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LONDON (AP) – Oprah Winfrey’s two-hour interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, contains revelations and allegations that have left the British royal family reeling, painting a deeply rooted picture of racism, insensitivity and dysfunction.
The palace did not respond to the interview, broadcast in the United States on Sunday night, which made headlines and sparked debates around the world.
Here are five key points of the broadcast:
MEGHAN SAYS THAT SHE FACED RACISM
Meghan, who is biracial, said that before the couple had their son Archie, there were “concerns and conversations” between Harry and the family “about how dark his skin might look when he is born”.
Harry confirmed that there was a conversation about “what the kids will be like”. He said he would never reveal who was involved, but Winfrey said he told her it was not her grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Meghan also said she was treated differently by the British media compared to Prince William’s wife, Catherine, who was also closely followed by the press and even nicknamed “Waity Katie” because of the couple’s long courtship.
“Although I imagine it was very difficult – and I imagine, I can’t imagine how it went – it is not the same thing,” said Meghan. “What if a member of your family comfortably said, ‘We all had to deal with things that are rude’ – rude and racist are not the same thing.”
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MEGHAN SAYS THAT SHE HAD SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
Meghan said that her isolation and unhappiness within the royal family has increased so much that “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
“And that was a very clear, real and scary thought,” she said.
Then she said she sought help from the palace’s human resources department, but did not receive it.
“I went to the institution and said that I needed to go somewhere to get help. I said I never felt this way before and that I need to go somewhere, ”she said. “And they told me that it couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
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HARRY SAYS THAT HE WAS ARRESTED
Harry said that, through his relationship with Meghan, he realized that he and his family were all trapped within an oppressive system.
“I was under arrest, but I didn’t know I was under arrest,” he said. “My father and brother are in prison. They cannot leave. “
He also claimed that there was a toxic relationship between royalty and the media and that Britain’s royal family feared that the tabloid press would “attack them.”
“There is a level of control out of fear that has been around for generations,” he said.
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HARRY HAS A FRACTURED RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FATHER AND BROTHER
Harry revealed a breakdown in his relations with his father, Prince Charles, who is heir to the British throne, and his older brother, Prince William, second in line.
He said that at one point Charles stopped taking his calls and there was still “a lot to work on” in their relationship.
“I will always love you. But a lot of hurt has happened and I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try to heal this relationship, ”said Harry.
He said that he and William “went through hell together, we have a shared experience, but we were on different paths”.
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HARRY AND MEGHAN HAD TWO WEDDING CEREMONIES
The couple’s luxurious wedding in May 2018 at Windsor Castle was a major ceremonial event, attended by millions around the world. But Meghan revealed that she and Harry had already exchanged vows privately three days earlier, in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, head of the Anglican church.
“We called the archbishop and just said, look, this, this show is for the world, but we want our union between us,” she said. “So the votes we cast in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
“Just the three of us,” added Harry.