In the aftermath of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's’ no-holds-barred interview special with Oprah Winfrey, people across the world are buzzing with shock over the allegations that the former royals made about what they refer to as "The Firm." But as it turns out, there’s even more to that candid conversation that didn’t make the final cut, and Oprah is sharing the details.
The highly anticipated exchange was as revealing as we expected (and then some). Harry and Meghan were extremely honest about their experience as royals during the interview, sharing accounts that were both heartbreaking and incensing for Oprah and viewers at home to hear. As straightforward as the interview was, Oprah had even more updates that she wanted to provide the public.
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The media mogul appeared on CBS This Morning to debrief the news anchors on the royal interview. While on the show, Oprah addressed one of the most disturbing takeaways from her sit-down, the concern about the color of baby Archie’s skin. Meghan had surprisingly disclosed that Harry had made her aware of a conversation in which unnamed members of the Royal Family had shared their anxieties about the newest royal possibly being too dark, a troubling revelation that is obviously deeply rooted in colorism and racism.
When Harry joined the interview later, he refused to expand on the details of that disturbing chat, but he did confirm that it happened. On CBS This Morning, Oprah said that while Harry wouldn’t go into further detail, he did want the world to rule out two possible subjects for such a problematic take: Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip, his grandparents.
WATCH: @Oprah says “it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather” that were a part of the conversations about Prince Harry & Meghan's baby's skin color. #OprahMeghanHarry pic.twitter.com/LpPLmkUEFR
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 8, 2021
“[Harry] did not share the identity with me,” Oprah told anchor and best friend Gayle King, “But he wanted to make sure that I knew, and if I had an opportunity to share it, that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather that were part of those conversations...he would not tell me who was part of those conversations, and I tried to get that answer, on camera and off.”
Oprah’s next-day debrief also included new clips from the interview that hadn’t been aired, including the uncomfortable subject of Meghan’s estrangement from her father Thomas Markle. In the clip, the former Duchess was hesitant to talk about the strained relationship, but when she did, she explained to Oprah that her dad had initially lied to her and Harry about his involvement with British tabloids; Thomas denied ever talking to them before the wedding, only for the press to run damning stories about his and Meghan’s relationship right before the big day.
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"'I just need you to tell me. And if you tell me the truth, we can help.' And he wasn't able to do that." — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on a conversation she had with her father regarding tabloids #OprahMeghanHarry pic.twitter.com/XhPwGM0Uvl
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 8, 2021
“Everyone has accountability,” Meghan told Oprah. “[The media] hunted my mom down, and you’ve never heard her say a word. She’s remained in silent dignity for four years, watching me go through this."
“I look at Archie and can’t imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child,” Meghan continued passionately. “I can’t imagine it. So it’s hard for me to reconcile that.”
The fallout from Thomas' actions can still be seen today. After he leaked private letters from his daughter to British tabloid Mail on Sunday, Meghan and Harry launched a lawsuit against the outlet for invading their privacy and spreading "relentless propaganda."
Despite everything that went down in the Royal Family, and the couple moving across the pond to Los Angeles for a fresh start, Harry shared that he still hasn't received any kind of apology from his family or anyone else from the royal institution; he said that the sentiment towards the couple is that everything that is happening is a direct consequence of their actions and decisions. With that in mind, the reasons for Harry and Meghan to agree to talk about the “institution” are now very clear, to Oprah and many people watching from home: They simply had no other choice.
For more insight on how Meghan and Harry got, well, here, watch Vice Versa, below.