Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a two-hour interview that aired on March
7th, 2021.
About one third of the way through the interview, Meghan opened up to Winfrey about the decision
that was made to not give her son, Archie, a royal title when he was born.
Meghan explained that without the title, Archie would not be offered security, which was obviously
a concern for her.
Meghan revealed that she was never told the reasons behind the decision to not make her
son a prince, but she has some ideas of her own, based on the conversations that she claims
were had while she was still pregnant.
It was in discussing these conversations that Winfrey became visibly uncomfortable and angry.
Winfrey asked Meghan why she thought the monarchy didn't want to make Archie a prince.
Winfrey asked,
"Do you think it's because of his race?
And I know that’s a loaded question… but…
But I can give you an honest answer”
The very next sentence out of her mouth shocked Winfrey.
Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey,
"In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time... so we had 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."
Just then, the camera panned to show Winfrey's face, as she sat speechless for a few seconds
before saying, "What?"
Meghan went to speak again, but Winfrey interrupted, clearly unhappy with the information that
she just found out.
Winfrey asked,
"Who is having that conversation with you?...
What?"
Meghan sat nodding as Winfrey asked again, "What?"
Winfrey had to take a minute to repeat what she had just been told.
She then prodded, carefully,
"And you're not going to tell me who had the conversation?"
"I think that would be very damaging to them."
Meghan went on to explain that those were conversations that "family" had with Prince
Harry, that he relayed to her.
At that point, Winfrey responded, "Whoa."
She then asked Meghan if there was a concern that if the baby was "too brown" that would
be "a problem."
Meghan shared that she wasn't able to "follow up" on these conversations, but told Winfrey
that "if that's the assumption" she was making, that "feels like a pretty safe one."
When Prince Harry joined the sit-down interview, Oprah Winfrey brought up the conversation
again, asking for his version of the story.
Harry disclosed,
"That conversation...
I am never going to share.
But at the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked."
When the host inquired about what questions he was specifically asked, Harry replied,
"I am not comfortable with sharing that.
But that was right at the beginning— 'What would the kids look like?'
That was at the beginning when she wasn't going to get security, when my family suggested
that she might continue acting because there wasn't going to be money for her."
Harry later opened up about the lack of support he received from the royal family when lawmakers
pointed out the racist undertones of the media coverage surrounding the couple.
Harry revealed,
"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.
One of the most telling parts and the saddest parts, I guess, was over 70 female members
of Parliament, both Conservative and Labour, came out and called out the colonial undertones
of articles and headlines written about Meghan.
Yet no one from my family ever said anything.
That hurts."
Famous friends and activists alike expressed their support and empathy for Meghan Markle
on Twitter.
Meghan's close friend and tennis pro Serena Williams shared her thoughts, tweeting,
"Meghan Markle, my selfless friend lives her life – and leads by example – with empathy
and compassion."
She also spoke of the racism and sexism she's experienced at the hands of the press.
Williams wrote,
"I know first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people
of color to minimize us, to break us down and demonize us."
Bernice King, minister and daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., tweeted,
"Royalty is not a shield from the devastation and despair of racism.
#MeghanMarkle."
Actor Leslie Jordan shared a video on Instagram captioning it,
"We got your back, honey.....we've got more Queens than they do."
Gabrielle Union was just as shocked as the rest of us during the interview, tweeting,
"The tabloids are HOSTED by the palace?!?!?!?!?!
WHEW.
#HarryandMeghanonOprah."
It's clear that Harry and Meghan have the support of their friends in this unfortunate
situation.
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