Meghan revealed during a seated conversation that life within the royal family was so isolated, lonely and unsupported that she had thoughts of suicide. She also said that individuals within the institution raised questions about the color of her son Archie’s skin.
Even before the interview – Meghan’s first since she and her husband announced plans to step down from important positions in the British royal family – the UK media had been criticizing the event. The relationship between the couple and the country’s press, especially the newspaper tabloids, has long been in turmoil.
The Daily Mail did a wall-to-wall coverage of the interview and tried to fit all the bombs in a single headline like this: “Meghan claims she committed suicide when she was 5 months pregnant, Kate made her cry and Royals refused to play Archie a prince because they were concerned about how ‘dark’ he would be, as Harry reveals that his new baby will be a GIRL. “The site was dominated by coverage, including at least 13 articles about the interview that included photos.
The interview aired on Sunday at CBS during US prime time and at 1 am UK local time.
The tabloid website also included a featured banner that said, “I WANTED TO MYSELF”, and featured a looped clip from the interview, which showed Meghan saying, with captions, “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Another article on the website explored the couple’s discussion during the interview about life in the United States, where they are raising chickens.
“Back to basics at his $ 14.5 million mansion,” read a headline.
Monday’s print edition of the Daily Mail, however, highlighted allegations about concerns about Archie’s skin color: “MEGHAN ACCUSES THE PALACE OF RACISM,” read the front page of Monday’s edition of the Daily Mail. While other news outlets used images provided by Winfrey’s producer Harpo Productions, the Daily Mail chose a cropped image with a focus on Meghan’s face.
The deluge of stories on the Daily Mail home page follows a scornful pre-interview headline earlier on Sunday, in which the media tried to criticize the CBS special as “a separate show.”
Other newspapers were also quick to offer an opinion on the potential consequences of the interview.
“Meghan Markle may never return to Britain after irritating the Royal Family with a bombshell interview with Oprah,” wrote The Sun newspaper, referring to Meghan’s name before the wedding. He quoted “insiders [who] fear that she and Prince Harry could have burned their bridges for failing to tell family members what was in the two-hour conversation before it was shown. “
The publication came up with a new nickname for Meghan amid her feud with the royal family: “Megxile”. British tabloids previously labeled the couple’s decision to step away from their real obligations of “Megxit”, a riff from the term used to describe the UK’s departure from the European Union.
“Queen: Duty and family bring us together,” read the front page of the Daily Express newspaper. “This is public service for you, Harry and Meghan … NOT a TV chat that serves itself to Oprah.”
Even before the program, British tabloids came armed for the occasion, which was one of the biggest real interviews in decades.
On Monday, the print edition of the Daily Mirror will point to princes “The ‘immense sadness’ of Charles and William” amid “consequences of the Oprah interview”, Sky News reported.
Both the Duke and Duchess have been increasingly open about the severe media scrutiny they have received.
Last month, Prince Harry told dawn talk show host James Corden that his experiences led him to distance himself from the royal family. “We all know what the British press can be like and it was destroying my mental health,” he said.
And in April last year, Harry and Meghan said they would cut all deals with four of the UK’s biggest tabloids after years of strained relations. The couple also fought with the media in court.
In the interview with Oprah on Sunday, Meghan said it was painfully clear that there were two weights and two measures in the way the media covered her and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and the wife of Prince William, who is second in line for the succession to the British throne.
“I can now see what layers were at stake there. And again, they really seemed to want a narrative of a hero and a villain,” said Meghan.
The coverage of the interview with Meghan and Harry was not limited to the tabloids. British morning shows and newspapers also featured excerpts on Monday.
How to get help: In the USA, call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. THE International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide it also provides contact information for crisis centers around the world.
– Brian Stelter contributed to this report.
