOWN THE AISLE.
WERE YOU EVEN INSIDE YOUR BODY AT THAT TIME?
>> Meghan: I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS A LOT, BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE
HAVING AN OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE THAT I WAS VERY PRESENT FOR.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT BECAUSE THE NIGHT
BEFORE, I SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT ENTIRELY-- WHICH, IN AND
OF ITSELF, IS A BIT OF A MIRACLE-- AND THEN WOKE UP AND
STARTED LISTENING TO THAT SONG, "GOING TO THE CHAPEL..."
>> Oprah: AH.
>> Meghan: ...AND JUST TRIED TO MAKE IT FUN AND LIGHT AND REMIND
OURSELVES THAT THIS WAS OUR DAY.
BUT I THINK WE WERE BOTH REALLY AWARE, EVEN IN ADVANCE OF THAT,
THIS-- THIS WASN'T OUR DAY.
THIS WAS THE DAY THAT WAS PLANNED FOR THE WORLD.
>> Oprah: EVERYBODY WHO GETS MARRIED KNOWS THAT YOU ARE
REALLY MARRYING THE FAMILY, TOO.
>> Meghan: MM.
>> Oprah: BUT YOU WEREN'T JUST MARRYING A FAMILY.
YOU WERE MARRYING A 1,200-YEAR-OLD INSTITUTION.
YOU WERE MARRYING THE MONARCHY.
WHAT DID YOU THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE?
>> Meghan: I WILL SAY, I WENT INTO IT NAIVELY...
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: ...BECAUSE I DIDN'T GROW UP KNOWING MUCH ABOUT THE
ROYAL FAMILY.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS PART OF CONVERSATION AT HOME.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WE FOLLOWED.
MY MOM EVEN SAID TO ME A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, SHE SAID, "DID-- DID
DIANA EVER DO AN INTERVIEW?" NOW, NOW, I CAN SAY, "YES, A
VERY FAMOUS ONE."
BUT MY MOM DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THAT, RIGHT?
>> Oprah: BUT YOU WERE CERTAINLY AWARE OF THE ROYALS.
>> Meghan: YEAH, OF COURSE.
>> Oprah: AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO MARRY A ROYAL, THEN YOU WOULD DO
RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN.
>> Meghan: WELL, I DIDN'T DO ANY RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD
MEAN.
>> Oprah: YOU DIDN'T DO ANY RESEARCH.
>> Meghan: NO.
I'VE NEVER LOOKED UP MY HUSBAND ONLINE.
I JUST DIDN'T FEEL A NEED TO BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT I NEEDED
TO KNOW HE WAS SHARING WITH ME, RIGHT?
OR EVERYTHING WE THOUGHT I NEEDED TO KNOW HE WAS TELLING
ME.
>> Oprah: SO, YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOURSELF OR
TALKING TO YOUR FRIENDS OR THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE,
WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO MARRY A PRINCE, WHO IS HARRY-- WHO YOU
HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH-- AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO BE A PART
OF THAT FAMILY?
YOU DIDN'T GIVE IT A LOT OF THOUGHT?
>> Meghan: NO.
WE THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
WHICH IS?
THAT'S WHAT-- THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET.
>> Meghan: YEAH, I DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE JOB WAS,
RIGHT?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A WORKING ROYAL?
WHAT DO YOU DO?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
I KNEW THAT HE AND I WERE VERY ALIGNED ON ALL OF OUR
CAUSE-DRIVEN WORK.
THAT WAS PART OF OUR INITIAL CONNECTION AND WHAT WE TALKED
ABOUT IN OUR-- THE BEGINNING OF OUR COURTSHIP.
BUT I THINK THERE WAS NO WAY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DAY-TO-DAY
WAS GOING TO BE LIKE.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: AND IT'S SO DIFFERENT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T
ROMANTICIZE ANY ELEMENT OF IT.
BUT I THINK AS AMERICANS, ESPECIALLY, WHAT DO YOU KNOW
ABOUT THE ROYALS?
IT'S WHAT YOU READ IN FAIRY TALES.
>> Oprah: RIGHT.
>> Meghan: YOU THINK IT'S WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ROYALS,
RIGHT?
>> Oprah: RIGHT.
>> Meghan: SO, IT'S EASY TO HAVE AN IMAGE OF IT THAT IS SO FAR
FROM-- FROM REALITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WAS REALLY TRICKY OVER THOSE PAST FEW
YEARS, IS WHEN THE PERCEPTION AND THE REALITY ARE TWO VERY
DIFFERENT THINGS, AND YOU'RE BEING JUDGED ON THE PERCEPTION
BUT YOU'RE LIVING THE REALITY OF IT.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: THERE'S A COMPLETE MISALIGNMENT, AND THERE'S NO WAY
TO EXPLAIN THAT TO PEOPLE.
>> Oprah: WELL, YOU KNOW, IN EVERY FAMILY, I THINK THINGS GET
SERIOUS WHEN YOU ARE BROUGHT IN TO MEET THE MOTHER OR THE
GRANDMOTHER.
>> Meghan: MM-HMM.
>> Oprah: AND IN EVERYBODY'S FAMILY WHO'S WATCHING RIGHT
NOW...
>> Meghan: YES.
>> Oprah: ...THE GRANDMOTHER IS THE MATRIARCH AND KNOWN IN MANY
FAMILIES AS "THE QUEEN."
>> Meghan: YEAH.
AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I MET.
>> Oprah: IN YOUR SITUATION, IT'S THE QUEEN.
>> Meghan: THE REAL QUEEN, YEAH.
>> Oprah: THE REAL QUEEN THAT YOU'RE-- YOU'RE MEETING.
AND WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
WERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT MAKING THE RIGHT IMPRESSION?
>> Meghan: THERE WASN'T ACTUALLY A HUGE FORMALITY THE FIRST TIME
I MET HER MAJESTY, THE QUEEN.
I-- WE WERE GOING TO LUNCH AT ROYAL LODGE, WHICH IS WHERE SOME
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY LIVE.
SPECIFICALLY, ANDREW AND FERGIE AND EUGENIE AND BEATRICE WOULD
SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE.
AND EUGENIE AND I HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER BEFORE I HAD KNOWN HARRY,
SO THAT WAS COMFORTABLE, AND WE WERE FRIENDS WITH THEM AS A
COUPLE.
AND THEN, IT TURNED OUT THE QUEEN WAS FINISHING A CHURCH
SERVICE THERE IN WINDSOR, AND SO SHE WAS GOING TO BE AT THE
HOUSE.
AND I REMEMBER HARRY AND I ARE IN THE CAR, AND HE SAYS, "OKAY,
WELL, MY-- MY GRANDMOTHER'S THERE, SO YOU'RE GOING TO MEET
HER."
I GO, "OH, GREAT.
I LOVE GRAND-- I LOVED MY GRANDMOTHER.
I USED TO TAKE CARE OF MY GRANDMOTHER.
THIS IS GREAT."
HE GOES, "RIGHT, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO CURTSY?"
"WHAT?" HE SAID, "DO YOU KNOW HOW TO
CURTSY?" NOW, I THOUGHT GENUINELY THAT
THAT WAS WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: I THOUGHT THAT WAS PART OF THE FANFARE OR--
>> Oprah: UH-HUH.
>> Meghan: I DIDN'T THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE.
AND I SAID, "BUT IT'S YOUR GRANDMOTHER."
HE GOES, "IT'S THE QUEEN."
>> Oprah: WOW.
>> Meghan: AND THAT WAS REALLY THE FIRST MOMENT THAT THE PENNY
DROPPED, THAT THIS WASN'T-- IT WAS EASY FOR ME UP UNTIL THEN
TO GO-- >> Oprah: SO, DID YOU GOOGLE HOW
TO CURTSY?
>> Meghan: NO, WE WERE IN THE CAR.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Meghan: WE WERE IN THE CAR.
WE'RE FIVE MINUTES FROM ARRIVING.
>> Oprah: HOW DOES ONE CURTSY?
YES.
>> Meghan: DEEPLY, TO SHOW RESPECT.
AND I LEARNED IT VERY QUICKLY, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
WE JUST PRACTICED AND THEN WALKED IN AND--
>> Oprah: YOU AND HARRY PRACTICED.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
AND FERGIE RAN OUT, AND SHE SAID, "ARE YOU READY?
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO CURTSY?" I SAID, "OH, MY GOODNESS, YOU
GUYS."
AND SO, I PRACTICED REALLY QUICKLY, AND WE WENT IN, AND I
MET HER.
AND, APPARENTLY, I-- I DID A VERY DEEP CURTSY...
>> Oprah: ( LAUGHS ) >> Meghan: ...AND I DON'T
REMEMBER IT.
AND THEN, WE JUST SAT THERE, AND WE CHATTED.
AND-- AND IT WAS LOVELY AND EASY AND-- AND I THINK, THANK GOD I
HADN'T KNOWN A LOT ABOUT THE FAMILY.
THANK GOD I HADN'T RESEARCHED.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN SO IN MY HEAD ABOUT ALL OF IT.
I WOULD HAVE HAD A-- >> Oprah: SO, YOU'RE-- YOU'RE--
BASICALLY, WHAT YOU'RE SHARING WITH US IS THAT YOU-- YOU WERE
NO MORE NERVOUS THAN THE REGULAR PERSON WHO GOES TO MEET
SOMEBODY'S GRANDMOTHER.
YOU WEREN'T THAT INTIMIDATED BECAUSE IT WAS THE QUEEN.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
I THINK IT'S-- I THINK IT'S TWO THINGS.
IT'S-- I HAD CONFUSED THE IDEA OF, WELL, I GREW UP IN L.A.
YOU SEE CELEBRITIES ALL THE TIME.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: THIS IS NOT THE SAME, RIGHT?
BUT IT'S VERY EASY, I THINK, ESPECIALLY AS AN AMERICAN, TO
GO, "OH, THESE ARE FAMOUS PEOPLE."
IT'S LIKE, "NO, THIS IS-- THIS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
BALLGAME."
>> Oprah: YEAH.
WERE YOU SILENT?
OR WERE YOU SILENCED?
HERE?
WHAT'S THE WORD?
>> Meghan: PEACE.
>> Oprah: PEACE.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: THE DAY AFTER OUR INTERVIEW, I STOPPED OVER TO
HARRY AND MEGHAN'S NEW HOME.
>> Meghan: HI, GUY.
>> Oprah: HI, GUY.
>> Meghan: YEAH, GUY'S BEEN-- GUY'S BEEN THROUGH EVERYTHING
WITH ME.
I MEAN-- >> Oprah: YEAH, HE-- FROM THE
BEGINNING.
FROM THE VERY FIRST DATE, YEAH.
>> Meghan: IF GUY-- I MEAN, I HAD HIM IN CANADA.
I GOT HIM FROM A KILL SHELTER IN KENTUCKY.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: HI, GIRLS!
>> Oprah: WE PUT ON OUR WELLIES TO FEED THE HENS MEGHAN AND
HARRY RECENTLY RESCUED FROM A FACTORY FARM.
I LOVE YOUR LITTLE DESIGNER HOUSE HERE.
"ARCHIE'S CHICK INN."
OH, HOW CUTE IS THAT?
>> Prince Harry: SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED CHICKENS.
>> Meghan: WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOVE RESCUING.
>> Oprah: SO, THIS IS A PART OF YOUR NEW LIFE.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
>> Meghan: WHOOP!
YOU'RE OKAY.
>> Oprah: WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT IN THE NEW LIFE?
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
HERE, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK.
>> Meghan: I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO LIVE AUTHENTICALLY.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: RIGHT?
LIKE THIS KIND OF STUFF.
IT'S SO-- IT'S SO BASIC, BUT IT'S REALLY FULFILLING, AND JUST
GETTING BACK DOWN TO BASICS.
I MEAN, I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT.
EVEN AT OUR WEDDING, YOU KNOW, THREE DAYS BEFORE OUR WEDDING,
WE GOT MARRIED.
>> Oprah: AH!
>> Meghan: NO ONE KNOWS THAT.
BUT WE CALLED THE ARCHBISHOP, AND WE JUST SAID, "LOOK, THIS
THING, THIS SPECTACLE IS FOR THE WORLD, BUT WE WANT OUR UNION
BETWEEN US."
SO, LIKE, THE VOWS THAT WE HAVE FRAMED IN OUR ROOM ARE JUST THE
TWO OF US IN OUR BACKYARD WITH THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
AND THAT WAS THE PIECE THAT-- >> Prince Harry: JUST THE THREE
OF US.
>> Oprah: REALLY.
>> Prince Harry: JUST THE THREE OF US.
>> Meghan: JUST THE THREE OF US.
>> Oprah: YOU KNOW, THE WEDDING WAS THE MOST PERFECT PICTURE,
YOU KNOW, ANYBODY'S EVER SEEN.
BUT THROUGH THAT PICTURE THAT WE WERE ALL SEEING, BEHIND THE
SCENES, OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS A LOT OF DRAMA GOING ON.
AND SOON AFTER YOUR MARRIAGE, THE TABLOIDS STARTED OFFERING
STORIES THAT PAINTED A NOT-SO- FLATTERING PICTURE OF YOU IN
YOUR NEW WORLD.
THERE WERE RUMORS ABOUT YOU BEING "HURRICANE MEGHAN."
>> Meghan: I HADN'T HEARD THAT.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
>> Oprah: SO, THERE WERE RUMORS ABOUT YOU BEING "HURRICANE
MEGHAN" FOR THE DEPARTURE OF SEVERAL HIGH-PROFILE PALACE
STAFF MEMBERS.
AND THERE WAS ALSO A STORY-- DID YOU HEAR THIS ONE-- ABOUT YOU
MAKING KATE MIDDLETON CRY?
>> Meghan: THIS I HEARD ABOUT.
>> Oprah: YOU HEARD ABOUT THAT.
OKAY.
>> Meghan: THIS WAS-- THAT WAS A-- THAT WAS A TURNING POINT.
>> Oprah: THAT WAS A TURNING POINT.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: SIX MONTHS AFTER HARRY AND MEGHAN'S WEDDING, HEADLINES
BEGAN TO SWIRL ABOUT A RIFT BETWEEN MEGHAN AND HER
SISTER-IN-LAW, THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE, KATE MIDDLETON.
IT WAS REPORTED THAT MEGHAN HAD LEFT KATE "IN TEARS" OVER THE
BRIDE-TO-BE'S "STRICT DEMANDS" OVER FLOWER GIRL DRESSES.
>> Meghan: THE NARRATIVE WITH-- WITH KATE-- WHICH DIDN'T
HAPPEN-- WAS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT AND SOMETHING THAT-- I
THINK THAT'S WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED, REALLY.
>> Oprah: YOU SAY THE NARRATIVE WITH KATE, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO, SPECIFICALLY, DID YOU MAKE KATE CRY?
>> Meghan: NO.
>> Oprah: SO, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
>> Meghan: ( SIGHS ) >> Oprah: WAS THERE A SITUATION
WHERE SHE MIGHT HAVE CRIED?
OR SHE COULD HAVE CRIED?
>> Meghan: NO, NO.
THE REVERSE HAPPENED.
AND I DON'T SAY THAT TO BE DISPARAGING TO ANYONE, BECAUSE
IT WAS A REALLY HARD WEEK OF THE WEDDING.
AND SHE WAS UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING, BUT SHE OWNED IT,
AND SHE APOLOGIZED.
AND SHE BROUGHT ME FLOWERS AND A NOTE, APOLOGIZING.
AND SHE DID WHAT I WOULD DO IF I KNEW THAT I HURT SOMEONE,
RIGHT, TO JUST TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR IT.
WHAT WAS SHOCKING WAS-- WHAT WAS THAT, SIX, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER
OUR WEDDING?
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: THAT THE REVERSE OF THAT WOULD BE OUT IN THE WORLD?
>> Oprah: THE STORY CAME OUT SIX, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER IT
ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: SO, WHEN YOU SAY-- >> Meghan: I WOULD HAVE NEVER
WANTED THAT TO COME OUT ABOUT HER EVER, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD
HAPPENED.
I PROTECTED THAT FROM EVER BEING OUT IN THE WORLD.
>> Oprah: SO, WHEN YOU SAY THE REVERSE HAPPENED, EXPLAIN TO US
WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT.
>> Meghan: A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING, SHE WAS UPSET ABOUT
SOMETHING PERTAINING-- YES, THE ISSUE WAS CORRECT-- ABOUT FLOWER
GIRL DRESSES, AND IT MADE ME CRY, AND IT REALLY HURT MY
FEELINGS.
AND I THOUGHT, IN THE CONTEXT OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS GOING
ON IN THOSE DAYS LEADING TO THE WEDDING, THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE
SENSE TO NOT BE JUST DOING WHATEVER-- WHAT EVERYONE ELSE
WAS DOING, WHICH WAS TRYING TO BE SUPPORTIVE, KNOWING WHAT
WAS GOING ON WITH MY DAD AND WHATNOT.
>> Oprah: THIS WAS A REALLY BIG STORY AT THE TIME, THAT YOU MADE
KATE CRY.
NOW YOU'RE SAYING YOU DIDN'T MAKE KATE CRY.
KATE MADE YOU CRY.
SO, WE ALL WANT TO KNOW, WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU CRY?
WHAT-- WHA-- WHAT WERE YOU GOING THROUGH-- YOU WERE GOING
THROUGH ALL OF THE ANXIETY THAT BRIDES GO THROUGH PUTTING THEIR
WEDDING TOGETHER AND GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE ISSUES WITH
YOUR FATHER: WAS HE COMING?
WAS HE NOT COMING?
>> Meghan: MM.
>> Oprah: AND THERE WAS A CONFRONTATION OVER THE-- THE
DRESSES.
>> Meghan: IT WASN'T A CONFRONTATION, AND I ACTUALLY
THINK IT'S-- I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO HER TO GET INTO THE
DETAILS OF THAT, BECAUSE SHE APOLOGIZED.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
>> Meghan: AND I'VE FORGIVEN HER, RIGHT?
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: WHAT WAS HARD TO GET OVER WAS BEING BLAMED FOR
SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY I DIDN'T DO BUT THAT HAPPENED TO ME.
AND-- AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE PART OF OUR WEDDING GOING TO
OUR COMS TEAM AND SAYING, "I KNOW THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN.
I DON'T HAVE TO TELL THEM WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED"--
>> Oprah: OKAY.
>> Meghan: --"BUT I CAN AT LEAST GO ON THE RECORD AND SAY SHE
DIDN'T MAKE HER CRY."
AND THEY WERE ALL TOLD THE SAME--
>> Oprah: SO, ALL THE TIME THE STORIES WERE OUT THAT YOU HAD
MADE KATE CRY, YOU KNEW ALL ALONG, AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU
KNEW THAT THAT WASN'T TRUE.
>> Meghan: EVERYONE IN THE INSTITUTION KNEW IT WASN'T TRUE.
>> Oprah: SO, WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY JUST SAY THAT?
>> Meghan: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
>> Oprah: HMM.
>> Meghan: I'M NOT SHARING THAT PIECE ABOUT KATE IN ANY WAY TO
BE DISPARAGING TO HER.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE
TRUTH.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: BUT ALSO I THINK A LOT OF IT THAT WAS FED INTO BY
THE MEDIA.
AND, LOOK, I-- I WOULD HOPE THAT SHE WOULD HAVE WANTED THAT
CORRECTED, AND MAYBE IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE PALACE WOULDN'T LET
ANYBODY ELSE-- >> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: --NEGATE IT, THEY WOULDN'T LET HER, BECAUSE SHE'S
A GOOD PERSON.
AND I THINK SO MUCH OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN PLAY OUT IS THIS IDEA
OF POLARITY, WHERE IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HATE HER.
AND IF YOU LOVE HER, YOU DON'T NEED TO HATE ME.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SEVERAL STORIES THAT COMPARED HEADLINES
WRITTEN ABOUT YOU TO THOSE WRITTEN ABOUT KATE.
>> Meghan: MM.
>> Oprah: SINCE YOU DON'T READ THINGS, LET ME JUST TELL YOU
WHAT WAS SAID.
>> Meghan: OKAY.
>> Oprah: THERE WERE STORIES WHERE KATE WAS BEING PRAISED FOR
HOLDING HER BABY BUMP.
>> Meghan: OH, GOSH, HAVE I DONE IT SINCE WE'VE BEEN SITTING
DOWN?
>> Oprah: YES, YOU-- YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT THE WHOLE TIME.
>> Meghan: PROBABLY.
OKAY.
>> Oprah: KATE WAS PRAISED FOR CRADLING HER BABY BUMP, AND THE
HEADLINE ABOUT YOU DOING THE SAME THING SAID, "MEGHAN CAN'T
KEEP HANDS OFF HER BABY BUMP FOR PRIDE OR VANITY."
>> Meghan: WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH PRIDE OR VANITY?
>> Oprah: WELL, I'M JUST-- I'M JUST TELLING YOU ABOUT THE
STORIES, OKAY?
>> Meghan: OKAY, I HEAR YOU.
>> Oprah: THEN, THERE WAS A WHOLE ONLINE PIECE ABOUT THIS:
KATE EATING AVOCADOS TO HELP WITH MORNING SICKNESS.
>> Meghan: ( LAUGHS ) I HEARD-- OKAY, I HEARD ABOUT
THE AVOCADO ONE.
>> Oprah: BUT YOU WERE EATING AVOCADOS--
>> Meghan: AND FUELING MURDER, APPARENTLY.
>> Oprah: --WOLFING DOWN A FRUIT LINKED TO WATER SHORTAGES,
ILLEGAL DEFORESTATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEVASTATION.
THERE WAS-- SEEMS-- THERE SEEMS TO BE-- THERE WAS A--
>> Meghan: THAT'S A REALLY LOADED PIECE OF TOAST.
( LAUGHTER ) I MEAN, CAN YOU EVEN-- YOU HAVE
TO LAUGH AT A CERTAIN POINT, BECAUSE IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS.
>> Oprah: THAT'S GOOD, "THAT'S A LOADED PIECE OF TOAST."
IT'S ABOUT DEFORESTATION AND-- >> Meghan: OH, MAN!
>> Oprah: OH, WOW.
SO, DO YOU THINK THERE WAS A STANDARD FOR KATE IN GENERAL AND
A SEPARATE ONE FOR YOU?
AND IF SO, WHY?
>> Meghan: I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I CAN SEE NOW WHAT LAYERS WERE AT PLAY THERE.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: AND, AGAIN, THEY REALLY SEEMED TO WANT A
NARRATIVE OF A HERO AND A VILLAIN.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
YOU CAME IN AS THE FIRST MIXED- RACE PERSON TO MARRY INTO THE
FAMILY, AND DID THAT CONCERN YOU IN BEING ABLE TO FIT IN?
AMERICAN.
YOU CAME IN AS AN ACTRESS.
YOU CAME IN AS A DIVORCEE.
YOU CAME IN AS AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN.
YOU CAME IN AS THE FIRST MIXED- RACE PERSON TO MARRY INTO THE
FAMILY.
AND YOURS WAS A DIFFERENT STORY.
>> Meghan: MM.
>> Oprah: AND DID THAT CONCERN YOU IN-- IN BEING ABLE TO FIT
IN?
DID-- DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AT ALL?
>> Meghan: WELL, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY MADE ME THINK
ABOUT IT.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: RIGHT?
BUT I THINK, AT THE SAME TIME NOW, UPON REFLECTION, THANK GOD
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE TRUE.
THANK GOD I HAD THAT LIFE EXPERIENCE.
THANK GOD I HAD KNOWN THE VALUE OF WORKING.
MY FIRST JOB WAS WHEN I WAS 13, AT A FROZEN YOGURT SHOP CALLED
HUMPHREY YOGART.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: I'VE ALWAYS WORKED.
I'VE ALWAYS VALUED INDEPENDENCE.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN OUTSPOKEN, ESPECIALLY ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE SAD IRONY OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS IS I'VE
ADVOCATED FOR SO LONG FOR WOMEN TO USE THEIR VOICE, AND THEN I
WAS SILENT.
>> Oprah: WERE YOU SILENT?
OR WERE YOU SILENCED?
>> Meghan: THE LATTER.
>> Oprah: SO, HOW DOES THAT WORK?
WERE YOU TOLD BY THE COMS PEOPLE OR THE-- I DON'T KNOW-- THE
INSTITUTION, THE-- WERE-- WERE YOU TOLD TO KEEP SILENT?
HOW WERE YOU TOLD TO HANDLE TABLOIDS OR GOSSIP?
WERE YOU-- WERE YOU TOLD TO SAY NOTHING?
>> Meghan: EVERYONE FROM-- EVERYONE IN MY WORLD WAS GIVEN
VERY CLEAR DIRECTIVE FROM THE MOMENT THE WORLD KNEW HARRY AND
I WERE DATING TO ALWAYS SAY "NO COMMENT."
THAT'S MY FRIENDS, MY MOM AND DAD.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: AND WE DID.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: I DID ANYTHING THEY TOLD ME TO DO.
OF COURSE I DID, BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO THROUGH THE LENS OF "AND
WE'LL PROTECT YOU."
SO, EVEN AS THINGS STARTED TO ROLL OUT IN THE MEDIA THAT I
DIDN'T SEE BUT MY FRIENDS WOULD CALL ME AND SAY, "MEG, THIS IS
REALLY BAD," BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT, I'D GO, "DON'T WORRY.
I'M BEING PROTECTED."
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: I BELIEVED THAT.
AND-- AND I THINK THAT WAS-- THAT WAS REALLY HARD TO
RECONCILE BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY-- IT WAS ONLY ONCE WE WERE MARRIED
AND EVERYTHING STARTED TO REALLY WORSEN THAT I CAME TO UNDERSTAND
THAT NOT ONLY WAS I NOT BEING PROTECTED BUT THAT THEY WERE
WILLING TO LIE TO PROTECT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY, BUT THEY
WEREN'T WILLING TO TELL THE TRUTH TO PROTECT ME AND MY
HUSBAND.
>> Oprah: SO, ARE YOU SAYING YOU DID NOT FEEL SUPPORTED BY THE
POWERS THAT BE, BE THAT THE FIRM, THE MONARCHY, ALL OF THEM?
>> Meghan: IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO DISTINGUISH THE TWO BECAUSE
THERE'S-- IT'S A FAMILY BUSINESS, RIGHT?
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: SO, THERE'S THE FAMILY, AND THEN THERE'S THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE RUNNING THE INSTITUTION.
THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO COMPARTMENTALIZE THAT, BECAUSE
THE QUEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS ALWAYS BEEN WONDERFUL TO ME.
I MEAN, WE HAD ONE OF OUR FIRST JOINT ENGAGEMENTS TOGETHER.
SHE ASKED ME TO JOIN HER, AND I REM--
>> Oprah: WAS THIS ON THE TRAIN?
>> Meghan: YEAH, ON THE TRAIN.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: AND WE HAD BREAKFAST TOGETHER THAT MORNING, AND SHE'D
GIVEN ME A BEAUTIFUL GIFT, AND I JUST REALLY LOVED BEING IN HER
COMPANY.
AND I REMEMBER WE WERE IN THE CAR--
>> Oprah: CAN YOU SHARE WHAT THE GIFT WAS, OR--
>> Meghan: YES.
SHE GAVE ME SOME BEAUTIFUL PEARL EARRINGS AND A MATCHING
NECKLACE.
AND WE WERE IN THE CAR GOING BETWEEN ENGAGEMENTS, AND SHE HAS
A BLANKET THAT SITS ACROSS HER-- HER KNEES FOR WARMTH.
AND IT WAS CHILLY, AND SHE WAS LIKE, "MEGHAN, COME ON," AND PUT
IT OVER MY KNEES, AS WELL.
>> Oprah: OH, NICE!
>> Meghan: RIGHT?
JUST MOMENTS OF-- AND IT MADE ME THINK OF MY GRANDMOTHER WHERE
SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN WARM AND INVITING AND-- AND REALLY
WELCOMING.
>> Oprah: SO, OKAY, SO SHE MADE YOU FEEL WELCOMED.
>> Meghan: YES.
>> Oprah: DID YOU FEEL WELCOMED BY EVERYONE?
IT SEEMED LIKE YOU AND KATE AT THE WIMBLEDON-- WIMBLEDON GAME
WHERE YOU WERE GOING TO WATCH A FRIEND PLAY TENNIS...
>> Meghan: ( LAUGHS ) >> Oprah: ...WAS IT WHAT IT
LOOKED LIKE?
YOU ARE TWO SISTERS-IN-LAW OUT THERE IN THE WORLD, GETTING TO
KNOW EACH OTHER.
WAS SHE HELPING YOU, EMBRACING YOU INTO THE FAMILY, HELPING YOU
ADJUST?
>> Meghan: I THINK EVERYONE WELCOMED ME.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: AND-- AND, YEAH, AND MO-- WHEN YOU SAY "WAS IT WHAT
IT LOOKED LIKE?" MY UNDERSTANDING AND MY EXPERIENCE
OF THE PAST FOUR YEARS IS IT'S NOTHING LIKE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S NOTHING LIKE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND I-- AND I REMEMBER SO OFTEN PEOPLE WITHIN THE FIRM WOULD
SAY, "WELL, YOU CAN'T DO THIS BECAUSE IT'LL LOOK LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN'T"-- SO, EVEN, "CAN I GO AND HAVE
LUNCH WITH MY FRIENDS?" "NO, NO, NO.
YOU'RE OVERSATURATED.
YOU'RE EVERYWHERE.
IT WOULD BE BEST FOR YOU TO NOT GO OUT TO LUNCH WITH YOUR
FRIENDS."
I GO, "WELL, I HAVEN'T-- I HAVEN'T LEFT THE HOUSE IN
MONTHS."
I MEAN, THERE WAS A DAY THAT ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY,
SHE CAME OVER, AND SHE SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST LAY LOW FOR
A LITTLE WHILE, BECAUSE YOU ARE EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW."
AND I SAID, "I'VE LEFT THE HOUSE TWICE IN FOUR MONTHS.
I'M EVERYWHERE, BUT I AM NOWHERE."
AND FROM THAT STANDPOINT, I CONTINUED TO SAY TO PEOPLE, "I
KNOW THERE'S AN OBSESSION WITH HOW THINGS LOOK, BUT HAS ANYONE
TALKED ABOUT HOW IT FEELS?
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I COULD NOT FEEL LONELIER."
>> Oprah: HMM.
YOU WERE FEELING LONELY, EVEN THOUGH YOUR-- YOUR PRINCE,
YOU'RE IN LOVE, YOU'RE WITH HIM.
>> Meghan: I'M NOT LONELY-- I WASN'T LONELY WITH HIM.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: THERE WERE MOMENTS THAT HE HAD TO WORK OR HE HAD TO
GO AWAY.
THERE'S-- THERE'S MOMENTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
AND SO, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE THAT I WAS ALLOWED TO DO.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: AND SO, YEAH, OF COURSE THAT BREEDS LONELINESS
WHEN YOU'VE COME FROM SUCH A FULL LIFE OR WHEN YOU'VE COME
FROM FREEDOM.
I-- I THINK THE EASIEST WAY THAT NOW PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND IT IS
WHAT WE'VE ALL GONE THROUGH IN LOCKDOWN.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
WELL, EVERYBODY CAN CERTAINLY RELATE NOW.
>> Meghan: IN THOSE MONTHS WHEN I WAS PREGNANT, ALL AROUND THIS
SAME TIME, SO WE HAVE IN TANDEM THE CONVERSATION OF "HE WON'T BE
GIVEN SECURITY.
HE'S NOT GOING TO BE GIVEN A TITLE," AND ALSO CONCERNS AND
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DARK HIS SKIN MIGHT BE WHEN HE'S BORN.
>> Oprah: WHAT?
ASKED IF I'M OKAY, BUT IT'S A VERY REAL THING TO BE GOING
THROUGH BEHIND THE SCENES.
>> AND THE ANSWER IS, WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY, "NOT REALLY
OKAY," AS IN IT'S REALLY BEEN A STRUGGLE?
>> Meghan: YES.
>> Oprah: WELL, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY, IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHEN THE
REPORTER STOPPED AND ASKED "ARE YOU OKAY..."
>> Meghan: MM.
>> Oprah: AND, WHOO, WE ALL FELT THAT.
WHY DID THAT QUESTION STRIKE SUCH A NERVE?
WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH YOU INTERNALLY AT THAT TIME?
>> Meghan: THAT WAS THE LAST DAY OF THE TOUR.
YOU KNOW, THOSE TOURS ARE-- I'M SURE THEY HAVE BEAUTIFUL
PICTURES AND IT LOOKS VIBRANT, AND ALL OF THAT IS TRUE.
IT'S ALSO REALLY EXHAUSTING.
SO, I WAS FRIED, AND I THINK IT JUST HIT ME SO HARD BECAUSE WE
WERE MAKING IT LOOK LIKE EVERYTHING WAS FINE.
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WERE REALLY SURPRISED TO SEE THAT
THERE WAS PAIN THERE...
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: ...BECAUSE WE WERE DOING OUR JOB.
OUR JOB WAS TO BE ON AND TO SMILE.
AND SO, WHEN HE ASKED ME THAT, I GUESS I HAD FELT THAT IT HAD
NEVER OCCURRED TO ANYONE THAT I-- THAT I WASN'T OKAY AND THAT
I HAD REALLY BEEN SUFFERING.
AND I HAD KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME AND HAD BEEN ASKING THE
INSTITUTION FOR HELP FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
>> Oprah: HELP FOR WHAT?
>> Meghan: AFTER WE HAD GOTTEN BACK FROM OUR AUSTRALIA TOUR--
WHICH WAS ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE THAT-- AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN
THINGS REALLY STARTED TO TURN, WHEN I KNEW WE WEREN'T BEING
PROTECTED.
AND IT WAS DURING THAT PART OF MY PREGNANCY, ESPECIALLY, THAT I
STARTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR CONTINUED REALITY WAS GOING TO
LOOK LIKE.
>> Oprah: WHAT KIND OF PROTECTION DID YOU WANT THAT YOU
FEEL YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE?
>> Meghan: I MEAN, THEY WOULD GO ON THE RECORD AND NEGATE THE
MOST RIDICULOUS STORY FOR ANYONE, RIGHT?
I'M TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE SUPER ARTIFICIAL AND
INCONSEQUENTIAL.
BUT THE NARRATIVE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING KATE CRY I THINK
WAS THE BEGINNING OF A REAL CHARACTER ASSASSINATION.
AND THEY KNEW IT WASN'T TRUE.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL, IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO KILL THINGS LIKE
THAT, THEN WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
SEPARATE FROM THAT, AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
WAS, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW I WAS PREGNANT.
WE NOW KNOW IT'S ARCHIE, AND IT WAS A BOY.
WE DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THAT AT THE TIME.
WE CAN JUST TALK ABOUT IT AS ARCHIE NOW.
AND THAT WAS WHEN THEY WERE SAYING THEY DIDN'T WANT HIM TO
BE A PRINCE OR A PRINCESS-- NOT KNOWING WHAT THE GENDER WOULD
BE, WHICH WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM PROTOCOL-- AND THAT HE
WASN'T GOING TO RECEIVE SECURITY.
>> Oprah: WHAT?
>> Meghan: IT WAS REALLY HARD.
>> Oprah: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> Meghan: HE WASN'T GOING TO RECEIVE SECURITY.
THIS WENT ON FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF OUR PREGNANCY WHERE
I'M GOING, "HOLD ON A SECOND."
>> Oprah: THAT YOUR SON AND HARRY-- PRINCE HARRY'S SON WAS
NOT GOING TO RECEIVE SECURITY?
>> Meghan: THAT'S RIGHT.
I KNOW.
>> Oprah: HOW-- BUT HOW DOES THAT WORK?
>> Meghan: HOW DOES THAT WORK?
IT'S LIKE, "NO, NO, NO, LOOK-- BECAUSE IF HE'S NOT GOING TO BE
A PRINCE," IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL, HE NEEDS TO BE SAFE, SO
WE'RE NOT SAYING "DON'T MAKE HIM A PRINCE OR A PRINCESS"--
WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO BE.
BUT IF YOU'RE SAYING THE TITLE IS WHAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR
PROTECTION, WE HAVEN'T CREATED THIS MONSTER MACHINE AROUND US
IN TERMS OF CLICKBAIT AND TABLOID FODDER.
YOU'VE ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN, WHICH MEANS OUR SON NEEDS TO BE
SAFE.
OUR-- >> Oprah: SO, HOW DO THEY
EXPLAIN TO YOU THAT YOUR SON, THE GRANDSON, THE GREAT-GRANDSON
OF THE QUEEN-- >> Meghan: MM-HMM.
>> Oprah: --IS NOT GOING TO HAVE-- HE WASN'T GOING TO BE A
PRINCE?
HOW DID THEY TELL YOU THAT?
AND WHAT REASONS DID THEY GIVE?
AND THEN SAY, "AND SO, THEREFORE, YOU'RE NOT-- YOU
DON'T NEED PROTECTION"?
>> Meghan: THERE'S-- THERE'S NO EXPLANATION.
>> Oprah: HMM.
>> Meghan: THERE'S NO VERSION-- I MEAN, THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE
OF THAT.
>> Oprah: WHO TELLS YOU THAT?
>> Meghan: I HEARD A LOT OF IT THROUGH HARRY AND THEN OTHER
PARTS OF IT THROUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH--
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: --FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND IT WAS A DECISION THAT THEY FELT WAS APPROPRIATE.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL-- >> Oprah: WAS THE TITLE-- WAS
HIM BEING CALLED A PRINCE, ARCHIE BEING CALLED A PRINCE,
WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?
>> Meghan: IF IT MEANT HE WAS GOING TO BE SAFE, THEN, OF
COURSE.
ALL THE GRANDEUR SURROUNDING THIS STUFF IS AN ATTACHMENT THAT
I DON'T PERSONALLY HAVE, RIGHT?
I'VE BEEN A WAITRESS, AN ACTRESS, A PRINCESS, A DUCHESS.
I'VE ALWAYS JUST STILL BEEN MEGHAN, RIGHT?
SO, FOR ME, I'M CLEAR ON WHO I AM, INDEPENDENT OF ALL THAT
STUFF.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT TITLE I WILL EVER HAVE IS "MOM."
I KNOW THAT.
BUT THE IDEA OF OUR SON NOT BEING SAFE, AND ALSO THE IDEA OF
THE FIRST MEMBER OF COLOR IN THIS FAMILY NOT BEING TITLED IN
THE SAME WAY THAT OTHER GRANDCHILDREN WOULD BE.
YOU KNOW, THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT CONVERSATION IS, THERE'S A
CONVENTION-- I FORGET IF IT WAS GEORGE V OR GEORGE VI
CONVENTION-- THAT WHEN YOU'RE THE GRANDCHILD OF THE MONARCH--
SO WHEN HARRY'S DAD BECOMES KING-- AUTOMATICALLY ARCHIE AND
OUR NEXT BABY WOULD BECOME PRINCE OR PRINCESS, OR WHATEVER
THEY WERE GOING TO BE.
>> Oprah: SO, FOR YOU, IT'S ABOUT PROTECTION AND SAFETY, NOT
SO MUCH AS WHAT THE-- WHAT THE TITLE MEANS TO THE WORLD.
>> Meghan: THAT'S A HUGE PIECE OF IT, BUT, I MEAN, BUT--
>> Oprah: AND THAT HAVING THE TITLE GIVES YOU THE SAFETY AND
PROTECTION.
>> Meghan: YEAH, BUT ALSO IT'S NOT THEIR RIGHT TO TAKE IT AWAY.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: RIGHT?
AND SO, I THINK EVEN WITH THAT CONVENTION I'M TALKING ABOUT,
WHILE I WAS PREGNANT, THEY SAID THEY WANT TO CHANGE THE
CONVENTION FOR ARCHIE.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: WELL, WHY?
>> Oprah: DID YOU GET AN ANSWER?
>> Meghan: NO.
>> Oprah: YOU STILL DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER?
>> Meghan: NO.
>> Oprah: YOU KNOW, WE HAD HEARD-- THE WORLD, THOSE OF US
OUT HERE READING THE THINGS OR HEARING THE THINGS-- THAT IT WAS
YOU AND HARRY WHO DIDN'T WANT ARCHIE TO HAVE A PRINCE TITLE.
SO, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT IS NOT TRUE?
>> Meghan: NO, AND IT'S NOT OUR DECISION TO MAKE, RIGHT?
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: I-- EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A LOT OF CLARITY ON WHAT
COMES WITH THE TITLES, GOOD AND BAD-- AND, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, A
LOT OF PAIN-- >> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: --I, AGAIN, WOULDN'T WISH PAIN ON MY CHILD, BUT THAT
IS THEIR BIRTHRIGHT TO THEN MAKE A CHOICE ABOUT.
>> Oprah: OKAY, SO IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE
WHEN YOU AND HARRY DECIDED THAT YOU WERE NOT GOING TO TAKE THE
PICTURE THAT HAD BEEN A PART OF THE TRADITION FOR YEARS AND--
>> Meghan: WE WEREN'T ASKED TO TAKE A PICTURE.
THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE SPIN THAT WAS REALLY DAMAGING.
I THOUGHT, CAN YOU JUST TELL THEM THE TRUTH?
CAN YOU SAY TO THE WORLD YOU'RE NOT GIVING HIM A TITLE, AND WE
WANT TO KEEP HIM SAFE, AND THAT IF HE'S NOT A PRINCE, THEN IT'S
NOT PART OF THE TRADITION?
JUST TELL PEOPLE, AND THEN THEY'LL UNDERSTAND.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT.
>> Oprah: BUT YOU WERE-- YOU BOTH, OBVIOUSLY, WERE AWARE THAT
THAT HAD BEEN A PART OF THE TRADITION.
AND THERE WAS A-- WAS THERE A SPECIFIC REASON WHY YOU DIDN'T
WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT TRADITION?
I THINK MANY PEOPLE INTERPRETED THAT AS YOU WERE BOTH SAYING,
"WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS OUR WAY.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY."
>> Meghan: THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL.
I MEAN, I THINK WHAT WAS REALLY HARD-- SO, PICTURE, NOW THAT YOU
KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES, RIGHT?
THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR SURROUNDING IT.
I WAS VERY SCARED OF HAVING TO OFFER UP OUR BABY, KNOWING THAT
THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BE KEPT SAFE.
>> Oprah: MM.
YOU CERTAINLY MUST HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH HARRY ABOUT
IT AND HAVE YOUR OWN SUSPICIONS AS TO WHY THEY DIDN'T WANT TO
MAKE ARCHIE A PRINCE.
WHAT ARE-- WHAT ARE THOSE THOUGHTS?
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
DO YOU THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF HIS RACE?
>> Meghan: ( SIGHS ) >> Oprah: AND I KNOW THAT'S A
LOADED QUESTION, BUT...
>> Meghan: BUT I CAN GIVE YOU AN HONEST ANSWER.
IN THOSE MONTHS WHEN I WAS PREGNANT, ALL AROUND THIS SAME
TIME-- SO WE HAVE IN TANDEM THE CONVERSATION OF "HE WON'T BE
GIVEN SECURITY, HE'S NOT GOING TO BE GIVEN A TITLE," AND ALSO
CONCERNS AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DARK HIS SKIN MIGHT BE WHEN
HE'S BORN.
>> Oprah: WHAT?
>> Meghan: AND-- >> Oprah: WHO-- WHO IS HAVING
THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU?
WHAT?
>> Meghan: SO-- >> Oprah: THERE IS A
CONVERSATION-- HOLD ON.
HOLD UP.
STOP RIGHT NOW.
>> Meghan: THERE WERE-- THERE WERE SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT IT.
>> Oprah: THERE'S A CONVERSATION WITH YOU--
>> Meghan: WITH HARRY.
>> Oprah: --ABOUT HOW DARK YOUR BABY IS GOING TO BE?
>> Meghan: POTENTIALLY, AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN OR LOOK LIKE.
>> Oprah: WHOO.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TELL ME WHO HAD THE CONVERSATION?
>> Meghan: I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY DAMAGING TO THEM.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
SO, HOW-- HOW DOES ONE HAVE THAT MEETING?
( CHUCKLES ) >> Meghan: THAT WAS RELAYED TO
ME FROM HARRY.
THOSE WERE CONVERSATIONS THAT FAMILY HAD WITH HIM.
AND I THINK-- >> Oprah: WHOA.
>> Meghan: --IT WAS REALLY HARD TO BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE AS
COMPARTMENTALIZED CONVERSATIONS.
>> Oprah: BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT IF HE WERE TOO
BROWN, THAT THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM?
ARE YOU SAYING THAT?
>> Meghan: I WASN'T ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH WHY, BUT THAT--
IF THAT'S THE ASSUMPTION YOU'RE MAKING, I THINK THAT FEELS LIKE
A PRETTY SAFE ONE, WHICH WAS REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND,
RIGHT?
ESPECIALLY WHEN-- LOOK, I-- THE COMMONWEALTH IS A HUGE PART OF
THE MONARCHY, AND I LIVED IN CANADA, WHICH IS A COMMONWEALTH
COUNTRY, FOR SEVEN YEARS.
BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL HARRY AND I WERE TOGETHER THAT WE STARTED TO
TRAVEL THROUGH THE COMMONWEALTH, I WOULD SAY 60%, 70% OF WHICH IS
PEOPLE OF COLOR, RIGHT?
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: AND GROWING UP AS A WOMAN OF COLOR, AS A LITTLE GIRL
OF COLOR, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT REPRESENTATION IS.
I KNOW HOW YOU WANT TO SEE SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU IN
CERTAIN POSITIONS.
>> Oprah: OBVIOUSLY.
>> Meghan: EVEN-- EVEN ARCHIE.
LIKE, WE READ THESE BOOKS, AND NOW HE'S BEEN-- THERE'S ONE LINE
IN ONE THAT GOES, "IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN BE IT."
AND HE GOES, "YOU CAN BE IT!" AND I THINK ABOUT THAT SO OFTEN,
ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THESE YOUNG GIRLS, BUT EVEN
GROWN WOMEN AND MEN WHO WHEN I WOULD MEET THEM IN OUR TIME IN
THE COMMONWEALTH, HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO THEM TO BE ABLE TO SEE
SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE THEM...
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: ...IN THIS POSITION.
AND I COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW IT WOULDN'T BE SEEN AS AN ADDED
BENEFIT...
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: ...AND A REFLECTION OF THE WORLD TODAY.
AT ALL TIMES, BUT ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, TO GO-- HOW INCLUSIVE
IS THAT, THAT YOU CAN SEE SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU IN
THIS FAMILY, MUCH LESS ONE WHO'S BORN INTO IT?
>> Oprah: WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON?
"ALMOST UNSURVIVABLE" SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS A BREAKING POINT.
>> Meghan: I JUST DIDN'T SEE A SOLUTION.
ROYAL FAMILY IN 2018, SHE BECAME THE TARGET OF UNRELENTING,
PERVASIVE ATTACKS.
>> RACIST ABUSE ONLINE AIMED AT MEGHAN MARKLE.
>> THERE WERE UNDENIABLE RACIST OVERTONES.
THIS STANDS APART FROM THE KIND OF COVERAGE WE'VE SEEN OF ANY
OTHER ROYAL.
>> Oprah: THERE WAS CONSTANT CRITICISM, BLATANT SEXIST AND
RACIST REMARKS BY BRITISH TABLOIDS AND INTERNET TROLLS.
>> WE HAVE SEEN THE RACISM TOWARDS HER PLAY OUT IN REAL
TIME.
>> REFERRING TO HER AS "STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON."
>> Oprah: THE DAILY ONSLAUGHT OF VITRIOL AND CONDEMNATION FROM
THE U.K. PRESS BECAME OVERWHELMING AND, IN MEGHAN'S
WORDS, "ALMOST UNSURVIVABLE."
YOU'D SAID IN A PODCAST THAT IT BECAME "ALMOST UNSURVIVABLE,"
AND THAT STRUCK ME, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE IN SOME
KIND OF MENTAL TROUBLE.
WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON?
"ALMOST UNSURVIVABLE" SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS A BREAKING POINT.
>> Meghan: YEAH, THERE WAS.
I JUST DIDN'T SEE A SOLUTION.
I WOULD SIT UP AT NIGHT, AND I WAS JUST, LIKE, I DON'T
UNDERSTAND HOW ALL OF THIS IS BEING CHURNED OUT.
AND, AGAIN, I WASN'T SEEING IT, BUT IT'S ALMOST WORSE WHEN YOU
FEEL IT THROUGH THE EXPRESSION OF MY MOM OR MY FRIENDS, OR THEM
CALLING ME CRYING, JUST, LIKE, "MEG, THEY'RE NOT PROTECTING
YOU."
AND I REALIZED THAT IT WAS ALL HAPPENING JUST BECAUSE I WAS
BREATHING.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: AND, LOOK, I WAS REALLY ASHAMED TO SAY IT AT THE
TIME AND ASHAMED TO HAVE TO ADMIT IT TO HARRY, ESPECIALLY,
BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH LOSS HE'S SUFFERED.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: BUT I KNEW THAT IF I DIDN'T SAY IT, THAT I WOULD
DO IT.
AND I-- I JUST DIDN'T-- I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALIVE ANYMORE.
AND THAT WAS A VERY CLEAR AND REAL AND FRIGHTENING CONSTANT
THOUGHT.
AND I REMEMBER-- I REMEMBER HOW HE JUST CRADLED ME.
AND I WAS-- I WENT TO THE INSTITUTION, AND I SAID THAT I
NEEDED TO GO SOMEWHERE TO GET HELP.
I SAID THAT "I'VE NEVER FELT THIS WAY BEFORE, AND I NEED TO
GO SOMEWHERE."
AND I WAS TOLD THAT I COULDN'T, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE GOOD FOR THE
INSTITUTION.
AND I CALLED-- >> Oprah: SO, THE INSTITUTION IS
NEVER A PERSON.
OR IS IT A SERIES OF PEOPLE?
>> Meghan: NO, IT'S A PERSON.
>> Oprah: IT'S A PERSON.
>> Meghan: IT'S SEVERAL PEOPLE.
BUT I WENT TO ONE OF THE MOST SENIOR PEOPLE JUST TO-- TO GET
HELP.
AND THAT-- YOU KNOW, I-- I SHARE THIS, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY
PEOPLE WHO ARE AFRAID TO VOICE THAT THEY NEED HELP.
AND I KNOW, PERSONALLY, HOW HARD IT IS TO NOT JUST VOICE IT, BUT
WHEN YOU VOICE IT, TO BE TOLD NO.
>> Oprah: WHOO.
>> Meghan: AND SO, I WENT TO HUMAN RESOURCES, AND I SAID,
"I JUST REALLY-- I NEED HELP."
BECAUSE IN MY OLD JOB, THERE WAS A UNION, AND THEY WOULD PROTECT
ME.
AND I REMEMBER THIS CONVERSATION LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY, BECAUSE
THEY SAID, "MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU, BECAUSE I SEE HOW BAD IT
IS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO PROTECT YOU, BECAUSE
YOU'RE NOT A PAID EMPLOYEE OF THE INSTITUTION."
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: THIS WASN'T A CHOICE.
THIS WAS EMAILS AND BEGGING FOR HELP, SAYING VERY SPECIFICALLY,
"I AM CONCERNED FOR MY MENTAL WELFARE."
AND PEOPLE GOING, "OH, YES, YES, IT'S DISPROPORTIONATELY TERRIBLE
WHAT WE SEE OUT THERE TO ANYONE ELSE."
BUT NOTHING WAS EVER DONE, SO WE HAD TO FIND A SOLUTION.
>> Oprah: WOW!
"I DON'T WANT TO BE ALIVE ANYMORE," THAT'S-- THAT'S--
>> Meghan: I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE SOLVED EVERYTHING FOR
EVERYONE, RIGHT?
>> Oprah: SO, WERE YOU THINKING OF HARMING YOURSELF?
WERE YOU HAVING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS?
>> Meghan: YES.
THIS WAS VERY, VERY CLEAR.
>> Oprah: WOW.
>> Meghan: VERY CLEAR AND VERY SCARY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO EVEN TURN TO IN THAT.
AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I REACHED OUT TO, WHO'S CONTINUED
TO BE A FRIEND AND CONFIDANT, WAS ONE OF MY HUSBAND'S MOM'S
BEST FRIENDS, ONE OF DIANA'S BEST FRIENDS.
BECAUSE IT'S, LIKE, WHO ELSE COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT'S-- WHAT
IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE ON THE INSIDE?
>> Oprah: DID YOU EVER THINK ABOUT GOING TO A HOSPITAL?
OR IS THAT POSSIBLE, THAT YOU CAN CHECK YOURSELF IN SOMEPLACE?
>> Meghan: NO, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING TO DO.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT.
I COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, CALL AN UBER TO THE PALACE.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: YOU COULDN'T JUST GO.
YOU COULDN'T.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, AS WELL, WHEN I JOINED THAT
FAMILY, THAT WAS THE LAST TIME, UNTIL WE CAME HERE, THAT I SAW
MY PASSPORT, MY DRIVER'S LICENSE, MY KEYS.
ALL THAT GETS TURNED OVER.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THAT ANYMORE.
>> Oprah: WELL, THE WAY YOU'RE DESCRIBING THIS, IT-- IT'S LIKE
YOU WERE TRAPPED AND COULDN'T GET HELP, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE ON
THE VERGE OF SUICIDE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE DESCRIBING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
>> Meghan: YES.
>> Oprah: AND THAT WOULD BE AN ACCURATE INTERPRETATION, YES?
>> Meghan: THAT'S THE TRUTH.
>> Oprah: THAT'S THE TRUTH.
>> Meghan: YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT-- IT WAS ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT-- IT STILLS HAUNTS ME IS THIS PHOTOGRAPH THAT
SOMEONE HAD SENT ME.
WE HAD TO GO TO AN OFFICIAL EVENT.
WE HAD TO GO TO THIS EVENT AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL, AND
A FRIEND SAID, "I KNOW YOU DON'T LOOK AT PICTURES, BUT, OH, MY
GOD, YOU GUYS LOOK SO GREAT..."
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: ...AND SENT IT TO ME.
AND I ZOOMED IN, AND WHAT I SAW WAS THE TRUTH OF WHAT THAT
MOMENT WAS, BECAUSE RIGHT BEFORE WE HAD TO LEAVE FOR THAT, I HAD
JUST HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH HARRY THAT MORNING, AND IT WAS
THE NEXT DAY THAT I TALKED TO THE INSTITUTION.
>> Oprah: YOU HAD THE CONVERSATION "I DON'T WANT TO BE
ALIVE ANYMORE"?
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: WHOO.
>> Meghan: NO, AND IT WAS-- IT WASN'T EVEN "I DON'T WANT TO."
>> Oprah: AND THEN, YOU-- >> Meghan: IT WAS LIKE, "THESE
ARE THE THOUGHTS THAT I'M HAVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THAT
ARE VERY CLEAR..."
>> Oprah: YES, CLARIFICATION.
>> Meghan: "...AND I'M SCARED, BECAUSE THIS IS VERY REAL.
THIS ISN'T SOME ABSTRACT IDEA.
THIS IS METHODICAL, AND THIS IS NOT WHO I AM."
BUT WE HAD TO GO TO THIS EVENT, AND I REMEMBER HIM SAYING, "I
DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO."
AND I SAID, "I CAN'T BE LEFT ALONE."
>> Oprah: BECAUSE YOU WERE AFRAID OF WHAT YOU MIGHT DO TO
YOURSELF?
>> Meghan: AND WE WENT, AND THAT--
>> Oprah: I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT.
>> Meghan: AND THAT PICTURE, IF YOU ZOOM IN, WHAT I SEE IS HOW
TIGHTLY HIS KNUCKLES ARE GRIPPED AROUND MINE.
YOU CAN SEE THE WHITES OF OUR KNUCKLES, BECAUSE WE ARE SMILING
AND DOING OUR JOB, BUT WE'RE BOTH JUST TRYING TO HOLD ON.
AND EVERY TIME THAT THOSE LIGHTS WENT DOWN IN THAT ROYAL BOX, I
WAS JUST WEEPING, AND HE WAS GRIPPING MY HAND.
>> Oprah: WOW.
>> Meghan: AND THEN, IT WAS, "OKAY, INTERMISSION'S COMING,
THE LIGHTS ARE ABOUT TO COME ON, EVERYONE'S LOOKING AT US AGAIN,"
AND YOU HAVE TO JUST BE ON AGAIN.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: AND THAT'S, I THINK, SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO
REMEMBER IS YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON FOR SOMEONE
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT SMILE THE BIGGEST SMILES AND SHINE THE
BRIGHTEST LIGHTS, IT SEEMS, TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR WHAT'S
ACTUALLY POTENTIALLY GOING ON.
>> Oprah: I KNOW.
THE PUBLIC IS LOOKING AT YOU.
AND TO THINK THAT YOU, EARLIER IN THE DAY, HAD SAID TO HARRY
THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALIVE ANYMORE.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
AND JUST HOURS BEFORE, JUST SITTING ON THE-- THE STEPS IN
OUR COTTAGE...
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: ...JUST SITTING THERE AND-- AND THEN GOING, OKAY,
WELL, GO UPSTAIRS AND PUT YOUR MAKEUP BAG IN YOUR SINK AND TRY
TO PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER.
>> Oprah: NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, HARRY AND I ARE WORKING ON THIS MENTAL HEALTH
SERIES FOR APPLE, AND WE-- YES, SO, WE-- WE-- WE HEAR A LOT OF
THESE STORIES.
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.
>> Meghan: IT TAKES SO MUCH COURAGE TO ADMIT THAT YOU NEED
HELP.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: IT TAKES SO MUCH COURAGE TO VOICE THAT.
AND AS I SAID, I WAS ASHAMED.
I'M SUPPOSED TO BE STRONGER THAN THAT.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: I DON'T WANT TO PUT MORE ON MY HUSBAND'S SHOULDERS.
HE'S CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD.
I DON'T WANT TO BRING THAT TO HIM.
I BRING SOLUTIONS.
TO ADMIT THAT YOU NEED HELP, TO ADMIT HOW DARK OF A PLACE YOU'RE
IN.
>> Oprah: MM.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PALACE HEARING YOU SPEAK YOUR TRUTH
TODAY?
ARE YOU AFRAID OF-- OF A BACKLASH OR THEIR REACTION?
>> Oprah: YOU'VE SAID SOME PRETTY SHOCKING THINGS HERE,
REVEALING-- >> Meghan: I WASN'T PLANNING TO
SAY ANYTHING SHOCKING.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
>> Meghan: I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT'S HAPPENED.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
>> Meghan: I'M SORRY IF IT'S SHOCKED YOU!
IT'S BEEN A LOT!
>> Oprah: I'M A LITTLE SHOCKED.
>> Meghan: IT'S BEEN A LOT.
>> Oprah: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PALACE HEARING YOU SPEAK
YOUR TRUTH TODAY?
ARE YOU AFRAID OF-- OF A BACKLASH OR-- OR THEIR REACTION?
>> Meghan: I MEAN, I THINK I'M NOT GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE IN
FEAR.
YOU KNOW, I THINK SO MUCH OF IT IS SAID WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF
JUST TRUTH.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: BUT I THINK, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I DON'T
KNOW HOW THEY COULD EXPECT THAT AFTER ALL OF THIS TIME, WE WOULD
STILL JUST BE SILENT IF THERE IS AN ACTIVE ROLE THAT THE FIRM IS
PLAYING IN PERPETUATING FALSEHOODS ABOUT US.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: THAT AT A CERTAIN POINT, YOU'RE GOING TO GO, "BUT,
YOU GUYS, SOMEONE JUST TELL THE TRUTH."
AND IF THAT COMES WITH RISK OF LOSING THINGS, I MEAN, I'VE--
I'VE LOST-- THERE'S A LOT THAT'S BEEN LOST ALREADY.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: AND I GRIEVE A LOT.
I MEAN, I'VE LOST MY FATHER.
I LOST A BABY.
I NEARLY LOST MY NAME.
I MEAN, THERE'S THE LOSS OF IDENTITY.
BUT I'M STILL STANDING, AND MY HOPE FOR PEOPLE IN THE TAKEAWAY
FROM THIS IS TO KNOW THAT THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: TO KNOW THAT LIFE IS WORTH LIVING.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
I'M SO GLAD YOU SEE THAT NOW.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK, Y'ALL, AND HARRY'S GOING TO
JOIN US.
>> Meghan: ( LAUGHTER ) >> Oprah: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK
WITH HARRY.
SO, WHEN I ASK THE QUESTION, "WHY DID YOU LEAVE?" THE
SIMPLEST ANSWER IS?
DID YOU BLINDSIDE THE QUEEN?
>> Oprah: SO, HI.
>> Prince Harry: HELLO.
>> Oprah: THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> Prince Harry: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Oprah: YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING ON THE SIDE?
YEAH?
>> Prince Harry: SOME OF IT.
>> Oprah: YES.
I WANT TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S SAY CONGRATULATIONS...
>> Prince Harry: THANK YOU.
>> Oprah: ...FOR THE NEW ADDITION TO YOUR FAMILY.
MEGHAN SAID SHE WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL YOU WERE HERE TO TELL US,
IS IT A BOY OR IS IT A GIRL?
>> Meghan: YOU CAN TELL HER.
>> Prince Harry: NO, GO FOR IT.
>> Meghan: NO, NO.
>> Prince Harry: IT'S A GIRL.
>> Oprah: ( SQUEALS ) >> Meghan: IT'S A GIRL.
>> Prince Harry: YES!
>> Oprah: YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A DAUGHTER.
WOW.
>> Meghan: IT'S A GIRL.
>> Oprah: WHEN YOU REALIZED THAT AND SAW IT ON THE ULTRASOUND,
WHAT-- WHAT-- WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST THOUGHT?
>> Prince Harry: AMAZING.
JUST GRATEFUL, LIKE ANY-- TO HAVE ANY CHILD, ANY ONE OR ANY
TWO WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZING.
BUT TO HAVE A BOY AND THEN A GIRL, YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE CAN
YOU ASK FOR?
BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, NOW WE-- WE'VE GOT OUR FAMILY.
WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR OF US AND OUR TWO DOGS, AND IT'S
GREAT.
>> Oprah: DONE.
DONE?
TWO IS IT?
>> Prince Harry: DONE.
>> Meghan: TWO IS IT.
>> Oprah: TWO IS IT.
>> Meghan: TWO IS IT.
>> Oprah: AND WHEN'S THE BABY DUE?
>> Meghan: IN SUMMERTIME.
>> Oprah: THIS SUMMERTIME?
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: SO, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN LIVING IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA NOW
FOR-- >> Meghan: SINCE MARCH.
>> Oprah: SINCE MARCH, OKAY.
IN LATE 2019, PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN LEFT THE U.K. AND MOVED
TO CANADA.
THE COUPLE SAYS THEY CHOSE CANADA, A COMMONWEALTH OF
BRITAIN, WITH THE INTENTION OF CONTINUING TO SERVE THE QUEEN.
AFTER THEIR MOVE, HARRY AND MEGHAN SAY SECURITY NORMALLY
PROVIDED BY THE ROYAL FAMILY WAS CUT OFF.
BY MARCH 2020, JUST DAYS BEFORE THE COVID LOCKDOWN BEGAN,
MEGHAN, HARRY, AND ARCHIE RELOCATED TO LOS ANGELES WHERE
MEDIA MOGUL TYLER PERRY OFFERED THEM HIS HOME AS A TEMPORARY
REFUGE.
HE ALSO PROVIDED SECURITY.
THREE MONTHS LATER, THEY BOUGHT THEIR OWN HOME AND SETTLED IN
THE SANTA BARBARA AREA.
LAST SPRING, THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX CREATED THEIR
OWN FOUNDATION AND MEDIA CONTENT COMPANY CALLED ARCHEWELL.
AND SO, YOU STAYED AT TYLER PERRY'S HOUSE FOR SEVERAL
MONTHS.
>> Prince Harry: THREE MONTHS, I BELIEVE.
>> Meghan: YEAH, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN.
WE NEEDED-- WE NEEDED A HOUSE, AND HE OFFERED SECURITY, AS
WELL, SO IT GAVE US BREATHING ROOM TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
WE ARE GOING TO DO.
>> Prince Harry: THE BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT WHILE WE WERE
IN CANADA, IN SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE, I THEN GOT TOLD SHORT
NOTICE THAT SECURITY WAS GOING TO BE REMOVED.
BY THIS POINT, COURTESY OF "THE DAILY MAIL," THE WORLD KNEW
EXACT-- OUR EXACT LOCATION.
SO, SUDDENLY, IT DAWNED ON ME, HANG ON A SECOND.
THE BORDERS COULD BE CLOSED.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR SECURITY REMOVED.
WHO KNOWS HOW LONG LOCKDOWN'S GOING TO BE?
THE WORLD KNOWS WHERE WE ARE.
IT'S NOT SAFE.
IT'S NOT SECURE.
>> Meghan: WELL, AND ALSO-- >> Prince Harry: WE PROBABLY
NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE.
>> Oprah: SO, WHAT SECURITY DID YOU HAVE AT THE TIME THAT WAS
GOING TO BE REMOVED?
>> Prince Harry: WE HAD OUR U.K.
SECURITY.
>> Oprah: SO, YOU GOT WORD FROM OVERSEAS--
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
>> Oprah: --THAT "WE'RE TAKING AWAY YOUR SECURITY."
WHY WERE THEY DOING THAT?
>> Prince Harry: THEIR JUSTIFICATION IS A CHANGE IN
STATUS, OF WHICH I PUSHED BACK AND SAID, "WELL, IS THERE A
CHANGE OF THREAT OR RISK?" AND AFTER MANY WEEKS OF WAITING,
EVENTUALLY, I GOT THE CONFIRMATION THAT, NO, THE RISK
AND THREAT HASN'T CHANGED, BUT DUE TO OUR CHANGE OF STATUS,
WHICH WE WOULD NO LONGER BE AN OFFICIAL WORKING MEMBERS OF THE
ROYAL FAMILY, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY-- WHAT WE PROPOSED WAS
SORT OF PART-TIME, OR AT LEAST AS MUCH AS WE COULD DO WITHOUT
BEING FULLY CONSUMED BECAUSE OF, I THINK, WHAT MOST OF YOU GUYS
HAVE COVERED ALREADY.
>> Meghan: WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THAT.
IT'S BEEN SO SPUN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AS THOUGH WE QUIT, WE
WALKED AWAY, WE-- ALL THE CONVERSATIONS OF THE TWO YEARS
BEFORE WE FINALLY ANNOUNCED IT.
>> Oprah: IN JANUARY 2020, PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN
ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD STEP BACK AS SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL
FAMILY.
>> THE SWIFTNESS WITH WHICH THEY'VE TAKEN THIS DECISION,
ONLY 18 MONTHS AFTER THEY GOT MARRIED, HAS TAKEN EVERYONE BY
SURPRISE, FROM THE QUEEN ALL THE WAY DOWN.
>> Oprah: THE BOMBSHELL NEWS SPARKED A WORLDWIDE MEDIA FRENZY
DUBBED "MEGXIT" BY THE BRITISH PRESS.
MANY REPORTERS AND VIRAL POSTS BLAMED MEGHAN FOR THE DECISION.
>> MEGHAN KNEW WHAT SHE WAS SIGNING UP FOR.
>> SHE'S BEING EVISCERATED.
>> HARRY, HOW ARE THE DISCUSSIONS GOING ON YOUR
FUTURE?
>> Oprah: IN AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT, QUEEN ELIZABETH SAID,
"ALTHOUGH WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THEM TO REMAIN
FULL-TIME WORKING MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, WE RESPECT AND
UNDERSTAND THEIR WISH TO LIVE A MORE INDEPENDENT LIFE AS A
FAMILY WHILE REMAINING A VALUED PART OF MY FAMILY."
OKAY, LET ME ASK THE QUESTION.
>> Meghan: YEAH?
>> Oprah: SO, OVER A YEAR AGO, YOU SHOCKED THE WORLD.
YOU ANNOUNCED THAT YOU WERE STEPPING BACK AS SENIOR MEMBERS
OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.
AND THEN THE MEDIA REPORTED THAT YOU HAD "BLINDSIDED" THE
QUEEN, YOUR GRANDMOTHER.
SO, HERE'S A TIME TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
WHAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT THAT MADE YOU DECIDE YOU HAD TO
LEAVE?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, IT WAS DESPERATE.
I WENT TO ALL THE PLACES WHICH I THOUGHT I SHOULD GO TO, TO ASK
FOR HELP.
WE BOTH DID...
>> Meghan: MM-HMM.
>> Prince Harry: ...SEPARATELY AND TOGETHER.
>> Oprah: SO, YOU LEFT BECAUSE YOU WERE ASKING FOR HELP AND
COULDN'T GET IT?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, BASICALLY.
BUT WE NEVER LEFT.
>> Meghan: WE NEVER LEFT THE FAMILY, AND WE ONLY WANTED TO
HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF ROLE THAT EXISTS, RIGHT?
THERE'S SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY, AND THEN THERE ARE
NON-SENIOR MEMBERS.
AND WE SAID, SPECIFICALLY, "WE'RE STEPPING BACK FROM SENIOR
ROLES TO BE JUST LIKE SEVERAL"-- I MEAN, I CAN THINK OF SO MANY
RIGHT NOW WHO ARE ALL-- THEY'RE ROYAL HIGHNESSES, PRINCE OR
PRINCESS, DUKE OR DUCHESS-- WHO EARN A LIVING, LIVE ON PALACE
GROUNDS, CAN SUPPORT THE QUEEN IF AND WHEN CALLED UPON.
SO, WE WEREN'T REINVENTING THE WHEEL HERE.
WE WERE SAYING, "OKAY, IF THIS ISN'T WORKING FOR EVERYONE,
WE'RE IN A LOT OF PAIN, YOU CAN'T PROVIDE US WITH THE HELP
THAT WE NEED, WE CAN JUST TAKE A STEP BACK.
WE CAN DO IT IN A COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY."
WE SUGGESTED NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA.
>> Prince Harry: TAKE A BREATH.
>> Meghan: CANADA.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
AND YOU WANTED TO TAKE A BREATH FROM WHAT, SPECIFICALLY?
LET'S BE CLEAR.
>> Prince Harry: FROM THIS-- THIS CONSTANT BARRAGE.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF, AND I'VE SAID
THAT BEFORE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, VERY PUBLICLY.
AND WHAT I WAS SEEING WAS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF, BUT
MORE, PERHAPS-- OR DEFINITELY FAR MORE DANGEROUS, BECAUSE THEN
YOU ADD RACE IN AND YOU ADD SOCIAL MEDIA IN.
AND WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF, I'M
TALKING ABOUT MY-- MY MOTHER.
WHEN YOU CAN SEE SOMETHING HAPPENING IN THE SAME KIND OF
WAY, ANYBODY WOULD ASK FOR HELP, ASK THE SYSTEM OF WHICH YOU ARE
A PART OF-- ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP
THERE-- THAT THEY COULD HELP AND SHARE SOME TRUTH OR CALL-- CALL
THE DOGS OFF, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
SO, TO RECEIVE NO HELP AT ALL AND TO BE TOLD CONTINUOUSLY,
"THIS IS HOW IT IS.
THIS IS JUST HOW IT IS.
WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH IT."
AND I THINK THE BIGGEST TURNING POINT FOR ME WAS THE-- AND IT
DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG.
IT WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING-- WAS, OKAY, THIS
UNION-- US, ME-- BEING-- HAVING A GIRLFRIEND WAS GOING TO BE A
THING.
OF COURSE IT WAS.
BUT I-- I NEVER EXPECTED, OR I NEVER THOUGHT--
>> Oprah: BECAUSE SHE WAS A MIXED RACE?
>> Prince Harry: NO, JUST-- JUST THE TWO OF US TO START WITH.
I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE MIXED RACE PIECE, BECAUSE I
THOUGHT, WELL, WELL, FIRSTLY, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT MANY YEARS
DOING THE WORK AND DOING MY OWN LEARNING.
BUT MY UPBRINGING IN THE SYSTEM, OF WHICH I WAS BROUGHT UP IN AND
WHAT I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO, IT WASN'T-- I WASN'T AWARE OF IT,
TO START WITH.
BUT, MY GOD, IT DOESN'T TAKE VERY LONG TO SUDDENLY BECOME
AWARE OF IT.
>> Oprah: YEAH, BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU REALLY WEREN'T AWARE OF
UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND ALL THAT THAT REPRESENTS...
>> Prince Harry: NO.
>> Oprah: ...UNTIL YOU MET MEGHAN.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
YOU KNOW, AS SAD AS IT IS TO SAY, IT TAKES LIVING IN HER
SHOES-- IN THIS INSTANCE, FOR A DAY OR THOSE FIRST EIGHT DAYS--
TO SEE WHERE IT WAS GOING TO GO AND HOW FAR THEY WERE GOING TO
TAKE IT.
>> Oprah: AND GET AWAY WITH IT.
>> Prince Harry: AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND BE SO BLATANT ABOUT
IT.
THAT'S THE BIT THAT SHOCKED ME.
THIS IS-- WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE U.K. PRESS HERE, RIGHT?
AND THIS-- THE U.K. IS MY HOME.
THAT IS-- THAT IS WHERE I WAS BROUGHT UP.
SO, YES, I'VE GOT MY OWN RELATIONSHIP THAT GOES BACK A
LONG WAY WITH THE MEDIA.
I-- I ASKED FOR CALM FROM THE BRITISH TABLOIDS ONCE AS A
BOYFRIEND, ONCE AS A HUSBAND, AND ONCE AS A FATHER.
>> Oprah: SO, WHEN I ASK THE QUESTION "WHY DID YOU LEAVE?"
THE SIMPLEST ANSWER IS?
>> Prince Harry: LACK OF SUPPORT AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.
>> Oprah: SO, I WANT CLARITY.
WAS THE MOVE ABOUT GETTING AWAY FROM THE U.K. PRESS?
BECAUSE THE PRESS, AS YOU KNOW, IS EVERYWHERE.
OR WAS THE MOVE BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T GETTING ENOUGH SUPPORT
FROM THE FIRM?
>> Prince Harry: IT WAS BOTH.
>> Oprah: BOTH.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
>> Oprah: DID YOU BLINDSIDE THE QUEEN?
>> Prince Harry: NO.
I'VE NEVER BLINDSIDED MY GRANDMOTHER.
I HAVE TOO MUCH RESPECT FOR HER.
>> Oprah: SO, WHERE DID THAT STORY COME FROM?
>> Prince Harry: I HAZARD A GUESS THAT IT PROBABLY COULD
HAVE COME FROM WITHIN THE INSTITUTION.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: SO, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU TALKED TO HER SEVERAL TIMES
ABOUT THIS OVER-- >> Prince Harry: TWO YEARS.
>> Meghan: --TWO YEARS.
BUT EVEN THE NIGHT BEFORE, DAYS BEFORE, WITH THE STATEMENT
COMING OUT, I REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION.
>> Oprah: SO, AND HOW DO YOU KNOW SHE WASN'T BLINDSIDED?
BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED THROUGH THE PRESS IS
THAT SUDDENLY YOU MADE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
SHE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS COMING.
>> Prince Harry: NO, I-- WHEN WE WERE IN CANADA, I HAD THREE
CONVERSATIONS WITH MY GRANDMOTHER AND TWO
CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER AND-- BEFORE HE STOPPED TAKING
MY CALLS-- AND THEN SAID, "CAN YOU PUT THIS ALL IN WRITING WHAT
YOUR PLAN IS?" >> Oprah: YOUR FATHER ASKED YOU
TO PUT IT IN WRITING.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
HE ASKED ME TO PUT IT IN WRITING, AND I PUT ALL THE
SPECIFICS IN THERE, EVEN THE FACT THAT WE WERE PLANNING ON
PUTTING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OUT ON THE 7th OF JANUARY.
>> Oprah: SO, YOU JUST SAID THAT YOUR DAD STOPPED TAKING YOUR
CALLS.
WHY DID HE STOP TAKING YOUR CALLS?
>> Prince Harry: BECAUSE...
I TOOK MATTERS IN-- BY THAT POINT, I TOOK MATTERS INTO MY
OWN HANDS.
IT WAS LIKE I NEED TO DO THIS FOR MY FAMILY.
THIS IS NOT A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY.
IT'S REALLY SAD THAT IT'S GOTTEN TO THIS POINT, BUT I'VE GOT TO
DO SOMETHING FOR MY OWN MENTAL HEALTH, MY WIFE'S, AND FOR
ARCHIE'S, AS WELL, BECAUSE I COULD SEE WHERE THIS WAS HEADED.
>> Oprah: I THINK WHAT WE REALLY HAVE GOT TO CLEAR UP HERE IS
THAT YOU, MEGHAN, ARE THE ONE WHO MANIPULATED, CALCULATED THIS
MEGXIT.
>> Meghan: TO HAVE SAT BACK AND NOT SAID THAT FOR SO LONG, IT
JUST FEELS REALLY-- >> Oprah: TO HAVE BEEN SILENCED
ALL THIS TIME.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Prince Harry: BEEN THREE AND A HALF, FOUR YEARS-- OR LONGER,
ACTUALLY.
>> Meghan: WE WERE SAYING-- GOSH, IT MUST HAVE BEEN YEARS
AGO WE WERE SITTING IN NOTTINGHAM-- I WAS SITTING IN
NOTTINGHAM COTTAGE, AND "THE LITTLE MERMAID" CAME ON.
NOW, WHO WATCHES-- WHO AS AN ADULT REALLY WATCHES "THE LITTLE
MERMAID"?
BUT IT CAME ON, AND I WAS LIKE, "WELL, I'M JUST HERE ALL THE
TIME, SO I MAY AS WELL WATCH THIS."
AND I WENT, "OH, MY GOD!
SHE FALLS IN LOVE WITH THE PRINCE, AND BECAUSE OF THAT,
SHE HAS TO LOSE HER VOICE."
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Meghan: BUT BY THE END, SHE GETS HER VOICE BACK.
>> Oprah: GETS HER VOICE BACK.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT YOUR VOICE BACK.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: SO, YOU-- YOU'RE STEPPING BACK OUT OF
FRUSTRATION, AND YOU JUST NEED TO GET OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD MEGHAN SHARE WITH US ALL...
>> Prince Harry: MM-HMM.
>> Oprah: ...THE MOMENT THAT SHE CAME TO YOU, HAD THE COURAGE
ENOUGH TO SAY OUT LOUD...
>> Prince Harry: MM-HMM.
>> Oprah: ..."I DON'T WANT TO LIVE ANYMORE."
>> Prince Harry: MM-HMM.
>> Oprah: AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
>> Prince Harry: I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO.
I WASN'T-- I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THAT.
I WENT-- I WENT TO A VERY DARK PLACE, AS WELL.
BUT I-- I WANTED TO BE THERE FOR HER AND...
>> Meghan: ALSO, WE DIDN'T LEAVE RIGHT THAT MINUTE, RIGHT?
>> Prince Harry: ...I WAS TERRIFIED.
>> Meghan: WE STILL-- THAT'S ALMOST A YEAR AFTER.
>> Oprah: SO, THEN, DID YOU TELL OTHER PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY, "I
HAVE TO GET HELP FOR HER?
WE NEED HELP FOR HER"?
>> Prince Harry: NO.
THAT'S JUST NOT A CONVERSATION THAT WOULD BE HAD.
>> Oprah: WHY?
>> Prince Harry: I GUESS I WAS ASHAMED OF ADMITTING IT TO THEM.
>> Oprah: OH.
>> Prince Harry: AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER-- I DON'T KNOW
WHETHER THEY'VE HAD THE SAME-- WHETHER THEY'VE HAD THE SAME
FEELINGS OR THOUGHTS.
I HAVE NO IDEA.
AND IT'S A VERY TRAPPING ENVIRONMENT THAT A LOT OF THEM
ARE STUCK IN.
>> Oprah: YOU WERE ASHAMED OF ADMITTING THAT MEGHAN NEEDED
HELP.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Prince Harry: I DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE TO TURN TO.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Prince Harry: YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOME VERY CLOSE FRIENDS
THAT-- THAT HAVE BEEN WITH US THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS, BUT
FOR THE FAMILY, THEY VERY MUCH HAVE THIS MENTALITY OF "THIS IS
JUST HOW IT IS.
THIS IS HOW IT'S MEANT TO BE.
YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT.
WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH IT."
>> Oprah: "WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH THE PRESSURE.
WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH BEING EXPLOITED."
>> Prince Harry: YES.
BUT WHAT WAS DIFFERENT FOR ME WAS THE RACE ELEMENT, BECAUSE
NOW IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT HER, BUT IT IS ABOUT WHAT SHE
REPRESENTS.
AND, THEREFORE, IT WASN'T JUST AFFECTING MY WIFE.
IT WAS AFFECTING SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE, AS WELL.
AND THAT'S-- THAT WAS THE TRIGGER FOR ME TO REALLY ENGAGE
IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH PALACE-- SENIOR PALACE STAFF AND
WITH MY FAMILY TO SAY, "GUYS, THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL."
>> Oprah: AND WHEN YOU SAY "END WELL," WHAT DID YOU MEAN?
>> Prince Harry: FOR ANYONE IT'S NOT GOING TO END WELL, BECAUSE
THE WAY THAT I SAW IT WAS THERE WAS A WAY OF DOING THINGS, BUT
FOR US, FOR THIS UNION AND THE SPECIFICS AROUND HER RACE, THERE
WAS AN OPPORTUNITY, MANY OPPORTUNITIES, FOR MY FAMILY TO
SHOW SOME PUBLIC SUPPORT.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Prince Harry: AND I GUESS ONE OF THE MOST TELLING PARTS AND
THE SADDEST PARTS, I GUESS, WAS OVER 70 MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT,
FEMALE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT-- BOTH CONSERVATIVE AND LABOR--
CAME OUT AND CALLED OUT THE-- THE COLONIAL UNDERTONES OF
ARTICLES AND HEADLINES WRITTEN ABOUT MEGHAN.
YET NO ONE FROM MY FAMILY EVER SAID ANYTHING OVER THOSE THREE
YEARS.
AND THAT-- THAT HURTS.
BUT I ALSO AM ACUTELY AWARE OF WHERE MY FAMILY STAND AND HOW
SCARED THEY ARE OF THE TABLOIDS TURNING ON THEM.
>> Oprah: TURNING ON THEM FOR WHAT?
THEY'RE THE ROYAL FAMILY.
>> Prince Harry: YES, BUT IT'S-- THERE IS THIS INVISIBLE--
WHAT'S-- WHAT'S TERMED OR REFERRED TO AS THE "INVISIBLE
CONTRACT" BEHIND CLOSED DOORS BETWEEN THE INSTITUTION AND THE
TABLOIDS, THE U.K. TABLOIDS.
>> Oprah: HOW SO?
>> Prince Harry: WELL, IT IS-- TO SIMPLIFY IT, IT'S A CASE OF
IF YOU-- IF YOU AS A FAMILY MEMBER ARE WILLING TO WINE,
DINE, AND GIVE FULL ACCESS TO THESE REPORTERS, THEN YOU WILL
GET BETTER PRESS.
>> Oprah: WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT BETTER PRESS IF YOU'RE ROYAL?
>> Prince Harry: I THINK EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE SOME
COMPASSION FOR-- FOR THEM IN THAT SITUATION, RIGHT?
THERE IS A LEVEL OF CONTROL BY FEAR THAT HAS EXISTED FOR
GENERATIONS-- I MEAN, GENERATIONS.
>> Oprah: BUT WHO'S CONTROLLING WHOM?
IT'S THE INSTITUTION.
FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, JUST THE PUBLIC, IT'S--
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, BUT THE INSTITUTION SURVIVES BASED ON
THAT, ON THAT PERCEPTION.
SO, ACTUALLY, IF YOU DON'T-- >> Oprah: SO, YOU'RE SAYING
THERE'S THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT MEGHAN WAS SPEAKING OF, IT'S
LIKE SYMBIOTIC.
ONE LIVES OR THRIVES BECAUSE THE OTHER EXISTS.
>> Meghan: MM.
>> Oprah: THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
>> Prince Harry: THAT'S THE-- THAT'S THE IDEA, YEAH.
>> Meghan: WELL, SEE, I THINK THERE'S A REASON THAT THESE
TABLOIDS HAVE HOLIDAY PARTIES AT THE PALACE.
THEY'RE HOSTED BY THE PALACE, THE TABLOIDS ARE.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A CONSTRUCT THAT'S AT PLAY THERE.
AND BECAUSE, FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR RELATIONSHIP,
THEY WERE SO ATTACKING AND INCITING SO MUCH RACISM, REALLY,
IT CHANGED OUR-- THE RISK LEVEL, BECAUSE IT WENT-- IT WASN'T JUST
CATTY GOSSIP.
IT WAS BRINGING OUT A PART OF PEOPLE THAT WAS RACIST IN HOW IT
WAS CHARGED.
AND THAT CHANGED THE THREAT.
THAT CHANGED THE LEVEL OF DEATH THREATS.
THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
>> Oprah: SO, TELL ME THIS: YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO, IT HURTS THAT
YOUR FAMILY HAS NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED THE ROLE THAT
RACISM PLAYED IN HERE.
DID YOU THINK SHE WAS WELL RECEIVED IN THE BEGINNING?
>> Prince Harry: YES.
FAR BETTER THAN I EXPECTED.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT, YOU KNOW, MY-- MY
GRANDMOTHER HAS BEEN AMAZING THROUGHOUT.
YOU KNOW, MY FATHER, MY BROTHER, KATE AND-- AND ALL THE REST OF
THE FAMILY, THEY WERE.
THEY WERE REALLY WELCOMING.
BUT IT REALLY CHANGED AFTER THE AUSTRALIA TOUR, AFTER OUR SOUTH
PACIFIC TOUR.
>> Meghan: THAT'S WHEN WE ANNOUNCED WE WERE PREGNANT WITH
ARCHIE.
THAT WAS OUR FIRST TOUR.
>> Prince Harry: BUT IT WAS ALSO-- IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST
TIME THAT THE FAMILY GOT TO SEE HOW INCREDIBLE SHE IS AT THE
JOB.
AND THAT BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES.
>> Oprah: I'M THINKING, BECAUSE I WATCH "THE CROWN," OKAY?
I WATCH "THE CROWN."
DO YOU ALL WATCH "THE CROWN"?
>> Meghan: ( LAUGHS ) >> Prince Harry: I'VE WATCHED
SOME OF IT.
YOU'VE WATCHED SOME OF IT?
>> Meghan: I'VE WATCHED SOME OF IT.
>> Oprah: BUT THERE'S THIS-- I THINK IT WAS THE FOURTH SEASON,
ACTUALLY, WHERE THERE IS AN AUSTRALIAN TOUR.
SO, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?
IT BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF THAT?
THE AUSTRALIAN TOUR...
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
>> Oprah: ...WHERE YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER WENT THERE, AND
YOUR MOTHER WAS BEDAZZLING?
SO, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THERE WERE HINTS OF JEALOUSY?
>> Prince Harry: LOOK, I-- I JUST WISH THAT WE WOULD ALL
LEARN FROM THE PAST.
BUT TO SEE THE-- TO SEE HOW EFFORTLESS IT WAS FOR MEGHAN TO
COME INTO THE FAMILY SO QUICKLY IN AUSTRALIA AND ACROSS NEW
ZEALAND, FIJI, AND TONGA, AND JUST BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH
PEOPLE IN SUCH A-- >> Oprah: BUT--
>> Prince Harry: I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW.
BUT IT'S-- >> Oprah: WHY-- I MEAN, WHY
WOULDN'T EVERYBODY LOVE THAT?
ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANT?
YOU WANT HER TO COME INTO THE FAMILY AND TO, AS THE QUEEN SAID
AT ONE POINT, THE WAY THAT MEGHAN HAD BASICALLY-- NOT HER
WORDS-- BUT ASSIMILATED INTO THE FAMILY.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALKED ABOUT,
SHE WAS VERY MUCH WELCOMED INTO THE FAMILY, NOT JUST BY THE
FAMILY, BUT BY THE WORLD.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Prince Harry: CERTAINLY BY THE COMMONWEALTH.
I MEAN, HERE YOU HAVE ONE OF THE GREATEST ASSETS TO THE
COMMONWEALTH THAT THE FAMILY COULD HAVE EVER WISHED FOR.
>> Oprah: I JUST CAN'T-- I'M KIND OF GOING BACK TO THIS.
SO, THEN, YOU'RE IN CANADA BECAUSE YOU HAD STEPPED BACK.
YOUR FIRM SAYS YOU'RE NO LONGER GOING TO HAVE PROTECTION.
SO, DID YOU ASK FOR THAT?
BECAUSE DID YOU WANT-- WERE YOU TRYING TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS?
YOU WANTED TO STEP BACK BUT ALSO KEEP YOUR FOOT IN ROYAL
BUSINESS, IT SEEMS.
>> Prince Harry: IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU TALK ABOUT
IT BEING, YOU KNOW, "HAVE IT BOTH WAYS" ON THE-- ON THE
SECURITY ELEMENT.
I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE MY SECURITY REMOVED,
BECAUSE I WAS BORN INTO THIS POSITION.
I INHERITED THE RISK.
SO, THAT WAS A SHOCK TO ME.
THAT WAS WHAT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE WHOLE PLAN.
>> Oprah: SO, THAT YOU AS PRINCE HARRY ARE GOING TO HAVE YOUR
SECURITY REMOVED.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
AND I EVEN-- AND I EVEN WROTE LETTERS TO HIS FAMILY SAYING,
"PLEASE, IT'S VERY CLEAR THE PROTECTION OF ME OR ARCHIE IS
NOT A PRIORITY.
I ACCEPT THAT.
THAT IS FINE.
PLEASE KEEP MY HUSBAND SAFE.
I SEE THE DEATH THREATS.
I SEE THE RACIST PROPAGANDA.
PLEASE KEEP HIM SAFE.
PLEASE DON'T PULL HIS SECURITY AND ANNOUNCE TO THE WORLD WHEN
HE AND WE ARE MOST VULNERABLE."
AND THEY SAID IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
I THINK WHAT WE REALLY HAVE GOT TO CLEAR UP HERE IS BECAUSE ONE
OF THE STORIES THAT CONTINUES TO LIVE, EITHER THROUGH RUMORS OR
SOCIAL MEDIA, OUT IN THE WORLD, IS THAT YOU, MEGHAN, ARE THE ONE
WHO MANIPULATED, CALCULATED, AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MEGXIT.
>> Meghan: OH, MY GOSH.
IT'S AMAZING HOW THEY CAN USE MEG FOR EVERYTHING.
>> Oprah: YES.
THERE ARE EVEN STORIES THAT YOU KNEW ALL ALONG THAT THIS WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN.
YOU WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, AND IT WAS ALL
INTENTIONAL TO BUILD YOUR BRAND.
>> Meghan: CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW LITTLE SENSE THAT MAKES?
I LEFT MY CAREER, MY LIFE.
I LEFT EVERYTHING BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, RIGHT?
AND OUR PLAN WAS TO DO THIS FOREVER.
>> Prince Harry: YES.
>> Meghan: OUR PLAN-- FOR ME, I MEAN, I WROTE LETTERS TO HIS
FAMILY WHEN I GOT THERE, SAYING, "I AM DEDICATED TO THIS.
I'M HERE FOR YOU.
USE ME AS YOU'D LIKE."
THERE WAS NO GUIDANCE, AS WELL, RIGHT?
THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU COULDN'T DO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UNLIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MOVIES, THERE'S NO
CLASS ON HOW TO-- HOW TO SPEAK, HOW TO CROSS YOUR LEGS, HOW TO
BE ROYAL.
THERE'S NONE OF THAT TRAINING.
THAT MIGHT EXIST FOR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY.
THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS OFFERED TO ME.
>> Oprah: SO, NOBODY TELLS YOU ANYTHING?
>> Meghan: NO.
>> Oprah: NOBODY PREPARES YOU.
>> Meghan: NOBODY EVEN-- >> Prince Harry: THERE'S--
>> Meghan: SORRY, BUT EVEN DOWN TO, LIKE, THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
NO ONE THOUGHT TO SAY, "OH, YOU'RE AMERICAN.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW THAT."
THAT'S ME LATE AT NIGHT, GOOGLING HOW-- WHAT'S THE
NATIONAL-- I'VE GOT TO LEARN THIS.
I DON'T WANT TO EMBARRASS THEM.
I NEED TO LEARN THESE 30 HYMNS FOR CHURCH.
ALL OF THIS IS TELEVISED.
WE WERE DOING THE TRAINING BEHIND THE SCENES, BECAUSE I
JUST WANTED TO MAKE THEM PROUD.
>> Oprah: OKAY, BUT HERE'S THE QUESTION: DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD
HAVE LEFT OR EVER STEPPED BACK WERE IT NOT FOR MEGHAN?
>> Meghan: HM.
>> Prince Harry: NO.
THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS NO.
>> Oprah: YOU WOULD NOT HAVE.
>> Prince Harry: I WOULDN'T HAVE-- I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO, BECAUSE I MYSELF WAS TRAPPED, AS WELL.
I DIDN'T SEE A WAY OUT.
>> Oprah: SHE FELT TRAPPED, YOU WERE TRAPPED?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, I DIDN'T SEE A WAY OUT.
>> Oprah: BUT YOU'D THIS LIFE, YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
THIS HAS BEEN YOUR LIFE YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS TRAPPED, BUT I
DIDN'T KNOW I WAS TRAPPED.
>> Oprah: MM.
>> Prince Harry: BUT THE MOMENT THAT I MET MEG, AND THEN OUR
WORLDS SORT OF COLLIDED IN THE MOST AMAZING OF WAYS, AND THEN
TO SEE HOW-- >> Oprah: PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW
YOU, PRINCE HARRY, RAISED IN A PALACE AND A LIFE OF PRIVILEGE--
LITERALLY, A PRINCE-- HOW YOU WERE TRAPPED.
>> Prince Harry: TRAPPED WITHIN THE SYSTEM, LIKE THE REST OF MY
FAMILY ARE.
MY FATHER AND MY BROTHER, THEY ARE TRAPPED.
THEY DON'T GET TO LEAVE.
AND I HAVE HUGE COMPASSION FOR THAT.
>> Oprah: WELL, OKAY, SO THE IMPRESSION OF THE WORLD-- MAYBE
IT'S A FALSE IMPRESSION-- IS THAT, FOR ALL THESE YEARS BEFORE
MEGHAN, YOU WERE LIVING YOUR LIFE AS A ROYAL, PRINCE HARRY--
THE BELOVED PRINCE HARRY-- AND THAT YOU WERE ENJOYING THAT
LIFE.
WE DIDN'T GET THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU WERE FEELING TRAPPED
IN THAT LIFE.
>> Prince Harry: ENJOYING THE LIFE BECAUSE THERE WERE
PHOTOGRAPHS OF ME SMILING WHILE I WAS SHAKING HANDS AND MEETING
PEOPLE?
LIKE, I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE COVERED SOME OF THAT.
THAT'S-- THAT'S A PART OF THE JOB.
THAT'S A PART OF THE ROLE.
THAT'S WHAT'S EXPECTED.
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE IN THE FAMILY, NO MATTER WHAT'S GOING
ON IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT'S JUST HAPPENED, IF
THE BIKES ROLL UP AND THE CAR ROLLS UP, YOU GOT TO GET
DRESSED, YOU GOT TO GET IN THERE.
YOU WIPE YOUR TEARS AWAY, SHAKE OFF WHATEVER YOU'RE THINKING
ABOUT, AND YOU GOT TO BE ON YOUR "A" GAME.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
WHAT WOULD YOU THINK YOUR MOM WOULD SAY ABOUT THIS STEPPING
BACK, THIS DECISION TO STEP BACK FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY?
HOW WOULD SHE FEEL ABOUT THIS MOMENT?
>> Prince Harry: I THINK SHE WOULD FEEL VERY ANGRY WITH HOW
THIS HAS PANNED OUT, AND VERY SAD.
BUT, ULTIMATELY, SHE'D-- ALL SHE'D EV-- ALL SHE'D EVER WANT
IS FOR US TO BE HAPPY.
>> Oprah: MEGHAN SHARED WITH US THAT THERE WAS A CONVERSATION
WITH YOU ABOUT ARCHIE'S SKIN TONE.
>> Prince Harry: MM-HMM.
>> Oprah: WHAT WAS THAT CONVERSATION?
>> Oprah: YOU WANTED FREEDOM FROM-- FROM THAT LIFE.
YOU WANTED FREEDOM TO MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY.
YOU WANTED FREEDOM TO MAKE DEALS WITH NETFLIX AND SPOTIFY.
BUT YOU ALSO WANTED TO SERVE THE QUEEN.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, WE DIDN'T WANT TO-- WE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE
UP, OR WE DIDN'T WANT TO TURN OUR BACKS ON THE ASSOCIATIONS
AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE-- THAT WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING.
>> Meghan: BUT ALSO, OPRAH, IT EXISTS.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, IT EXISTS.
BUT, ALSO, THE NETFLIX AND THE SPOTIFY, THEY'RE ALL-- THAT WAS
NEVER PART OF THE PLAN.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN.
>> Meghan: WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN.
>> Prince Harry: WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN.
THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY SOMEBODY ELSE BY THE POINT OF WHERE MY
FAMILY LITERALLY CUT ME OFF FINANCIALLY, AND I HAD TO
AFFORD-- AFFORD SECURITY FOR-- FOR US.
>> Oprah: WAIT.
HOLD-- HOLD UP.
WAIT A MINUTE.
YOUR FAMILY CUT YOU OFF?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, IN THE FIRST HALF, THE FIRST QUARTER OF
2020.
BUT I'VE GOT WHAT MY MUM LEFT ME, AND, WITHOUT THAT, WE WOULD
NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
>> Prince Harry: SO, YOU KNOW, TOUCHING BACK ON WHAT YOU ASKED
ME, WHAT MY MUM WOULD THINK OF THIS, I THINK SHE SAW IT COMING.
AND I CERTAINLY FELT HER PRESENCE THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE
PROCESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I'M-- 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,
BECAUSE IT'S BEEN UNBELIEVABLY TOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US, BUT AT
LEAST WE HAD EACH OTHER.
>> Oprah: WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE NOW WITH YOUR
FAMILY?
>> Prince Harry: I'VE SPOKEN MOR-- MORE TO MY GRANDMOTHER IN
THE LAST YEAR THAN I HAVE DONE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
>> Oprah: DO YOU ALL HAVE ZOOM CALLS?
>> Prince Harry: WE DID A COUPLE OF ZOOM CALLS WITH ARCHIE.
>> Meghan: SOMETIMES, YES, SO THEY CAN SEE ARCHIE.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Prince Harry: MY GRANDMOTHER AND I HAVE A REALLY GOOD
RELATIONSHIP...
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Prince Harry: ...AND AN UNDERSTANDING.
AND I HAVE A DEEP RESPECT FOR HER.
SHE'S MY COLONEL IN CHIEF, RIGHT?
SHE ALWAYS WILL BE.
>> Oprah: YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER?
IS HE TAKING YOUR CALLS NOW?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
YEAH, HE IS.
THERE'S A LOT TO WORK THROUGH THERE, YOU KNOW?
I-- I FEEL REALLY LET DOWN, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN THROUGH
SOMETHING SIMILAR.
HE KNOWS WHAT PAIN FEELS LIKE, AND THIS IS-- AND ARCHIE'S HIS
GRANDSON.
AND-- BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I-- OF COURSE I WILL
ALWAYS-- I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF HURT THAT'S
HAPPENED.
AND-- AND I WILL CONTINUE TO-- TO MAKE IT ONE OF MY PRIORITIES
TO TRY AND HEAL THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AND-- BUT THEY ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW, AND THAT'S THE THING.
I'VE TRIED TO-- >> Meghan: OR WHAT THEY'RE TOLD.
>> Prince Harry: OR WHAT THEY'RE TOLD.
AND I'VE TRIED TO EDUCATE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT I HAVE
BEEN EDUCATED.
>> Oprah: BECAUSE IS IT LIKE BEING IN A BIG ROYAL BUBBLE?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
AND YOUR BROTHER?
RELATIONSHIP?
MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THAT.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, AND MUCH WILL CONTINUE TO BE SAID ABOUT
THAT.
YOU KNOW, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I LOVE WILLIAM TO BITS.
HE'S MY BROTHER.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL TOGETHER.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A SHARED EXPERIENCE.
BUT WE-- YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON-- WE'RE ON DIFFERENT PATHS.
>> Oprah: WELL, WHAT IS PARTICULARLY STRIKING IS WHAT
MEGHAN SHARED WITH US EARLIER, IS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO ADMIT
THAT THERE'S ANYTHING ABOUT RACE OR THAT RACE HAS PLAYED A ROLE
IN THE TROLLING AND THE VITRIOL, AND YET MEGHAN SHARED WITH US
THAT THERE WAS A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT ARCHIE'S SKIN
TONE.
>> Prince Harry: MM-HMM.
>> Oprah: WHAT WAS THAT CONVERSATION?
>> Prince Harry: THAT CONVERSATION I'M NEVER GOING TO
SHARE, BUT AT THE TIME-- AT THE TIME, IT WAS AWKWARD.
I WAS A BIT SHOCKED.
>> Oprah: CAN YOU-- CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE QUESTION WAS?
>> Prince Harry: NO.
I DON'T-- I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH SHARING THAT.
>> Oprah: OKAY.
>> Prince Harry: BUT THAT WAS-- THAT WAS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING,
RIGHT?
>> Oprah: LIKE, WHAT WILL THE BABY LOOK LIKE?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, WHAT WILL THE KIDS LOOK LIKE?
>> Oprah: WHAT WILL THE KIDS LOOK LIKE?
>> Prince Harry: BUT THAT WAS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING, WHEN SHE
WASN'T GOING TO GET SECURITY, WHEN MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY WERE
SUGGESTING THAT SHE CARRIES ON ACTING, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT
ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR HER, AND ALL THIS SORT OF STUFF.
LIKE, THERE WAS SOME REAL OBVIOUS SIGNS BEFORE WE EVEN GOT
MARRIED THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE REALLY HARD.
>> Oprah: SO, IN CONCLUSION, IF YOU'D HAD THE SUPPORT, YOU'D
STILL BE THERE?
>> Prince Harry: WITHOUT QUESTION.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Prince Harry: I'M SAD THAT-- THAT WHAT'S HAPPENED HAS
HAPPENED, BUT I KNOW, AND I'M COMFORTABLE IN KNOWING THAT WE
DID EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD TO MAKE IT WORK.
AND WE DID EVERYTHING ON THE EXIT PROCESS THE WAY THAT-- THE
WAY THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
>> Meghan: WITH AS MUCH RESPECT.
>> Prince Harry: WITH AS MUCH RESPECT.
>> Meghan: AND, OH, MY GOD, WE JUST DID EVERYTHING WE COULD
TO-- TO PROTECT THEM.
>> Oprah: SO, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT YOU CAME
HERE, YOU MADE THESE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR DEALS, AND
THAT YOU'RE JUST MONEY-GRABBING ROYALS?
>> Prince Harry: FIRST OFF, THIS WAS NEVER THE INTENTION.
>> Oprah: MM-HMM.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Prince Harry: AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT COMPLAINING.
WE-- OUR LIFE IS GREAT NOW.
WE'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE.
WE'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL-- I'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.
AND THE DOGS-- THE DOGS ARE REALLY HAPPY.
BUT, AT THE TIME, DURING COVID, THE SUGGESTION BY A FRIEND WAS
WHAT ABOUT STREAMERS?
>> Meghan: YEAH, WE GENUINELY HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT
BEFORE.
>> Prince Harry: WE HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
SO, THERE WERE ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
AND, LOOK, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, ALL I NEEDED WAS ENOUGH MONEY TO
BE ABLE TO PAY FOR SECURITY TO KEEP MY FAMILY SAFE.
>> Oprah: MM.
HOW WILL YOU USE ARCHEWELL AS A MEANS OF SPEAKING TO THINGS THAT
ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN THE WORLD?
>> Meghan: I THINK IN CREATING-- I MEAN, LIFE IS ABOUT
STORYTELLING, RIGHT?
ABOUT THE STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES, THE STORIES WE'RE
TOLD, WHAT WE BUY INTO.
AND-- AND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE STORYTELLING THROUGH A
TRUTHFUL LENS, THAT HOPEFULLY IS UPLIFTING, IS GOING TO BE GREAT
KNOWING HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT THAT CAN LAND WITH, AND BEING
ABLE TO GIVE A VOICE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED
AND AREN'T REALLY HEARD.
>> Oprah: ANY REGRETS?
>> Meghan: THIS MORNING, I WOKE UP EARLIER THAN H. AND SAW A
NOTE FROM SOMEONE ON OUR TEAM IN THE U.K. SAYING THAT THE DUKE OF
EDINBURGH HAD GONE TO THE HOSPITAL.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Meghan: BUT I JUST PICKED UP THE PHONE, AND I-- I CALLED THE
QUEEN JUST TO CHECK IN...
>> Oprah: YOU CHECK IN.
>> Meghan: JUST LIKE, I WOULD, YOU KNOW-- THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
IT'S LIKE BEING ABLE TO DEFAULT TO NOT HAVING TO EVERY MOMENT
GO, IS THAT APPROPRIATE?
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Prince Harry: FOR SO MANY IN MY FAMILY, WHAT THEY DO IS,
THERE'S A LEVEL OF CONTROL IN IT, RIGHT?
BECAUSE THEY'RE FEARFUL OF WHAT THE PAPERS ARE GOING TO SAY
ABOUT THEM.
>> Oprah: YEAH.
>> Prince Harry: WHEREAS, WITH US, IT WAS JUST LIKE, JUST BE--
JUST BE YOURSELF.
JUST BE GENUINE.
JUST BE AUTHENTIC.
JUST GO AND DO WHAT IT IS.
IF YOU GET IT WRONG, YOU GET IT WRONG.
IF YOU GET IT RIGHT, YOU GET IT RIGHT.
>> Oprah: ON FEBRUARY 19, 2021, BUCKINGHAM PALACE RELEASED A
STATEMENT ANNOUNCING IT WAS AGREED THAT PRINCE HARRY AND
MEGHAN WOULD NOT RETURN AS WORKING MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL
FAMILY.
HARRY AND MEGHAN'S ROYAL PATRONAGES AND PRINCE HARRY'S
HONORARY MILITARY TITLES WOULD BE RETURNED TO THE QUEEN.
THE QUEEN'S STATEMENT WAS RELEASED AFTER OUR INTERVIEW
TOOK PLACE.
YOUR EXIT AGREEMENT WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY, IT'S-- THAT IS
COMING UP AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
>> Prince Harry: THE DECISION IS, I THINK.
YEAH, I MEAN, THE DECISION-- WHAT, AS OF LAST WEEK, OR
WHATEVER IT WAS-- IS THAT THEY WILL BE REMOVING EVERYTHING.
>> Oprah: ARE YOU HURT BY THAT DECISION?
>> Prince Harry: I AM HURT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I COMPLETELY RESPECT MY
GRANDMOTHER'S DECISION.
I WOULD STILL LOVE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT
THOSE ASSOCIATIONS, ALBEIT WITHOUT THE TITLE OR THE ROLE.
>> Oprah: COULD YOU BE AS SATISFIED NOW, DOING THIS
THROUGH YOUR OWN ORGANIZATION, ARCHEWELL?
>> Meghan: WELL, WE-- THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT?
WE'RE STILL DOING IT.
WE'RE STILL GOING TO ALWAYS DO THE WORK.
BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU OR EVERYONE TO KNOW THIS
DECISION THAT WAS MADE ABOUT PATRONAGES AND ALL OF THAT WAS
BEFORE ANYONE KNEW THAT WE WERE SITTING DOWN WITH YOU.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
>> Meghan: I THINK THAT IT'S-- I CAN ONLY IMAGINE--
>> Oprah: I HEARD A STORY THAT YOU'RE GETTING PUNISHED NOW.
THOSE WERE BEING TAKEN AWAY BECAUSE YOU DID SIT DOWN
WITH ME.
>> Meghan: YEAH, BUT THAT WAS-- THOSE LETTERS, THOSE
CONVERSATIONS, THAT WAS-- THAT WAS FINALIZED BEFORE ANYONE EVEN
KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO SIT DOWN.
SO, THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.
>> Oprah: ALL RIGHT, TELL ME THIS, HARRY: WHAT DELIGHTS YOU
NOW IN YOUR EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE AND THE THINGS THAT YOU ACTUALLY
CHERISH IN YOUR LIFE HERE WITH ARCHIE AND MEGHAN?
>> Prince Harry: THIS YEAR HAS BEEN CRAZY FOR EVERYBODY, BUT
TO HAVE OUTDOOR SPACE WHERE I CAN GO FOR WALKS WITH ARCHIE,
AND WE CAN GO FOR WALKS AS A FAMILY AND WITH THE DOGS, AND WE
CAN GO ON HIKES-- WE'LL GO DOWN TO THE BEACH, WHICH IS SO
CLOSE-- ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE JUST-- I GUESS, THE HIGHLIGHT
FOR ME IS STICKING HIM ON THE BACK OF THE BICYCLE IN HIS
LITTLE BABY SEAT AND TAKE HIM ON THESE BIKE RIDES, WHICH IS
SOMETHING I WAS NEVER ABLE TO DO WHEN I WAS YOUNG.
I CAN SEE HIM ON THE BACK, AND HE'S GOT HIS ARMS OUT.
AND HE'S LIKE "WHOO," CHATTING, CHATTING, CHATTING; GOING, "PALM
TREE, HOUSE," AND ALL THIS SORT OF STUFF.
AND I DO-- I THINK TO MYSELF-- >> Oprah: WHAT'S HIS NEW
FAVORITE WORD?
WHAT'S HIS FAVORITE WORD NOW?
>> Meghan: OH, MY GOSH.
HE'S ON A ROLL.
IN THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS, IT HAS BEEN "HYDRATE," WHICH IS JUST
HYSTERICAL.
>> Prince Harry: BUT, ALSO, WHENEVER EVERYONE LEAVES THE
HOUSE, HE'S LIKE, "DRIVE SAFE."
>> Meghan: "DRIVE SAFE."
>> Oprah: ( LAUGHS ) >> Prince Harry: WHICH IS
REALLY...
>> Meghan: HE'S NOT EVEN TWO YET!
>> Oprah: YOU SAID THAT YOUR BROTHER WAS TRAPPED.
YOU SAID THAT YOU LOVE YOUR BROTHER AND ALWAYS WILL LOVE
YOUR BROTHER.
YOU DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS NOW, THOUGH.
>> Prince Harry: THE RELATIONSHIP IS SPACE, AT THE
MOMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, TIME HEALS ALL THINGS, HOPEFULLY.
>> Oprah: ANY REGRETS?
>> Prince Harry: NO.
I MEAN, NO, I THINK WE'VE DONE-- I'M REALLY PROUD OF US, YOU
KNOW?
I'M SO PROUD OF-- I'M SO PROUD OF MY WIFE.
LIKE, SHE SAFELY DELIVERED ARCHIE DURING A PERIOD OF TIME
WHICH WAS SO CRUEL AND SO MEAN.
AND EVERY SINGLE DAY I WAS COMING BACK FROM WORK, FROM
LONDON, I WAS COMING BACK TO MY WIFE CRYING WHILE BREASTFEEDING
ARCHIE.
THAT'S COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO WASN'T READING ANYTHING.
AND AS SHE TOUCHED ON EARLIER, IF SHE HAD READ ANYTHING, SHE
WOULDN'T BE HERE NOW.
SO, WE DID WHAT WE HAD TO DO, AND NOW WE'VE GOT ANOTHER LITTLE
ONE ON THE WAY.
>> Meghan: I HAVE ONE.
MY REGRET IS BELIEVING THEM WHEN THEY SAID I WOULD BE PROTECTED.
I BELIEVED THAT.
AND I REGRET BELIEVING THAT BECAUSE I THINK, HAD I REALLY
SEEN THAT THAT WASN'T HAPPENING, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO
MORE.
BUT I THINK I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SEE IT.
I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO KNOW.
AND-- AND NOW, BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY ON THE OTHER SIDE,
WE'VE ACTUALLY NOT JUST SURVIVED BUT ARE THRIVING.
YOU KNOW, THIS-- I MEAN, THIS IS MIRACLES.
I-- YEAH, I THINK THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT I WAS HOPING
FOR HAVE HAPPENED, AND THIS IS IN SOME WAYS JUST THE BEGINNING
FOR US.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT.
IT'S FELT LIKE A LIFETIME.
( LAUGHS ) A LIFETIME.
>> Oprah: SO, YOUR STORY WITH THE PRINCE DOES HAVE A HAPPY
ENDING.
>> Meghan: IT DOES.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
( LAUGHS ) IT REALLY DID.
>> Oprah: IT HAS A HAPPY ENDING BECAUSE YOU MADE IT SO.
>> Meghan: YEAH, GREATER THAN ANY FAIRY TALE YOU'VE EVER READ.
>> Oprah: GREATER THAN ANY FAIRY TALE.
>> Meghan: YEAH, YEAH.
>> Oprah: WHAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED HERE TODAY, BEING TRAPPED AND
NOT EVEN BEING AWARE OF IT AND ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD
TRANSPIRED, AND THEN SHE COMES INTO YOUR LIFE AND THEN YOU'RE
DOING THERAPY, DO YOU THINK IN SOME WAY SHE SAVED YOU?
>> Prince Harry: YEAH.
WITH-- WITHOUT QUESTION.
THERE WAS-- THERE WAS A BIGGER PURPOSE.
THERE WAS OTHER FORCES AT PLAY, I THINK, THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE
PROCESS.
I'M THE LAST PERSON TO THINK, OOH, YOU KNOW?
BUT IT'S UNDENIABLE WHEN THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED, WHERE THE
OVERLAP IS.
SO, YEAH, SHE DID, WITHOUT-- WITHOUT QUESTION SHE SAVED ME.
>> Meghan: AND I WOULD-- I WOULD, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S
LOVELY.
I WOULD DISAGREE.
I THINK HE SAVED ALL OF US, RIGHT?
HE ULTIMATELY CALLED IT AND WAS LIKE, "WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY
FOR US, FOR ARCHIE."
AND YOU MADE A DECISION THAT SAVED-- CERTAINLY SAVED MY LIFE
AND SAVED ALL OF US.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO WANT TO BE SAVED.
>> Oprah: WELL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LOVE STORY.
WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THE BIG DAY SOMETIME THIS SUMMER.
>> Meghan: YES, INDEED.
>> Oprah: SOMETIME THIS SUMMER.
>> Meghan: YEAH.
>> Oprah: THANK YOU BOTH FOR TRUSTING ME TO SHARE YOUR STORY.
>> Meghan: THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE SPACE TO DO IT.
>> Prince Harry: YEAH, THANK YOU.
>> Oprah: THIS CONVERSATION DOESN'T END HERE.
THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAT WE COULDN'T FIT INTO THIS SPECIAL.
JOIN ME TOMORROW AS I SHARE MORE EXCLUSIVE MOMENTS AND DISCUSS
REACTION AROUND THE WORLD WITH GAYLE, ANTHONY AND TONY ON "CBS
THIS MORNING."
SEE YOU THEN.