After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s sudden departure from the royal family in early 2020, many were left wondering what events took place that influenced their move to the U.S. Expecting their second child, a baby girl this summer, the pair had not spoken out about their time in the UK; with this interview coming shortly after the Queen released a statement earlier this year that the couple will not be returning to their roles in the Royal Family.

 On March 7, a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle aired on CBS. Raking in over 17 million viewers, it was clear that numerous spectators were anticipating hearing the couple’s side of the story. Meghan and Harry discussed their clashes with the tabloids, their financial troubles after being cut security and funding from the royals, and even Meghan’s mental health crisis. But what seemed to catch the most attention was that both Meghan and Harry claimed that there were discussions within the senior members of the royal family about the complexion of their now 1-year-old son, Archie. Meghan, who is biracial, also said she believes most of the hate geared towards her was racially motivated. 

Although it was not revealed who made the comments, I believe that the interview raised an important conversation about race and how the tradition of monarchy in the UK might be too outdated for the times. Winfrey posed intense questions and made sure they were answered thoroughly. There were numerous difficult topics to address and Winfrey did what she does best and I feel like most of the questions I had prior to watching the interview were answered. 

Many people wondered why the couple turned to the cameras to discuss their time in the royal family as a couple, but I feel as if every person should have the opportunity to tell their side of the story. 

Meghan’s explanation of her mental health struggles deeply resonated with me. As someone who struggled severely with their mental health, hearing someone tell me that I should always express when I am not feeling my best helped me tremendously. I think many people could relate to what Markle was saying and maybe her story is what it took for a viewer to ask for help themselves. It is important to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness and taking action in order to combat it. Sadly, I was not surprised that Meghan’s mental health issues were dismissed by the Institution; I remember watching a documentary on Princess Diana where she actually struggled with Bulimia and received minimal help from the Institution as well. I couldn’t stop seeing how many similarities there were between Diana’s experience and Meghan’s. 

I was glad to hear clarification from the pair on numerous events that took place such as the ‘making Kate cry’ story and how two duchesses were treated extremely differently by the tabloids. It doesn’t matter if you care for Meghan or not, you cannot say she wasn’t treated horribly by the British press. I even remember seeing an article that jeered at the former royal for closing her own car door. I do agree that Meghan should have been more aware of what she was getting into, but at the same time, I understand that having to go from living an independent life to one that is completely controlled 24 hours a day, seven days a week must have been extremely difficult. 

As for the comments about their child’s race, that just made absolutely no sense to me. Archie is only one-quarter black, so there is almost no way that he would have had a dark complexion; and even if he did, why would that be a big deal? I could not believe that conversations like that are even still taking place in the 21st century.

Despite all of those factors being addressed, I found the part where Prince Harry said he is living off of money left for him by his mother to be so heartwarming, a mother’s love and protection truly never fades. It’s like she knew this would happen and she still provides for him even after her death. I do find it sad that Prince Harry and his brother Prince William are no longer close, but I believe time heals all wounds and they will be fine in due timing.

Lastly, I think this interview was 100% necessary. So many media platforms need to take a better look at how they cover women of color because they could be unintentionally or intentionally perpetuating harmful stereotypes. It is also important to realize that it is ok to ask for help and having tough conversations is sometimes necessary for moving forward.

What were your takeaways from the Oprah and Meghan/Harry Interview?