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Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview: White House praises 'courage' of Duchess in sharing her struggles with mental health

The White House has praised the Duchess of Sussex's "courage" in sharing her "struggles with mental health" during her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was asked if Joe Biden had watched the interview, and what he thought about "the racism they [the Duke and Duchess] felt".

Ms Psaki said: "Let me first say, obviously, many of us caught the interview, as many Americans did, and around the world. Meghan Markle is a private citizen and so is Harry at this point.

"For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health, and tell their own personal story, that takes courage."

The Biden administration will not provide any further "commentary" on the interview, she added.

In other key developments during the two-hour interview, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Oprah:

  1. Prince of Wales "stopped taking" Harry’s calls after their royal departure

  2. Meghan contemplated suicide, saying she "just didn't want to be alive any more"

  3. Duchess of Cambridge made the Duchess of Sussex cry before her wedding, she claimed

  4. Couple had a private marriage ceremony three days before their wedding officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury

  5. Sussexes wanted Archie to be a prince so he would have security

  6. Queen wasn’t “blindsided” by their departure the Duke insisted

  7. Couple are expecting a baby girl during the summer

  8. Princess Diana foresaw his departure from the Royal family, Prince Harry claimed

  9. Royal family has an "invisible contract" with the tabloid press, Harry claimed

Follow our live blog for a play-by-play of the explosive interview and the global reaction.


07:30 PM

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at Royal Albert Hall on night she revealed she had suicidal thoughts

The Duchess of Sussex said she felt so low at one point that she told the Duke of Sussex that she could not be left alone because she was afraid she might harm herself.

She describes a particularly distressing time when she was attending a show with her husband at the Royal Albert Hall.


07:14 PM

'Why Meghan is a millennial hero'

It’s the fairytale that every girl of my generation grew up with: the prince falling for the cool, independent ‘just like us’ woman in jeans, and then going on to marry her against all the odds, writes Radhika Sanghani.

For millennials like myself, fed on a diet of Disney movies followed by The Princess Diaries and The Prince & Me, not to mention The Prince & Me 2, Harry and Meghan’s story was the fairytale we already knew off by heart.

And most of us were already predisposed to Team Meghan. As a strong, black, independent woman who’d carved out a successful career of her own before even meeting Harry, she was everything we admired.

It seemed like no matter what, Meghan could never win. Her Grenfell charity cookbook was claimed to have ‘terrorist’ links, her (and our) love of avocados was blamed for mass murder, and every time Harry expressed a slightly woke opinion, she was accused of the sexist and insulting crime of making him her puppet.

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were leaving the Royal family, to create their own Happy Ever After, it was not a surprise. If anything, it was the perfect 21st century fairytale ending.

Read the full comment piece here.


07:07 PM

Why there's no way back for Meghan, Harry and the Royal family

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah has raised questions about what it is the couple might have achieved with their revelations, according to The Telegraph's Camilla Tominey.

"It was probably the most astonishing royal interview I have ever seen in my life", says Camilla Tominey. In the two-hour interview broadcast in the United States, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she had suicidal thoughts as a senior member of the Royal family and that there were "concerns" about Archie's skin colour before he was born.

But according to Camilla Tominey, the tell-all interview failed to reveal what was behind the couple's unhappiness. "What has [the interview] achieved, apart from saying stuff that can't be undone?", she added.

Read the full analysis here.


06:59 PM

Harry and Meghan's pregnancy photographer congratulates couple

Misan Harriman, a friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and who has photographed them, has congratulated them on the news that they are expecting a baby girl.

"What wonderful news to celebrate on International Women’s Day! Congratulations my friends, and welcome to the #girldad club H," he wrote.


06:47 PM

Queen 'too busy' to meet Prince Harry and Meghan

The Duke of Sussex said he was suddenly told the Queen was too "busy" for him to visit her in the days before he and his wife released their shock statement saying they intended to step down as working royals, Gareth Davies reports.

Harry said his grandmother had told him to come and see her at Sandringham after he and Meghan arrived back in the UK from Canada in January 2020.

He said it made him "really sad" that some of the advice which he says the Queen as head of The Firm - the name by which the royal family is sometimes known - had received "has been really bad".

The Sussexes released their statement on January 8 2020, saying they intended to step down and become financially independent, but still support the Queen - a dual role which in the end was unworkable.

In a previously-unseen clip from the interview, Harry said the contents of that statement had been put in a letter "to the institution, to my father, which was then shared at the end of December while we were in Canada".

He said the Queen had already invited them to spend time with her at the estate in Norfolk, but that plans then changed.


06:30 PM

Prince Harry and William to reunite at unveiling of Diana statue

The Duke of Sussex is determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother at the unveiling of a statue of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, whatever the fallout from his Oprah appearance, writes Victoria Ward.

Prince Harry hopes that the brothers can present a united front at Kensington Palace on July 1, which would have been the Princess’s 60th birthday, in an attempt to move past their rift.

A source close to Prince Harry insisted that whatever had been said and done, he desperately hoped to attend the event and considered it a priority.

There is more uncertainty about whether the Duke might make it back to the UK for earlier events, such as Trooping the Colour on June 12 or the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday on June 10.

Despite the explosive nature of the revelations made to Ms Winfrey, the Sussexes consider the interview their last word on the subject and want to move on.

Read the full story here.


06:22 PM

New Zealand 'not likely' to become a republic in wake of Harry and Meghan interview, says Jacinda Ardern

New Zealand's prime minister says the country is “not likely” to become a republic in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan's interview, as Commonwealth countries face calls for the removal of the Queen as Head of State.

Jacinda Ardern was asked whether the unflattering picture of the British royal family painted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had given her pause about New Zealand's constitutional ties to Britain.

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern  - Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via Reuters
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via Reuters

"I've said before that I've not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our constitutional arrangements, and I don't expect that's likely to change quickly," she said.

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with The Queen as Sovereign.

But discontent is bubbling elsewhere - #AbolishTheMonarchy was trending on Twitter on Monday morning.

Jamie Johnson has the story.


06:11 PM

Are there more bombshells to come from still-unseen portions of the Harry and Meghan interview?

Two hours of the interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex failed to make it into the final edit, raising the prospect of further explosive revelations being drip fed by US television.

It has emerged that Oprah Winfrey interviewed first the Duchess of Sussex and then jointly with Prince Harry over the course of three hours and 20 minutes.

However, only one hour and 25 minutes made it into the prime time programme broadcast on the US network CBS on Sunday night, and repeated tonight on ITV for a fee of £1 million. A few further clips were shown on CBS’s breakfast programme hosted by one of Oprah’s closest friends.

Ms Winfrey has now disclosed details of how the interview came about – a three-year odyssey that culminated in the ‘bombshell’ interview of the decade that has wreaked havoc on the House of Windsor.

Read more on the potential further Oprah revelations.


06:00 PM

'Americans were always Team Royal – but it's clear times have changed'

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left Britain last March it was the Duchess of Cornwall who pointedly commented: “Our loss is America’s gain”, recalls Katie Nicholl.

For Britons, who have held Prince Harry in their hearts ever since he walked behind his mother’s coffin as a child, it was a sad moment. But across the pond there was excitement as America celebrated bagging “the fun prince” and his glamorous American wife. It was the ultimate homecoming and after their interview with Oprah, it’s clear that the couple now have the support of the American public – which is Team Sussex all the way.

The couple agreed to sit down with Oprah to tell “their truth” – but the knock-on effect extends well beyond family relations and tells us an important story about the growing transatlantic divide.

In Britain, where the Sussexes’ popularity has plummeted according to recent polls, the Duchess’s decision to publicly air her grievances has been largely perceived as insensitive to the Queen, given the Duke of Edinburgh is in hospital recovering from heart surgery.

In the States, however, the Royal Family’s popularity had nosedived in the run up to the interview, and after Sunday’s screening it appears to have hit an all-time low. There are even calls for the monarchy to be abolished.

Read more: The very different moods either side of the Atlantic


05:53 PM

US reaction: America's fury at Royal family over Duchess of Sussex's racism accusations

America reacted with widespread anger at Buckingham Palace following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell interview, Nick Allen reports.

Serena Williams, the US tennis star who co-hosted the Duchess's baby shower in 2019, said she was a victim of "systematic oppression".

She said: "Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life - and leads by example - with empathy and compassion.

"She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she's experienced."

Ms Williams added: "I know first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of colour to minimise us."


05:49 PM

Duchess of Sussex reveals she contemplated suicide when pregnant due to 'stress' and 'isolation'

The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she had suicidal thoughts and struggled with her mental health after joining the Royal family, Josie Ensor writes.

The Duchess, 39, said in the extraordinarily candid interview that the “stress and isolation” drove her to contemplate taking her own life while pregnant with son Archie.

She claimed she told a senior Palace official that she wanted to get treatment for her depression, but was denied because it would “look bad”.

"[Going to a hospital] is what I was asking to do, I was told I couldn't because it wouldn't be good for the institution,” the Duchess told Oprah.

She said she felt so low at one point that she told the Duke of Sussex that she could not be left alone because she was afraid she might harm herself.


05:37 PM

How plans to slim down monarchy have spiralled into racism row

By raising the spectre of racism, Prince Harry and Meghan have pressed on a sore that has long been one of the Royal family’s weaknesses, writes Gordon Rayner.

For a monarch determined to slim down and modernise the Royal family for the 21st century, the Queen’s decision not to give her great-grandson Archie the title of prince made perfect sense.

Following controversy over the roles and publicly funded privilege of minor members of The Firm, the Queen and the Prince of Wales had already decided to shift the focus to Her Majesty and just six others.

What they could not have predicted was that two years later, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would try to weave that perceived snub into a new narrative – one of racism at the heart of the House of Windsor.

“They didn't want him to be a prince,” the Duchess told Oprah Winfrey, “which would be different from protocol ... we have in tandem the conversation of, ‘He won't be given security. He’s not going to be given a title.’ And also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”

Analysis: How racism claims could do permanent damage to Royal brand


05:21 PM

White House praises Meghan's 'courage' over mental health in intervention

The White House praised the Duchess of Sussex's "courage" in sharing her "struggles with mental health", reports our US Editor Nick Allen.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was asked if Joe Biden had watched the interview, and what he thought about "the racism they [the Duke and Duchess] felt."

Ms Psaki said: "Let me first say, obviously, many of us caught the interview, as many Americans did, and around the world. "Meghan Markle is a private citizen and so is Harry at this point.

"For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health, and tell their own personal story, that takes courage.

"And that's certainly something the president believes. And he's talked about the importance of investing in these areas that they're [the Duke and Duchess] committed to in the future as well."

She added: "We aren't going to provide additional commentary from here on behalf of the president, or others, given these are private citizens sharing their own story and their own struggles.

"And let me just reiterate we have a strong and abiding relationship with the British people, and a special partnership with the government of the UK on a range of issues, and that will continue."


05:05 PM

Watch: Boris Johnson refuses to comment on Royal racism row


05:00 PM

Harry and Meghan leaving Royal family was foreseen by Diana, claims Duke

Prince Harry has revealed that he was financially able to step back from the Royal family because his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales left him an inheritance, our US correspondent Josie Ensor reports.

The Duke told Oprah Winfrey: "I think she saw it coming" as he revealed he was now living off money left to him by his late mother after he was “cut off financially” early last year when he and the Duchess moved to the US.

Princess Diana and Prince Harry at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1994 - Paul Greaves/Shutterstock
Princess Diana and Prince Harry at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1994 - Paul Greaves/Shutterstock

“I have what my mum left me and without that we wouldn’t have been able to do this,” he said of his new life in Los Angeles. “It’s like she saw it coming and she’s been with us through this whole process.”

The princes were left about £6.5 million each when their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, died 23 years ago. The sum was invested and gathered substantial interest, so Prince Harry inherited around £10 million on his 30th birthday.

Read the full story here.


04:42 PM

How Harry and Meghan found comfort in California

Eccentrics, exiles, inventors, hippies, criminals: for more than 150 years, all have come to California seeking a new life in a place where their old world can't touch them.

And, as we found out in Oprah's two-hour interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, royals can do the same.

While the programme was full of accusations and revelations, in the background we also learned a lot about the life the Sussexes have established with their son Archie in the upscale seaside town of Montecito.

Meghan and Archie pictured on the beach in California - CBS
Meghan and Archie pictured on the beach in California - CBS

In particular, we saw a different side of Prince Harry, roughly 4,700 miles away from his royal duties and more than 6,800 from his service guiding in air strikes and piloting attack helicopters for the British Army Air Corps.

Laurence Dodds has more on the life described by Meghan as "greater than any fairytale you've ever read".


04:35 PM

'Kate made me cry', says Meghan about row over bridesmaids' dresses

The Duchess of Sussex claimed during her interview with Oprah Winfrey that the Duchess of Cambridge made her cry during wedding planning - not the other way round as had been reported, writes Josie Ensor.

Megan Markle said in a blockbuster interview that The Duchess of Cambridge made her cry during a discussion about the bridesmaid outfit that her daughter, Princess Charlotte, would wear.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Europe
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Europe

The incident was first reported in The Telegraph which claimed that there had been a “row” over whether the young bridesmaids should wear tights for the Sussexes' wedding in 2018.

The Duchess of Cambridge felt that they should, saying it was protocol, while the Duchess of Sussex reportedly did not want them to. In a rare statement, Kensington Palace denied the claims at the time.

Read the full story here.


04:26 PM

Boris Johnson: 'Right for Prime Ministers to say nothing' on royal matters

Boris Johnson is asked by The Sun's Harry Cole about "wall-to-wall" media coverage of Britain as an "unwelcoming and racist country" in light of the Sussexes' interview.

He is asked whether this has damaged the UK and, the Queen aside, he believes the Royal Family is racist.

"I congratulate you on your very determined attempt to involve me in this story more than I've said already," Mr Johnson says.

"When it comes to matters to do with the Royal Family, the right thing for Prime Ministers to say is nothing, and nothing is the thing that I propose to say today about that particular matter."


04:23 PM

New videos reveal Queen and Philip did not make racist Archie comments

The Queen and Prince Philip have been ruled out after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed a senior member of the Royal family made racist comments about their unborn son.

In a series of new, unseen videos that have appeared in the aftermath of Prince Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with US television host Oprah Winfrey, even more extraordinary claims have been made.

They include the fact the Sussexes left the UK in part due to racism, that Meghan believes her father betrayed her and the Queen being too busy to meet Prince Harry.

Our Breaking News Editor Gareth Davies has the story.


04:18 PM

Boris Johnson declines to comment on Sussexes interview

Boris Johnson has declined to comment on the interview, or Meghan and Harry's allegations that a member of the Royal family asked about how dark the skin of their firstborn child would be.

Asked about the issue at the Downing Street press briefing - which is ongoing - Mr Johnson said:

"I've always had the highest admiration for the Queen and the unifying role that she plays in our country and across the Commonwealth.

"As for the rest of all other matters to do with the Royal Family, I've spent a long time now not commenting on Royal Family matters and I don't intend to depart from that today."


04:09 PM

Prince Harry and Meghan's 'secret wedding' an exchange of vows and not legal ceremony

The Duke and Duchess’s “secret wedding” was an exchange of vows, and not a legal ceremony as they claimed.

Prince Harry and Meghan suggested that they were married in their back garden by the Archbishop of Canterbury three days before their fairytale wedding.

In her interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess said the wedding at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 was a "spectacle for the world".

However, the couple claimed that they decided to have their own private moment and married in their garden days before.

Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk down the west steps of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, after their wedding ceremony - AFP/Ben Stansall
Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk down the west steps of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, after their wedding ceremony - AFP/Ben Stansall

After the airing of the controversial interview on American network CBS last night, sources within both the Church of England and those working for the Sussexes moved to clarify that the vows presided over by the Most Rev Justin Welby in the garden did not constitute a legal marriage.

Instead, the “marriage” was merely a personal and private exchange of vows between the couple.

Gabriella Swerling, Victoria Ward and Camilla Tominey have more details here.


03:54 PM

'The interview can't be undone': Why there's no way back for Meghan, Harry and the Royal family

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah has raised questions about what it is the couple might have achieved with their revelations, according to The Telegraph's Camilla Tominey.

Her analysis is here.


02:57 PM

New, unseen clips emerge of interview

Our video team has pulled together the new, unseen clips that have been released this afternoon from the interview.

Having filmed the interview over two days, a lot of the content was stripped out from the main run of the interview.

Oprah, appearing herself on CBS This Morning, discussed her role as the host and talked through the new clips.


02:32 PM

The 10 key moments that led to Sussexes split from The Firm

  1. May 16, 2018: Harry and Meghan were secretly married in their back garden by the Archbishop of Canterbury three days before the wedding ceremony.
  2. May 19, 2018: Harry and Meghan got married publicly in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in a “spectacle for the world”.
  3. October 15, 2018: Harry and Meghan landed in Sydney ahead of their official royal tour of Australia, covering 76 engagements in 16 days.
  4. November 2018: Multiple allegations that Meghan left the Duchess of Cambridge in tears in an incident before the Sussexes' wedding were reported by this newspaper. Meghan now claims Kate made her cry.
  5. January 16, 2019: Meghan attended a show at the Royal Albert Hall while pregnant. She said she is still “haunted” by pictures of her and Harry at the event and was “weeping” every time the lights went down.
  6. January 29, 2019: An online story was published about Meghan eating avocados which said the fruit was linked to “water shortages, illegal deforestation and environmental devastation”.
  7. January 8, 2020: Meghan and Harry announced - via Instagram - their decision to “step back as ‘senior’ members” of the Royal Family.
  8. January 18, 2020: An agreement was reached that the couple would no longer be working royals, following a summit five days earlier.
  9. March 2020: Meghan and Harry permanently moved into their new home in Los Angeles after they had lived in Canada for a few weeks.
  10. February 19, 2021: Meghan and Harry will not return as working members of the Royal Family, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

02:16 PM

Meghan told to be '50pc of herself', Oprah recalls

Oprah Winfrey also recalled a conversation she had with Meghan when she first approached her in 2018 and said: "She had just joined the Royal family and she shared a conversation with me then that made me feel somewhat disheartened.

"She said she had been told, been given advice, that it would be best if she could be 50% less than she was. That was the quote, if she could be 50% less.

"I remember hearing that in 2018 and I said to her, 'I don't know how you're going to survive, being half of yourself'."

CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King also clarified: "They were not paid for the interview and it was not at my house!"

Winfrey added: "It was filmed at a friend's house, I'm not going to disclose the friend, I don't want people going to try to find the friend, I have friends."


02:15 PM

Oprah, Harry and Meghan to have debrief later today

Asked how the couple is feeling today, Oprah Winfrey said: "I haven't really spoken to them since the interview because we are in different time zones.

"I got a text from Meghan yesterday saying 'How is it going?' because she was putting Archie to bed waiting on the west coast feed and had no idea what was happening on the east coast. I said 'I don't either but from what I can tell it's going well, I know it's airing.'

"I will probably have a conversation with them later on today."


02:14 PM

Oprah compares Meghan-Thomas Markle relationship to Harry-William

Asked by CBS This Morning if Oprah Winfrey thought Meghan was open to repairing the relationship with her father, Winfrey said: "I didn't pursue that conversation. From what I gathered the relationship with her father is similar to what is happening with Prince Harry and Prince William, there is distance there and maybe with time things will get better but for now, no."

The TV star also discussed Harry's relationship with the Prince of Wales and said: "I was surprised he was open and vulnerable because we could feel his pain when he was speaking about his father.

"When he talked about 72 Members of Parliament stood up and none of his family did and that hurts, I could feel he really deeply meant that.

"You can feel his sadness and I think what he said in the interview last night on continuing to mend that relationship is what he intends to do but it is very sad."


02:13 PM

Did Meghan's father 'betray' her, Duchess is asked

Meghan said there was an "obsession" with anything in her world including tracking down her parents.

She said: "I did everything I could to protect both of them in that media frenzy for over a year".

Asked if it felt like "betrayal" when she found out her father Thomas Markle was "working with the tabloids", Meghan said: "I'm just trying to decide if I'm comfortable even talking about that."

She said of the story which came out just before she and Harry got married: "We called my dad and I asked him and he said 'no, absolutely not' and I said you know the institution has never intervened for anything for us but they can try to go in and kill this story, but if they do this once we're not going to be able to use that same leverage to protect our own kids one day."

Meghan said she had said to her father: "'I just need you to tell me and if you tell me the truth we can help'. And he wasn't able to do that, and that for me has really resonated, especially now as a mother."

Winfrey said: "Not being willing to protect you?"

Meghan said: "And also me saying just full stop 'if we use this to protect you we won't be able to protect our own children one day, I'm talking about your grandchildren'.

"I look at Archie, I think about this child, and I genuinely can't imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child. I can't imagine it, so it's hard for me to reconcile that."

Asked about his accountability for his actions, she added: "Everyone has accountability. They (tabloids) hunted my mum down and you've never heard her say a word."


01:58 PM

PM says there is 'no place in society' for racism

Boris Johnson has made clear in the past that there is "no place in society" for racism, No 10 has said in the wake of the explosive Harry and Meghan interview, writes our Deputy Political Editor Lucy Fisher.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman confirmed Mr Johnson has not seen the interview yet, but said he has "spoken about racism previously, and about the fact that there is no place in society for it whatsoever".

An indication was given that Mr Johnson is likely to respond to questions about it at a Downing Street press conference this afternoon.

Speaking to reporters at a Westminster briefing, the PM's spokesman said: "It's completely a matter for you what you guys ask him, but on issues such as this, I think it's fair for the Prime Minister to respond to any such questions himself." The spokesman sidestepped the question about whether Mr Johnson would agree with children's minister Vicky Ford that it is unacceptable to ask about the skin colour of an unborn child.


01:40 PM

'There's a difference between privacy and intrusion', insists Oprah

Discussing the Sussexes' bid for privacy, Oprah Winfrey said: "There is a difference between privacy and intrusion and being able to have boundaries.

"Yes you want privacy. You don't want helicopters and people hiding in the bushes filming your baby outside playing.

"I think when people say 'Oh they are talking now but they wanted privacy' they don't understand there is a difference between being a public figure who wants to have some boundaries and not be consistently intruded upon versus being private."


01:38 PM

Thomas Markle lied about working with tabloids, Meghan says

In another previously unseen clip, the Duchess of Sussex described the damage to her own family's relationships amid intense press scrutiny, writes Rozina Sabur.

The Duchess said her father's decision to work with the tabloids had been a "betrayal" because he had lied about it when she confronted him.

"That for me has really resonated especially now as a mother," she told Winfrey.

"I look at Archie and I think I can't imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain for my child," she said.

By contrast, the Duchess said her mother Doria Ragland had been living in "silent dignity" despite being "hunted" by the press.

The Duchess also gave her half-sister Samantha Markle and her upcoming tell-all book short shrift, saying: "I think it would be very hard to tell all if you don't know me."

She added that she had last seen her half-sister "18 or 19 years ago", saying "I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows".

She claimed that Samantha only changed her surname back to Markle when she began dating Harry.


01:34 PM

No apology for Harry from royals over decision to leave The Firm

In a newly aired clip of their interview shown on CBS, Prince Harry said none of his family had apologised to him for the reasons they had to leave the institution, reports Rozina Sabur.

"No, sadly not. The feeling is this was our decision therefore the consequences are on us. Despite three years of asking for help and visualising how this might end," he said.

"You could feel his sadness," Oprah Winfrey told her friend Gayle King said in an interview on CBS on Monday morning.

Winfrey added that she had received a text from Meghan on Sunday evening asking how the interview was being perceived while it was being broadcast on the US east coast.

Winfrey revealed that the Duchess was busy putting Archie to bed on the west coast and was waiting to watch it later that evening.

The chat show host said she would have a debrief with the couple later today. "I'm pleased we were able to maintain the integrity of the interview from a 3hr 20 minute cut down," she added.


01:33 PM

Meghan: Social media made it 'the wild, wild West'

Harry said the "relationship and that control and the fear by the UK tabloids, it's a really, it's a toxic environment".

He said he will "always be there for him (William), and I will always be there for my family and as I've said I've tried to help them to see what has happened".

Asked if his father, the Prince of Wales, thinks it is a "toxic environment", Harry said: "I think he's had to make peace with it."

Asked why they could not make peace with it, Meghan said "this was different" due to social media, describing it as "like the wild, wild West".


01:22 PM

Racism allegations and suicidal thoughts most striking, says Oprah

Appearing on CBS This Morning, Oprah Winfrey said her two biggest surprises during the interview came when the Duchess discussed her suicidal thoughts and the conversations about Archie's skin colour, writes Rozina Sabur in Washington.

She clarified: "I was surprised that they were telling me about it" rather than shocked that the conversations on race had taken place.


01:15 PM

Oprah Winfrey: 'I wanted to ask Harry and Meghan why they left'

Oprah Winfrey said the full interview was three hours and 20 minutes long and was edited down to one hour and 25 minutes for the US broadcast, and the most important question she wanted to answer was "why did they leave?"

She added: "The stories about blindsiding the Queen were very damaging to them and hurtful to them, there had clearly been months and months of preparation before they moved to Canada."

She also referred to a statement released by the Queen on Jan 18 which said their decision to leave followed "many months of conversation and more recent discussion".

Winfrey added: "The Queen on Jan 18 actually said that there had been months of conversation but in spite of that there were still all those stories about blindsiding."


01:14 PM

Keir Starmer: Allegations by Duchess must be taken seriously

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the allegations made by the Duchess of Sussex in her television interview must be taken seriously.

Speaking during a visit to a school in Dagenham, east London, Sir Keir said: "It is really sad to see the family in turmoil like this.

"The issues that Meghan has raised of racism and mental health are really serious issues.

"It is a reminder that too many people experience racism in 21st-century Britain. We have to take that very, very seriously.

"Nobody, but nobody, should be prejudiced (against) because of the colour of their skin or because of their mental health issues.

"This is bigger than the royal family. For too many years we have been too dismissive and too willing to put these issues to one side."


01:12 PM

Duchess of Sussex: Cannot compare negative coverage

The Duchess of Sussex said it was unfair to make comparisons between negative coverage of her and bad press about the Duchess of Cambridge in a newly aired clip of her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

"If a member of this family will say we've all had to deal with things that are rude - rude and racist is not the same," she told Winfrey.


12:55 PM

Queen and Prince Philip ruled out of Archie skin tone claims

The Queen and Prince Philip were not part of conversations about Archie's skin colour, Oprah Winfrey revealed.

Oprah told CBS This Morning that the Duke had wanted to make clear that neither his grandmother nor grandfather were involved in "those conversations".


12:54 PM

Prince Harry: Queen refused to meet

In another clip, Harry said he had been suddenly told he was no longer invited to spend time with the Queen at Sandringham in January 2020.

Harry said the Queen had told him to come and see her there after he and Meghan arrived back in the UK from Canada.

He said: "My grandmother had said 'the moment you land, come up to Sandringham, we'd love to have a chat, come for tea, why don't you stay for dinner because it's going to be a long drive and you're going to be exhausted?"'

He said "the moment we landed in the UK" he got a message from his private secretary at the time, passing on a message from the Queen's private secretary.

He said it was "basically saying 'please pass on to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that he cannot come to Norfolk. The Queen is busy, she's busy all week'."

Oprah said: "After she'd just invited to you?"

Harry replied: "She'd just invited me.'The Queen is busy, she's busy all week, do not come up here'."


12:47 PM

Sussexes left UK because of racism, Duke admits in new, unseen clip

In a previously unseen clip from the bombshell interview which aired on CBS this morning, the Duke and Duchess discuss racism in the UK in greater detail.

Asked whether they left the UK because of racism, Prince Harry told Oprah Winfrey it was "a large part of it".

The Duke added that British society was not "bigoted" but the country's press was "inherently corrupt".

Prince Harry described attending a fundraising dinner for his Sentebale charity during which a well-connected friend warned him about racism in the UK.

"[They] said to me 'please don't do this with the media, they will destroy your life'...This person is friends with all the editors," the Prince said.

"He said: 'You need to understand that the UK is bigoted'. I stopped and I said the UK is not bigoted. I said the UK press is bigoted, and specifically the tabloids, is that what you mean?"

"He said: 'No, the UK is bigoted.' I said I completely disagree but unfortunately if the source of information is inherently corrupt or biased then that filters out into society."


12:16 PM

Interview was 'kryptonite', says royal commentator

Royal commentator Tine Brown called the interview "kryptonite".

"This is a hand grenade that has been thrown into the heart of the institution," she told CBS News. "It's extremely hard to refute a lot of what they said."


12:09 PM

US anchors condemn Royal family

US anchors were full of condemnation for the Royal family after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Washington Correspondent Rozina Sabur reports.

Gayle King, a CBS anchor and a friend of the Duchess, told her morning show: "I don't know what people were expecting but they weren't expecting that."


12:04 PM

Oprah to be interviewed about interview

The host is appearing on CBS This Morning to discuss the interview.


11:53 AM

Camilla Tominey analysis | Interview can't be undone, there's no way back

Having reflected on the astonishing interview, here is our Associate Editor Camilla Tominey's take on the revelations, the Sussexes and where they and the Royal family go from here.


11:50 AM

'Will they investigate racism in the Palace,' asks Labour MP

Labour MP Nadia Whittome tweeted: "When Meghan Markle was accused of bullying, Buckingham Palace immediately announced an investigation.

"Now that Meghan has revealed comments about her child's skin colour, will they investigate racism in the Palace? I won't be holding my breath."


11:05 AM

Have your say on the interview

Whether you watched it live, have been keeping abreast of the bombshell claims in our live blog or you are waiting for the re-run tonight - you can have your say now.

What did you think of the Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah Winfrey?

Check back later this afternoon to see if your comment has been included in a round-up of the best reaction.


10:29 AM

Watch: The engagement immediately after Meghan told Harry of suicidal thoughts

The Duchess said she had struggled to admit her suicidal feelings to her husband. “I was ashamed to have to admit it to Harry, especially, because I know how much loss he’s suffered,” she said.

Meghan dabbed away tears as she said she eventually told him just hours before they attended the premiere of Cirque du Soleil's Totem in January 2019 (you can see their appearance below), when she was around five months pregnant.

She said the Duke had told her he did not think she should attend the engagement but that she was so concerned for her own welfare that she told him she could not be left alone.

“It takes so much courage to admit you need help,” she said, “to admit how dark of a place you are in.”


09:45 AM

Sussexes went stateside 'with good wishes of Royal family'

On the issue of Harry seemingly falling out with his father Prince Charles, Mr Anson said: "I don't know about that, obviously.

"My feeling is that both the Queen and Prince Philip and Prince of Wales will have tried to have been helpful.

"There is no question they went to California with the good wishes of the Queen and her family.

"It was very clear they would remain as very close members of the family."


09:20 AM

Will the Queen respond?

There will be mounting pressure on Buckingham Palace to respond to the allegations made in the interview - not least on the issues of racism and Meghan's suicidal thoughts.

Will the Queen respond? Her former press secretary thinks not.

Mr Anson said: "I think the Palace's instinct will reflect how the Queen has carried her role in last 69 years.

"Try to take things gently, to be open and fair and deal with those things that are to do with family to be dealt with in a private, family setting.

"They tend to treat these family matters privately - not to do it all over the airwaves."


09:10 AM

'Not a strand of racism' in Royal household, says Queen's ex-secretary

Charles Anson said that there was "not a strand of racism" within the Royal household.

He said: "I certainly recall at the time of the wedding when I was working as a commentator - and the overwhelming sense of welcome for Meghan and for their marriage

"That was both evident in the press and the reaction of the public - and I don't think there's a strand of racism in that within the Royal household at all."

He said that any racism that existed was on social media.

Pressed that this was not what the Sussexes were saying, Mr Anson said: "I do take that point, that was a question and it's obviously one that needs to be considered."


08:58 AM

Queen's former press secretary has his say

Charles Anson, who was the Queen's press secretary for seven years from 1990 to 1997, said the interview was "very significant".

Asked about the claims that Meghan did not get help from within the Royal family when she expressed suicidal thoughts, he said: "There is a medical household and I remember it being very responsive both to members of staff and the Queen and her family.

"In my experience - seven years - nearly everybody wanted to do the best they could for their principals - about programmes, security and life.

"Everybody was proud and wanted it to work out."


08:47 AM

Harry's military friend: 'I came away having sympathy for Royal family'

Dean Stott, who has known the Duke of Sussex for more than a decade after they met during military training, described the interview as "powerful", "honest" and "uncomfortable at times".

He told BBC Breakfast that people have to be clear about "the distinction between the royal family and the institution".

He said: "The royal family, you know, Meghan only had praise for them. However the institution and the officials, I think they're the ones that have come up quite badly in this interview."

He said he does not think Harry will regret doing the interview, adding: "Obviously something needed to be said."

"I came away from watching it actually having sympathy for the royal family," he said. "They don't have a voice.

"When Harry mentions that they (other members) are trapped, that's very uncomfortable to hear."


08:37 AM

New pictures of Archie revealed in interview

The interview also produced new pictures of Meghan and Harry's son Archie running along a beach.

Archie running along the beach - Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special
Archie running along the beach - Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special
New pictures of Archie - Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special
New pictures of Archie - Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special

08:34 AM

Meghan's upset over Archie not being prince

The Duchess of Sussex has suggested it was her son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor's "birthright" to be a prince and the decision not to give him a title went against convention.

She expressed her shock at being told he would not get security and the idea of him "not being safe", and said she wanted him to have the title so he could have police protection.

Meghan also suggested that the decision was taken because of Archie's race.

The duchess shared her upset at the "idea of the first member of colour in this family, not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be". "It's not their right to take it away," she added.

Oprah Winfrey asked in the televised tell-all: "Do you think it's because of his race? I know that's a loaded question."

Meghan replied: "In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, so we (had) the conversation of he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title. And also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born."

But Archie was not entitled to be a prince because of rules set down by King George V more than 100 years ago. And being a prince or princess does not automatically mean royals have police protection.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's security is no longer paid for by the taxpayer.


08:03 AM

Body language expert: Harry's 'anger and resentment' towards his father

The Duke of Sussex's body language during the bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey showed "anger" and "resentment" towards his father, an expert said.

Harry accused the Prince of Wales of refusing to take his calls as he went public with his grievances about the Royal family. He revealed he and his father are estranged, adding: "I feel really let down."

Author and body language expert Judi James said that while Harry showed "love" when discussing his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, he was "comprehensively" negative when it came to Charles.

"I think specifically what emerged was his anger about his father," she said. "He spoke with affection about the Queen, he spoke with love for his brother, William.

"But when his father was mentioned the dramatic pause lasting several seconds before he spoke kind of said everything, really. And that's when he started to do the fast blinking. He sighed, he did a leg judder, he did a tongue poke.

"So that's where probably the key focus of resentment seems to lie."

Ms James said "there was no real effort to mask his (Harry's) response" to Charles.


07:58 AM

Labour MP expects Buckingham Palace to investigate racism claims with 'upmost seriousness'

Shadow education secretary Kate Green has said she expects the "shocking" claims by Meghan regarding Archie's skin colour to be investigated with the "upmost seriousness".

Watch below her talk to Sky News below.


07:40 AM

'No place for racism' says minister over Meghan's claims

Vicky Ford has said there is "no place for racism", after the Duchess of Sussex claimed that a member of the Royal family raised "concerns" about how dark Archie's skin would be before his birth.

Stressing she had not seen the documentary yet, the schools minister said it was "absolutely" unacceptable, adding: "There is absolutely no place for racism in our society and we all need to work to make sure that doesn't happen."

Asked about Meghan's claims that her mental health deteriorated to the point where she felt suicidal, Ford told Sky News: "Mental health and wellbeing is a really big issue,and that is part of the reason why we have prioritised bringing young children back into classrooms for their wellbeing support as well as education."


07:31 AM

The 11 unanswered questions from the interview

  1. Who is alleged to have asked about how dark Archie's skin would be? The duke and duchess refused to say which member of the royal family had this conversation with Harry while Meghan was pregnant with Archie. Meghan said she would not reveal the identity because it would be very damaging to them. Harry followed suit, and said he will never reveal who said it and what was said, but this will not stop the speculation.
  2. What damage has been done to Harry and Meghan's relationship with the Royal family? At this stage, the damage could be irreparable. The duke has vowed to try to restore his relationship with his father, the Prince of Wales, and said he hopes he can heal his rift with William in time. The interview is likely to be seen as an attack on the whole family, and it remains to be seen how William will react to his wife being singled out.
  3. What did Kate say to Meghan to make her cry? Meghan said it was Kate who left her in tears over the flower girl dresses, not the other way round as was reported. "It was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about some things," the duchess said. Kate apologised and sent flowers and a note. But Meghan said it was a turning point when the false story was not put straight.
  4. Who did Meghan approach in the Palace for help when feeling suicidal? Meghan said she went to "one of the most senior people". The duchess sent emails and begged for help and people said "Yes, yes, it's disproportionately terrible... but nothing was ever done", she claimed.
  5. Why was Meghan not supported? Meghan said: "There was no guidance... there's no class on how to speak, how to cross your legs, how to be royal, there's none of that training." She added: "That might exist for other members of the family" but said it was not offered to her.
  6. Who was jealous of Meghan? Harry indicated that members of the Royal family were jealous of Meghan because of the ease with which she carried out royal duties on their tour of Australia and New Zealand.
  7. What about Meghan's father? The duchess has been estranged from Thomas Markle since her wedding, but Winfrey was not seen questioning Meghan about their relationship. Does she intend to reach out to her father, and he will ever meet Harry or their children?
  8. Why did Meghan think Archie should be a prince? Meghan said she wanted Archie to be a prince so he could have police protection, and expressed her shock at the idea of the first member of colour in the family not being titled in the same way as other grandchildren. But seventh in line Archie is not at this stage entitled to be a prince because of rules established more than 100 years ago by King George V.
  9. Why didn't the Queen make Archie a prince? The Queen stepped in ahead of Prince George's birth to issue a Letters Patent to ensure all the Cambridges' children, not just George, would have fitting titles. But the Cambridges' children are the offspring of a future monarch whereas Archie is not. He will be entitled to be an HRH or a prince however when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne.
  10. What about the alleged bullying Meghan is accused of? The interview was filmed before the Times revealed that a senior aide raised concerns over bullying and that Meghan allegedly drove out two personal assistants and humiliated another, which the duchess denies. Questions still remain as to what exactly went on and how Meghan treated her staff. Buckingham Palace has launched an investigation.
  11. What will Harry and Meghan name their daughter? With the couple set to have a baby girl, the bookmakers will be predicting Diana as the frontrunner. Or perhaps even Elizabeth in honour of the Queen.

07:23 AM

How will Buckingham Palace respond?

The royal family and their aides have some challenging accusations to answer about why a suicidal Meghan was not supported and given help, and about the allegations of racism.

The Queen, known for her calm approach, is never reactive or rash during challenging times, and The Telegraph understands that there will not be an official response this morning.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have long been vocal campaigners on the issue of mental health so questions remain about their involvement and what their response will be after both were named in the interview.


07:11 AM

Kate made me cry, not other way around, insists Meghan

Contrary to reports, which first surfaced in the Daily Telegraph in November 2018, that Meghan had made Kate cry during a bridesmaids’ dress fitting, the former actress insisted it was actually the other way round, reports Associate Editor Camilla Tominey.

Implying a distinct lack of sisterly support from the mother-of-three, even when “everything was going on with my Dad”, Meghan insisted: “I’m not sharing that in any way to be disparaging about her,” adding: “I would hope that she would want that to be corrected.”

Read Camilla Tominey's analysis here.


06:57 AM

Watch: Meghan: 'I just didn't want to be alive any more'

Perhaps the most shocking moment of the two-hour interview was Meghan saying she'd had suicidal thoughts.

Watch it here:


06:53 AM

Oprah interview could trigger 'start of PR war'

Harry and Meghan's explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey could trigger "the start of a PR war", a public relations expert has said.

PR consultant Mark Borkowski said his initial reaction to the interview, broadcast in the US in the early hours of Monday, was that it was "pretty damaging to the Royal family".

He said: "Some of the accusations and some of the deeply personal insights into living inside a royal household will be judged, particularly by an American audience who are watching on primetime as pretty shocking.

"He (Harry) was very direct about the fact that he felt that his father (Charles, the Prince of Wales) had not given him the support, and he wanted to try and rebuild a relationship, the fact that he was close to his brother (William, the Duke of Cambridge), but obviously there was some distance between them.

"It certainly is their opportunity to give their side of the story, it's depending on what is the counter view of that - we've already seen bullying accusations, this could be the start of a PR war.

"Or it could be a moment for everybody to draw a line in the sand and start talking and trying to heal some wounds here, because the wounds are very deep."

The interview also revealed how Meghan felt suicidal while working as a senior member of the Royal family.

Mr Borkowski said: "There's a lot of losers in this."


06:43 AM

'I'm sickened by what I've had to watch'

ITV Good Morning Britain's Piers Morgan has berated the two-hour trashing of the Queen.


06:41 AM

... And there's still more to come!

Winfrey said sections of the interview which were unable to be broadcast during the two-hour time slot would be held over until a second show, to be transmitted this afternoon.

Royal watchers will be waiting with baited breath, given the dramatic nature of the first instalment.


06:40 AM

Harry and Meghan sign £100m Netflix and Spotify deal

Harry said his family "literally cut me off financially" in the first quarter of 2020 and he went for the Netflix and Spotify deals to pay for his security.

Since leaving the UK last year, the pair have signed lucrative deals - thought to be worth well over £100 million - with Spotify and Netflix to give them the capital to pursue their new lifestyle and public goals.

They have also bought a multi-million pound home in the celebrity enclave of Montecito in California, and also launched a non-profit foundation called Archewell.


06:39 AM

Two are to become four - as Sussexes expect girl

Meghan beamed as she spoke about her unborn child, a girl, the Sussexes confirmed.

The baby, a sister to Archie, is due in the summer - although no further details were provided about timings.

Harry said his first thought was "amazing" when he discovered they were having a girl, adding: "Just grateful. To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. But to have a boy and then a girl, I mean what more can you ask for? Now we've got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs."

Asked if they were "done" with two children, Harry said "done" and Meghan said: "Two is it."

No hints were given about what the couple will name their child, and, given they have sought to leave royal protocol behind them, it may be some time after the birth before the duo allow the world to see a picture of the latest member of their brood.


06:35 AM

The bullying probe backdrop and the Duke

Harry and Meghan's interview came at a time when the Royal family have barely been out of the headlines.

First, concerns linger about the health of the Duke of Edinburgh, who remains in hospital having undergone heart surgery last week.

Second, the furore over allegations of bullying made against the duchess by former royal staff.

Rumours are swirling about who will be called to give evidence in the Buckingham Palace probe.

Past and present employees are to be invited to speak in confidence about their experiences of working for the duchess, after it was alleged she drove out two personal assistants and that staff were "humiliated" on several occasions.

To fully examine the allegations Meghan would be needed to be part of the proceedings but it is not clear at this early stage what role if any she will play in the process.


06:34 AM

Where do Harry and Meghan go next after Oprah interview?

After such enormous accusations, where to the Duke and Duchess go from here?

The next handful of posts will take a look at this issue.

The Sussexes' decision to stand down as senior members of the royal family was always going to cause a great deal of upset.

But the extent of that rift was underlined when Harry disclosed his father, the Prince of Wales, stopped taking his phone calls during the build-up to the announcement that he and Meghan were leaving the royal family.

Likewise, Harry and older brother William were said to have fallen out some time ago.

While Harry clearly signalled stresses on his relationships with his father and brother, he expressed a desire for them to "heal".

Meghan's revelation that the Duchess of Cambridge previously made her cry is unlikely to be well received at the palace, given the long-standing tradition that disputes are not aired publicly. Some relationships might be easier to repair than others.


06:31 AM

America's fury at Royal family

America reacted with deep sympathy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and there was widespread anger at Buckingham Palace following their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, writes Nick Allen in Washington.

Much of the focus was on the revelation that a senior royal discussed the Duke and Duchess's son Archie and "how dark his skin might be when he's born."

The interview sparked a wave of goodwill for the Duchess in particular, and was widely seen as disastrous for the palace.

Read Nick Allen's full story on reaction here.


06:22 AM

Watch: The bombshell claims of Meghan and Harry

If you're just waking up, our video team have this clip of highlights for you from the extraordinary two-hour interview of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's claims.


05:44 AM

Camilla Tominey on the bombshell interview

The Telegraph's Associate Editor Camilla Tominey has written an analysis of the Oprah interview, complete with a number of "marmalade-dropper" moments.

"We knew it was going to be blockbuster TV. But what we didn’t anticipate about the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ Oprah interview is how unvarnished their “truth” was actually going to be," she writes.

"Talk of Royals “hiding behind the sofa” ahead of the primetime, no-holds-barred chat appeared to underestimate quite what the couple had in store. "

Read it all here.


05:35 AM

New Zealand's PM reacts

New Zealand's prime minister says the country is unlikely to become a republic anytime soon or otherwise break from observing Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was asked by a reporter whether the unflattering picture of the British Royal family painted by Harry and Meghan had given her pause about New Zealand's constitutional ties to Britain.

"I've said before that I've not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our constitutional arrangements, and I don't expect that's likely to change quickly," she said.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - Hagen Hopkins/Getty
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - Hagen Hopkins/Getty

Asked whether Harry and Meghan had ever inquired about living in New Zealand, Ms Ardern said they hadn't in any official capacity, as far as she was aware.

And asked about her personal friendship with Meghan since the couple toured the country in 2018, Ms Ardern said she had kept in touch. "It is fair to say in the past I've had contact here and there," she said. "But ultimately, the matters that are being canvassed here I see as for Meghan and Harry to respond to directly. These are matters about their personal lives and their personal decisions, and I don't think it deserves a commentary from anyone else."


05:26 AM

Hollywood mogul offered couple LA home

The Duke and Duchess revealed Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry provided a home and security for the couple when they moved from Canada to the US.

During their chat with Oprah Winfrey, the couple confirmed it was a Los Angeles mansion owned by Perry they fled to when leaving Canada early last year, days before the first coronavirus lockdown.

They later bought a home in nearby Montecito, where they are living now. They told how Perry provided them with security after their UK tax payer-funded protection was removed.

Speaking of their departure from British Columbia, Canada, Meghan said: "We didn't have a plan. We needed a house and he (Perry) offered his security as well so it gave us breathing room to try to figure out what we were going to do."

Harry added: "The biggest concern was while we were in Canada, in someone else's house, I then got told, short notice, that security was going to be removed. By this point, courtesy of the Daily Mail, the world knew our exact location.

"So suddenly it dawned on me, 'hang on a second, the borders could be closed, we're going to have our security removed, who knows how long lockdown is going to be, the world knows where we are, it's not safe, it's not secure, we probably need to get out of here'."


05:13 AM

Roxane Gay suggests Royal family was jealous

American writer Roxane Gay suggested the Royal family was angry with Meghan for attempting to modernise the monarchy. "They cannot stand when someone marries into the family and soars to popularity they will never, ever have," she wrote on Twitter.


05:07 AM

Piers Morgan blasts 'disgraceful betrayal of the Queen'


04:55 AM

Serena Williams praises 'selfless' Meghan

Tennis star Serena Williams has paid a tribute to her "selfless friend" Meghan after her tell-all interview with Oprah.

"Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life - and leads by example - with empathy and compassion," she wrote on Twitter.

"She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she's experienced.

Williams added that she knows "first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of colour".


04:49 AM

What time will interview air in the UK tonight?

Britons will be able to watch the full Harry and Meghan interview with Oprah in the UK tonight.

The two-hour blockbuster will be broadcast by ITV and on ITV hub on Monday at 9pm.


04:34 AM

How the UK press reacted


04:30 AM

Oprah to reveal extra clips on Monday

Oprah Winfrey will join CBS' morning programme on Monday to divulge extra footage from her interview with the Duke and Duchess.

The extra clips will air on "CBS This Morning" on Monday at 7 am east coast time.


04:27 AM

Inaugural poet weighs in

Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old poet who captured hearts with her performance at Joe Biden's Inauguration in January, has weighed in.


04:21 AM

Celebrities support for Meghan and Harry

Celebrities and American activists have taken to social media to show support for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Among those showing support for the couple was Meena Harris, the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Ms Harris live tweeted her reactions during the interview, and tweeted after it wrapped up: "Her Majesty The Queen Oprah."

Bernice King, the youngest child of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King, tweeted: "Royalty is not a shield from the devastation and despair of racism."

Social media users have been largely sympathetic towards the couple following the US broadcast, which aired at 8pm on the east coast.

American comedian Matt Bellassai tweeted: "The little inhales Meghan and Harry both take before dropping each bombshell....... the 'I'm about to say this shit to Oprah' breath."

Lord Alan Sugar said: "I just watched the Harry and Meghan interview with Oprah on US TV. Hmm ... I'll be interested to see the reaction in the UK tomorrow."


04:13 AM

Oprah praised for interview that will 'go down in history'


04:03 AM

US reaction

American commentators have already begun weighing in on the bombshell interview by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.


03:14 AM

'We have no regrets'

As they concluded their bombshell two-hour interview, the couple asked whether they have any regrets about their decision to step back from Royal life.

Prince Harry replied: "No... I am really proud of us. I am so proud of my wife. She safely delivered Archie during a period of time that was so cruel, so mean."

He offered a glimpse of their most trying moments in London, describing how his wife would sometimes cry while breastfeeding their son.

The couple said this is 'just the beginning' for us - AFP
The couple said this is 'just the beginning' for us - AFP

The Duchess said her one regret was "believing them when they said I would be protected".

However she employed a favoured phrase, adding: "we've actually not just survived but are thriving" calling it a miracle".

The interview ended with the Duchess declaring: "in some ways just the beginning for us."

Winfrey asked if Meghan's story with a prince "does have a happy ending", to which she replied: "Greater than any fairy tale you've ever read."


03:01 AM

'I love William to bits'

Asked about his relationship with his older brother, Harry said: "The relationship is space at the moment. And time heals all things, hopefully."

He added: "I love William to bits, he's my brother, we've been through hell together, we have a shared experience, but we were on different paths."

Harry said 'I love my brother to bits' but their relationship had been tested  - AFP
Harry said 'I love my brother to bits' but their relationship had been tested - AFP

Winfrey pressed Harry to disclose the content of a conversation Meghan referred to earlier in the interview about Archie's skin tone.

Harry said: "That conversion, I am never going to share. At the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked."

He added that it happened "right at the beginning" of their relationship.

He said members of his family suggested Meghan "carried on acting because there was not enough money to pay for her".

He added: "There were some real obvious signs, before we even got married, that this was going to be really hard."


02:58 AM

Harry: 'My father and brother are trapped'

Prince Harry said he still felt compassion for his father and brother because they are also "trapped".

"They don't get to leave," he said, adding he has "huge compassion for that".

Asked if he would have stepped back had he not met Meghan, Harry said: "No, the answer to your question is no."

He said that despite being "trapped", he "didn't see a way out" or realise he was trapped until he met Meghan.


02:52 AM

Harry feels 'let down' by Charles

Prince Harry has divulged that his relationship with his father has still not been repaired.

"I feel really let down" by him, he said, "because he's been through something similar", adding "Archie is his grandson."

Prince Harry added that he will always love his father but "there's a lot of hurt that's happened".

He also revealed that "my family literally cut me off financially".

The prince said he had been able to restart their lives in the US with money his mother had left him.

"I think she saw this coming," he added.


02:50 AM

Diana would be angry at split, says Harry

Asked how his mother would have reacted to the developments of the last year, Prince Harry said she would "feel very angry with how this has panned out and very sad."

The Prince said the turning point for the couple came after their tour of Australia.

"They saw how good she [Meghan] was at the job," he said, adding: "That brought back memories."

Princess Diana and Prince Charles with their children William and Harry  - AFP
Princess Diana and Prince Charles with their children William and Harry - AFP

Oprah asked Prince Harry whether he was suggesting the Royal family were "jealous" of Meghan, in the same way the recent Netflix series The Crown had suggested they were of his mother.

Asking whether the couple have watched The Crown, Harry replied: "I've watched some of it. We've watched some of it."

Meghan, laughing, added: "I've watched some of it."


02:43 AM

Harry: Royal family has 'contract' with tabloids

Prince Harry says there were many opportunities for his family to show their support for Meghan but they were "scared" of antagonising the press.

“I’m acutely aware of where my family stand and how acutely scared they are of the tabloids turning on them,” he told Oprah.

The Prince claimed there is an “invisible contract” between the royal family and the tabloids, adding the dynamic is one of “control by fear”.

“The institution survives based on” its relationship with the press, he said.

The Duchess added that the press coverage's racial overtones changed the level of threat to the couple.

“It changed the death threats,” she added.


02:34 AM

Harry: My dad stopped taking my calls

Prince Harry revealed that his father Prince Charles stopped taking his calls while discussions about the couple's future role were ongoing.

The prince denied blindsiding his grandmother the Queen with his plans to quit the UK, saying he had too much respect for her.

"I had three conversations with my grandmother, and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls. And then he said, can you put this all in writing?"

Asked why Prince Charles had stopped taking his calls, Prince Harry said: "By that point I took matters into my own hands, it was like, I needed to do this for my family. This is not a surprise to anybody. It's really sad that it's got to this point, but I've got to do something for my own mental health, my wife's and for Archie's as well."

Harry said he ultimately decided to step back because of a "lack of support and lack of understanding" from both the British press and the Royal institution.


02:18 AM

Harry: 'I was desperate'

Joining his wife for the second part of the interview, Prince Harry described the circumstances leading up to them stepping back from the Royal family.

The Duke of Sussex also revealed their security detail was removed when they stepped back from being senior members of the family.

Gripping Meghan's hand, he said: "Their justification was a change in status. I pushed back and said is there a change of threat or risk?

"Eventually, I got the confirmation that no, the risk hasn't changed but due to our change of status - we would no longer be 'official' members of the Royal family."

Prince Harry said he felt "trapped" by the institution - AFP
Prince Harry said he felt "trapped" by the institution - AFP

Prince Harry said the couple had done everything they could to try to remain a part of the Royal family and considered living in a Commonwealth country like Canada or New Zealand in order to satisfy the Palace.

Asked about the "tipping point" which led the couple to quit the UK, Prince Harry replied: "I was desperate.

"I went to all the places which I thought I should go to, to ask for help - we both did, separately and together."

Oprah asked: "You left because you were asking for help, and didn't get it?"

Harry replied: "Yeah. Basically. But we never left."

Meghan said: "We never left the family."


02:11 AM

Sussexes reveal they're having a girl

Prince Harry has joined the couch for the second part of their interview. The couple revealed they are expecting a baby girl.

The Prince said he was "just grateful".

Prince Harry joins the interview - CBS
Prince Harry joins the interview - CBS

"To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. But to have a boy and then a girl, I mean what more can you ask for? Now we've got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs."

Asked if they were "done" with two children, Prince Harry said "done" and the Duchess said: "Two is it."

Meghan also confirmed the baby is due in the "summertime".


01:53 AM

'I didn't want to be alive anymore'

The Duchess said she reached "a breaking point" where she came to find her life unsurvivable and began to have suicidal thoughts.

"I just didn't want to be alive anymore," she said.

The Duchess said her friends and family's reactions to the negative press coverage of her made her all the more aware of her impossible situation.

Meghan referenced this event as one of her hardest periods - Paul Grover for The Telegraph
Meghan referenced this event as one of her hardest periods - Paul Grover for The Telegraph

The Duchess grew tearful as she told Oprah: "I was really ashamed to say it at the time, and ashamed to have to admit it, to Harry especially, because I know how much loss he suffered.

"But I knew that if I didn't say it that I would do it, and I just didn't...I just didn't want to be alive anymore".

The Duchess described Harry cradling her and looking back on an event where he gripped her tightly by the hand to protect her.

But she added that the wider Palace institution denied her access to mental health help.

"I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help. I said that I've never felt this way before and I need to go somewhere. And I was told that I couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution," she said.


01:43 AM

Meghan: 'Royals aired concerns about Archie's skin colour'

The Duchess of Sussex said that when she was pregnant with Archie there were "concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born".

Meghan said she would not reveal who was involved in the talks, but said there were "several conversations" about Archie's skin tone and "what that would mean or look like".

"That was relayed to me from Harry," she said. "Those were conversations family had with him."

The Sussexes with their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor shortly after his birth - AFP
The Sussexes with their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor shortly after his birth - AFP

Pushed by Winfrey on who had those conversations, Meghan said: "I think that would be very damaging to them".

The Duchess added that the decision not to give Archie a title was made by the Palace.

"They didn't want him to be a prince or princess, not knowing what the gender would be, which would be different from protocol, and that he wasn't going to receive security," she said.

"In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, so we have in tandem the conversation of, you won't be given security, not gonna be given a title and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born."


01:40 AM

Meghan: I was silenced

The Duchess of Sussex told Oprah she was "silenced" when she joined the Royal family, while everyone in her circle was instructed to say "no comment" to questions which she said they did.

Meghan said the reports around her incident with the Duchess of Cambridge was "the beginning of a real character assassination".

The Duchess said "people within The Firm" told her she was "everywhere" in press coverage, and a member of the family suggested that she "lay low" for a while.

"I said: 'I have left the house twice in four months, I am everywhere but I am nowhere'," the Duchess told Oprah as she described her loneliness.

Winfrey asked Meghan: "Were you silent? Or were you silenced?"

"Everyone in my world was given very clear directive from the moment the world knew Harry and I were dating, to always say 'no comment'," she replied.


01:31 AM

Things 'worsened' once we were married

The Duchess has claimed the Palace was willing to "lie" to protect "other" members of the Royal family rather than correct reports about her.

Meghan says the situation became more difficult after marriage - CBS 
Meghan says the situation became more difficult after marriage - CBS

"It was only once we were married and everything started to really worsen that I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family," she said. "But they weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband."

However the Duchess stressed that the Queen was nothing but lovely to her, comparing their relationship to one of grandmother and grand-daughter.


01:19 AM

'Kate made me cry'

Contrary to reports that the Duchess of Sussex made the Duchess of Cambridge cry at her wedding rehearsal, Meghan says the "reverse" was true.

Meghan says Kate made her cry - CBS
Meghan says Kate made her cry - CBS

Oprah raised the rumours that Meghan had made "Kate", as she referred to her, cry during a rehearsal for the flower girls.

Reports after the Sussexes' wedding suggested Meghan's demands had left the Duchess of Cambridge in tears during the rehearsal.

She said in fact the "reverse happened" and the Duchess of Cambridge made her cry. She later apologised, brought her flowers and took accountability for it.

The Duchess said Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge made her cry before the wedding - AFP
The Duchess said Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge made her cry before the wedding - AFP

Meghan said she was not sharing the information to be "disparaging", but added it was "really important for people to understand the truth".

"She's a good person," the Duchess added.

Meghan said the Duchess of Cambridge was "upset about some things and she owned it and apologised".

The Duchess described later press reports that distorted the incident as a “turning point”.


01:16 AM

Harry and Meghan married days before their wedding

The Duchess revealed that she married Prince Harry three days before their Royal wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

The formal ceremony was done by the Archbishop of Canterbury.


01:15 AM

Duchess invokes Diana

The Duchess opens the interview by invoking the infamous interview done by Diana, Princess of Wales in 1995.

The interview with the BBC revealed intimate details of Diana's marriage to Prince Charles and was watched by millions. It was also said to have infuriated the Queen.

The Duchess said she entered the Royal family "naively", but had since become aware of Diana's "famous" tell-all interview.

Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special  - CBS 
Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special - CBS

The Duchess said she did not research Prince Harry or his family beforehand, and had a very limited understanding of what marrying into the family would entail.

"I didn't romanticise any element of it, but I think as Americans especially - what you know about the royals is what you read in fairy tales," she said.

The Duchess said the Queen was "lovely" to her - AFP
The Duchess said the Queen was "lovely" to her - AFP

Meghan revealed the first time she met the Queen, Prince Harry asked her if she knew how to curtesy.

"He said: 'Do you know how to curtesy?'

"That was the first moment that the penny dropped."

She said she and Harry then practiced her curtsey before meeting the Queen.

"We sat there and we just chatted. And it was lovely and easy," she said.


01:03 AM

'No subject is off limits'

And we've begun. Oprah has opened the interview by reminding viewers that no subject is off the table. The Duchess of Sussex has not been paid for her participation.

The Duchess of Sussex said she knows the gender of her baby and it will be revealed later on during the interview, which was filmed at a friend's house.


01:01 AM

Oprah's most memorable and revealing interviews

To give you a taste of what is to come, The Telegraph looked back over the course of Oprah Winfrey's 25-year television career and the interviews that made her TV royalty.

From Lance Armstrong’s guilt to Rihanna’s forgiveness, for some of the most memorable moments in modern pop culture, you need look no further than Oprah’s sofa.

Have a look back at her greatest TV moments here.


12:58 AM

Palace 'bullying' investigation will only feature Duchess

Allegations of bullying against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have surfaced in recent days ahead of their tell-all interview.

The Telegraph's Victoria Ward has this report revealing that the Buckingham Palace investigation into bullying will be confined solely to allegations concerning the Duchess - and no other members of the Royal family.

The review will be deliberately limited in scope, focusing on a specific time period, and will invite only members of staff from the time to give evidence, The Telegraph understands.

Read the full story here.


12:44 AM

Princes hope to reunite this summer

The Duke of Sussex is determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother at the unveiling of a statue of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, whatever the fallout from his interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Victoria Ward has spoken to a royal source who believes tonight offers the Sussexes' a chance to "draw a line under that chapter of their lives".

The source, who is close to Prince Harry, insisted that whatever had been said and done, he desperately hoped to attend the event at Kensington Palace to mark his mother's 60th birthday on July 1.

Read the full story here.


12:36 AM

'Today's the day'

The Queen of chat show has been counting down the hours until the interview airs on her social media accounts.


12:34 AM

Meghan's sorority watching along

Students from Northwestern University in Chicago, Meghan's alma mater, will be eagerly watching tonight's interview.

Members of the Duchess' former sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, say they are marking the occasion with British-themed food and memorabilia from the royal wedding.

Despite coronavirus restrictions, Northwestern graduate Alexis Barber, 22, told the New York Times she will be taking to Instagram to share her obsession with the Duchess with friends.

“I just need to know what’s going on,” she told the newspaper.


12:15 AM

PR savvy or a faux pas?

Oprah Winfrey is the queen of the chat show, but is she the right person to interview Harry and Meghan? The Telegraph's Robin Aitken has his reservations about the move.

He writes: "I can see the temptation – it gives them a huge audience and an opportunity to enlist the sympathy of the credulous – but it comes at a cost. The thing which Harry and Meghan stand to lose is their authenticity. How can we take them seriously when so much about their lives now seems so phony and fake?

For one thing the idea that this is any kind of normal journalistic interview is wrong. Oprah Winfrey is no even-handed inquisitor. She has built a reputation and media empire by monetising flattery - the same technique employed with huge success by Hello! magazine.

If you look at Oprah’s back catalogue (and it’s vast; she has interviewed more than 30,000 people in her long career) what stands out is the way she shamelessly massages the egos of her famous guests; but then occasionally she goes on to be unexpectedly sharp and insinuating.

It’s a technique that can pay dividends but it doesn’t entirely dispel the suspicion that she often pulls her punches.

You can read more here.


11:59 PM

'Were you silent, or were you silenced?

This was the first teaser CBS released, and in it Oprah Winfrey reveals "there is no subject that is off-limits". She asks the Duchess of Sussex: "Were you silent, or were you silenced?"


11:48 PM

Your essential pre-interview read

The Telegraph's Associate Editor, Camilla Tominey, has written this forensic account of how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ended up here, beginning back in October 2017. She writes:

The Telegraph has spoken to a number of well-placed insiders who witnessed first-hand the turmoil within the royal household from Meghan's arrival as Prince Harry's girlfriend to the couple's decision to stand down as working royals last year. All spoke on the condition of anonymity amid claims they had been operating in a "climate of fear", where employees were routinely "humiliated" in front of their peers and repeatedly subjected to "unreasonable demands" by both Meghan and Harry.

It's an unmissable piece and you can read it in full here.


11:41 PM

Five thorny issues we can expect to crop up

The tiny crumbs from the interview that CBS has already thrown out tell us that it is going to be unmissable.

The slickly produced, dramatic teasers have quashed any lingering hopes that the couple might stick to more mundane and diplomatic subject matters. Instead, they will lift the lid on life behind palace walls in a manner no member of the family has done for decades.

Here, Victoria Ward highlights five issues likely to be hot topics, with racism top of the list. As she writes:

From the moment Meghan Markle arrived on the royal scene, the couple have claimed that press coverage has contained undercurrents of racism. She will almost certainly talk about race in Britain but more damaging would be claims that the royal institution itself was racist.

Read her full article here.