LONDON (AP) – Britain and its royal family recorded the quake on Monday from a sensational television interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, in which the couple said they experienced racist attitudes and a lack of support that drove the Duchess to suicidal thoughts. has.
In a two-hour soul-giving interview by Oprah Winfrey, the couple painted a deeply unflattering picture of life within the royal household, suggesting a cold, unkempt institution that they should flee to save their lives.
Meghan told Winfrey that “I just did not want to live anymore.” She said she sought help from the human resources department in the palace, but was told she could do nothing.
Meghan, 39, admitted that she was naive at the beginning of her relationship with Harry and was not willing to limit royal life.
The former television star, who identifies her as dual, said there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin could be when he was born, when she was pregnant with the boy, Archie.”
Harry confirms the conversation and says, “I was a little shocked.” He said he would not disclose who made the remark, although Winfrey said he told her it was not one of his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II, or her husband, Prince Philip.
Harry and Meghan, known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, announced last year that they were ending their military service, citing the intolerable intrusion and racist attitude of the British media and moving to North America. This split became official this year, and the interview was widely regarded as their first opportunity to explain their decision.
In a clip released Monday that was not aired the night before, Harry reiterated that racism was a big part of the reason the couple left Britain – and he blamed the “poisonous” British tabloid newspaper.
“The United Kingdom is not very important,” he said. “The British press is big, especially the tabloids.”
The implications for the interview – which aired Sunday night in the United States and aired Monday night in Britain – are only beginning to be understood. Emily Nash, Royal Editor at Hello! Magazine, said the revelations left her and many other viewers “shocked”.
“I do not see how the palace can ignore these allegations, they are incredibly serious,” she said. ‘You have the racism allegations. Then you also have the allegation that Meghan is not supported, and she even sought help from the HR team in the household and said that she could not seek help. ”
The anti-monarchy group Republic said the interview gives a clearer picture of what the royal family is like – and it’s not pretty.
“Whether it’s for the sake of Britain or for the sake of the younger royals, this rotten institution must go,” said Graham Smith of the campaign group.
Harry, born a royal prince, described how his wife’s experience helped him realize how he and the rest of the family were trapped in an oppressive setting.
“I was trapped, but I did not know I was trapped,” Harry said. “My father and my brother, they’re trapped.”
Meghan, he said, “saved me.”
The younger royals – including Harry, Meghan, Harry’s brother, Prince William, and William’s wife, Catherine – made a campaign for mental health support and awareness one of their priorities. But Harry said the royal family was completely unable to offer the support to its own members.
“For the family, they have the mentality: ‘It’s just the way it is, it’s the way it’s meant, you can not change it, we’re all gone through it,’ Harry said.
The couple had serious criticism in the UK before the interview. Prince Philip, 99, is in hospital in London after recovering from a heart operation, and critics see the decision to continue as a burden for the Queen – although CBS rather than Harry and Meghan are timing the broadcast determined.
In the United States, sympathy for the couple flooded in after the interview. Britain may be less forgiving, as some view the couple as personal duties above public duty.
Tennis star Serena Williams, a friend who attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding, said on Twitter that the duchess’ words illustrate the pain and cruelty she experienced.
“The consequences for mental health of systemic oppression and victimization are devastating, isolating and all too often deadly,” Williams added.
Meghan – then known as Meghan Markle, who starred in the American TV legal drama ‘Suits’ – married Harry in May 2018 at Windsor Castle.
But even that was not what it seemed like: the couple revealed in the interview that they exchanged vows in front of Canterbury Archbishop Justin Welby three days before their spectacular wedding ceremony.
Archie was born the following year and in a rare positive moment in the interview, the couple revealed that their second child, in the summer, would be a girl.
Harry said he lived in fear of repeating the fate of his mother, Princess Diana, who was constantly covered by the press and died in a car accident in Paris in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.
“What I saw was that history repeated itself, but certainly much more dangerously, because then you add race and you add social media,” Harry said.
Both Meghan and Harry praised the support they received from the monarch.
“The queen has always been wonderful to me,” Meghan said.
But Harry revealed that he currently has a bad relationship with William and said that it got so bad with his father that Prince Charles at one point stopped calling.
“There’s a lot to work through,” Harry said of his relationship with his father. “I feel really disappointed. He has been through something similar. He knows how pain feels. And Archie is his grandson. I will always love him, but there is a lot of hurt that happened. ”
While clips of the interview were shared online, and the British press covered the key points, large parts of Britain will only see the full interview on Monday night – and many will want to know how the palace addresses this saga. The palace did not respond to a request for comment.
The royal family has known scandal before – recently over Prince Andrew’s friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As a result, Andrew, Harry’s uncle, was dismissed from the royal duties.
“I’m very sad for the Queen,” said Ernest Lee, 76, when questioned in London. ‘I think she’s having a lot of problems right now, dealing with one of her sons (Andrew) and scandals, and now her grandson is breaking up and moving away from the royal family. … We have enough problems in this world without people making more. ‘
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If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, you can seek help from the United States National Suicide Prevention Buoy at 1-800-273-8255. The Samaritans in the United Kingdom can be reached at 116 123.