6 New Things We Learned From Meghan and Harry's Oprah Interview
Oprah Winfrey's highly anticipated interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is finally here. The two-hour program covered many serious topics, including racism, mental health, and family rifts. Mixed in as well were joyful moments, including the reveals of the sex of their second child and their happiness with their decision to step away as working royals. "He made a decision that saved my life and saved all of us," Markle said of Prince Harry's call to leave England.
During the interview, Markle is wearing a dress by Armani embellished with a lotus flower, earrings by Canadian brand Birks (which she's worn numerous times), and a necklace by British designer Pippa Small. She is also wearing a bracelet that belonged to the late Princess Diana because the couple wanted to include her in the interview. How sweet is that?
Don't overlook the details of her outfit: The lotus is a symbol of rebirth and revival, paralleling the couple's reemergence in their brand-new post-royal life. Markle also included jewelry brands from Canada and Britain, which are the two Commonwealth countries she's lived in. Lastly, wearing Princess Diana's bracelet is such a thoughtful and personal gesture.
In a press release, CBS explained what to expect from the program. "In the two-hour special, Oprah speaks with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in a wide-ranging interview, covering everything from stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood, and philanthropic work to how she is handling life under intense public pressure," the statement said. "Later, the two are joined by Prince Harry as they speak about their move to the United States and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family."
Scroll down to see six things we learned from the interview.
"There were also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he was born," Markle said, referencing Archie. When asked about which member of the royal family made these comments, Prince Harry responded, "That's a conversation I am never going to share. I’m not comfortable sharing that."
Markle explained that she had suicidal thoughts while pregnant with Archie. "I didn’t want to be alive anymore," she told Winfrey. "That was a very clear and real and frightening, constant thought."
She continued: "We had to go to this event at the Royal Albert Hall after I told Harry I didn't want to be alive anymore. In the pictures, I see how tightly his knuckles are gripped around mine. We are smiling, doing our job. In the royal box, every time the lights went down, I was just weeping."
"I went to the institution and said that I needed to go somewhere to get help, that I've never felt this way before and I need to go somewhere, and they said I couldn't—that it wouldn't be good for the institution," she added.
Of his father Prince Charles, Prince Harry said, "I will always love him, but there’s a lot of hurt that's happened, and I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try and heal that relationship."
While the interview covered many serious topics, Markle and Harry also excitedly revealed that they are expecting a baby girl. Their second child will join older brother Archie, who turns 2 on May 6. The couple says the new baby girl is due in the "summertime."
"Two is it," Harry said, confirming that the baby girl will be their second and last child.
"We were going to lunch at Royal Lodge… and it turned out the queen was finishing a church service there in Windsor. So she was going to be at the house," Markle said. She went on to say that she hadn't learned how to curtsy and didn't realize that the family still curtsied when the media wasn't present.
"I learned [how to curtsy] very quickly right in front of the house. We just practiced and then walked in… I met her, and apparently, I did a very deep curtsy—I don't remember it—and then we just sat there, and we chatted. And it was lovely and easy, 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 this.'"
"No one knows that," Markle said of their decision to make their marriage official three days before their public ceremony. "But we called the archbishop, and we just said, 'Look, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us.' The vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the archbishop of Canterbury."
Revisit Meghan and Harry's sweetest family moments of all time:
Next, Meghan and Harry are officially coming to Netflix—here's what we know.
Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 12 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of senior news editor (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.
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