Between Meghan’s privacy claim win against Associated Newspapers and the weekend’s pregnancy announcement, it’s been a big month for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. But they show no sign of slowing down, having now agreed to a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The news was confirmed on Monday 15 February, after which Buckingham Palace issued a statement clearly distancing the Royal Family from Meghan and Harry’s decision. The Daily Mail’s Royal Editor, Rebecca English, Tweeted: ‘Re Oprah interview, BP say: “The Duke and Duchess are no longer working members of the Royal Family and therefore any decisions they take with regard to media commitments are matters for them. As non working MRF they are under no obligation to inform the Royal Household of such plans.’
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Now the Daily Mail reports that the couple’s decision has promoted the royal household to initiate a decisive cutting of ties between the pair and their former royal life. English alleges that Harry and Meghan are set to lose all their remaining royal patronages, as it’s thought the Queen will ask them to give up their links to any organisations passed to them through the Royal Family.
For the Duke, this could mean losing his three remaining honorary military titles and perhaps his patronages with the Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League and the London Marathon. The Duchess, meanwhile, would have to relinquish her role as patron of the National Theatre, unless she takes on another position with them in an independent capacity. The patronage was bestowed on Meghan in 2019, interpreted as a warm gesture from the Queen, who had previously served in the role for 45 years. It remains unclear whether the couple’s links with the Commonwealth will also be severed, although English cites sources as stating that this appears likely.
On 15 February, Sky News reported that US network CBS will broadcast the interview on 7 March. CBS said in a statement: ‘Winfrey will speak with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in a wide-ranging interview, covering everything from stepping into life as a Royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work to how she is handling life under intense public pressure. 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.’ The 90-minute show, entitled Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special, is the couple’s first major interview post-Megxit, with the Daily Mail alleging that it’s thought the programme has already been recorded.
English quotes a source as describing the interview as ‘one of the most inevitable and, sadly, predictable consequences’ of Megxit, with another adding that it was hoped the appearance would give Harry and Meghan the opportunity to ‘get whatever it is they want to say off their chests and move on’. Others stated that the12-month review period included in the initial terms of the couple’s departure from royal life was intended as a safety net, were they to move abroad and find that they ‘didn’t get a dime in the bank’. Since embarking on their new life in California, however, the couple have pursued a number of independent career ventures; from announcing deals with Netflix and Spotify to investing in a ‘wellness’ latte brand.
One source states that it is commercial projects such as these that have removed the possibility of the couple having ongoing ties to the Royal Family, commenting: ‘You can’t have one of the head of state’s representatives flogging cups of coffee, it’s as simple as that.’ Another added: ‘The interview has clearly come about because there is an understanding [with the Duke and Duchess] that all remaining formal links with organisations will cease to exist.’
Friends of Harry’s were recently cited by English as stating that he strongly wishes to hold on to his military titles (Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington in Bury St Edmunds, and Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command). While the latest news renders this desire all the more complicated, he will at least be allowed to retain his private patronages, such as for the Invictus Games and WellChild. Meghan also holds two personal patronages of her own, for the Mayhew animal rescue charity and Smart Works. While it’s not yet known when an official announcement about the couple’s patrognages will be made, English states that it could be ahead of 31 March, when the couple’s one-year review period comes to an end.
Looking back to Harry’s mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, the Daily Mail adds that the Oprah interview is reminiscent of Diana’s 1996 BBC Panorama appearance with Martin Bashir, which was negotiated without the knowledge of the Royal Family. The explosive programme, in which the Princess spoke of the breakdown of her relationship with Prince Charles, has recently returned to public attention amid concerns that Diana was manipulated into giving the interview.
ITV News previously speculated that the Duchess was set to sit down with the TV star. It’s thought that Meghan could address questions about her and Prince Harry’s departure from the Royal Family – something neither has given an interview about since Megxit. It’s not yet known whether the Duchess has set out any parameters around the interview and whether she will discuss particulars about the Royal Family. ITV News adds that Meghan may well have stipulated some ‘no go’ areas, but that it’s thought she will discuss her experiences of being in the media spotlight since her relationship with Harry came to light. It’s an issue that continues to loom large in the public consciousness, particularly given Meghan’s victory in her privacy case against the Mail on Sunday last week.
It was thought likely that Meghan would choose Oprah for her first interview since the Duke and Duchess’s move to the US, as someone who she trusts and feels comfortable with. The two women are long-running friends, with the TV host among the guests at Harry and Meghan’s 2018 Royal Wedding. They met through a mutual friend, the CBS breakfast show host Gayle King, and now live close to each other in Santa Barbara. Oprah recently thanked Meghan on Instagram for sending her samples from the latte brand the Duchess has invested in, affectionately referring to her as ‘my neighbour “M”.’
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Indeed Oprah is herself sometimes dubbed ‘American royalty’, as a much loved and powerful public figure and the boss of her own cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Jointly owned by Discovery Inc. and Harpo Studios, the multinational channel bills itself as the ‘first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader’. The Duke has also previously agreed to work with Oprah and Apple TV, on a series about mental health. Plus Oprah has prior experience of interviewing royal figures, having spoken to Sarah, Duchess of York for a televised conversation in 2010.
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