Meghan Markle and Harry: Expert issues Oprah interview warning
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have recorded an interview with the US TV legend in which “nothing was off limits”, Oprah’s friend Gayle King has claimed. The interview, which is due to air on March 7 on CBS, will be watched with bated breath by the Palace, who were not warned about it before it became public knowledge. The Duchess has only very recently won a huge privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, for publishing extracts from a letter she wrote to her father Thomas Markle.
What’s more, the couple’s desire for privacy is said to be one of the reasons they stepped down as senior royals last year.
However, according to one royal expert, it is contradictory to complain about intrusion into privacy and then allow a broadcaster to ask anything she wants about your private life.
Pod Save the Queen is hosted by Ann Gripper and features Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers.
Ms Gripper said: “This contrast between the wish for privacy and having just fought a massive privacy case then doing the big baby announcement and then, particularly, signing up for the Oprah show, has sparked some conversations.”
READ MORE: Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview dubbed ‘disaster waiting to happen’
Meghan Markle has recorded an interview with Oprah Winfrey (Image: GETTY)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they are expecting their second child (Image: GETTY)
Mr Myers added: “The issue really is here, you have just won a huge privacy case in the High Court and now you are allowing a broadcaster to ask you anything you want about your private life, nothing is off limits.
“I mean, it’s quite a contradiction in terms and everybody will be waiting and watching to see what exactly is discussed.”
The podcast host added that a listener named Michelle had written in and her comment had “summed it up” in terms of the discourse around this.
Michelle said: “While I’m very happy for them and anyone welcoming a new baby after a loss, I can’t help but be so dumbfounded by the hypocrisy that two people that so crave their privacy are about to go on a tell-all Oprah show. Like, really?
Oprah Winfrey is known for her heartfelt tell-all interviews (Image: GETTY)
“Must be paying the mortgage with that deal, you can be sure of that.”
Mr Myers clarified that, in fact, Harry and Meghan are not getting paid for this interview.
However, it will be watched by so many people that it will likely be a huge publicity drive for them, which will help them win commercial deals and also help promote their charitable endeavour, Archewell Foundation.
The royal editor said: “What a platform to be on. There will be hundreds of millions of people who will watch this, one would assume.”
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Another listener, Vicky, wrote into the programme pointing out the mismatch between the couple’s desire for privacy and their decision to do this interview.
They wrote on the Pod Save the Queen Instagram: “They’ve certainly gone Hollywood, haven’t they?
“I don’t begrudge them that fact, but it does not speak to a couple who wants privacy.”
The podcast pair also discussed the Daily Star’s satirical front page about the Sussexes, in which they riffed on their previous joke about censoring their faces to give them the privacy they want.
Meghan and Harry: Oprah was ‘last straw’ for Queen says expert
The outlet wrote: “Publicity-shy couple trying to stay out of the limelight by telling TV Queen Oprah about their totally normal lives.”
Mr Myers said he thought the joke was “quite funny” and both concluded that this interview announcement has certainly “put the cat amongst the pigeons”.
The news about the Oprah interview emerged around the same time it was announced the couple will be losing their royal patronages and military appointments in light of the 12-month review.
With the March 31 deadline looming, it will soon be a year since the Sussexes officially stepped down from royal duties, and there will be no going back for them.
It has been a busy year for Meghan and Harry; they have moved to the US, bought a mansion in Montecito, signed highly lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify, launched Archewell and are now expecting their second child.
What’s more, Meghan has won a huge victory in her privacy case against Associated Newspapers, although the copyright element of her claim is still to be resolved.
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