Rachel Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is a former American actress and a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Harry who is sixth in line to the throne. In 2020, Prince Harry and Markle decided to step back as senior royals and they could no longer use their HRH, His/ Her Royal Highness, royal titles and were required to step back from their royal duties in full.
Oprah's interview was intended to answer the question: Why did the Sussexes step down from the royal family? When asked if the media’s “racist” treatment was a factor in them stepping down they replied saying it was “part of it.” The couple’s original plan was to move to a commonwealth nation and continue their duties in a reduced capacity but that did not happen. They were financially cut off and no longer receive security protection.
It has been a year since the couple has stepped down and the royal family has not reached out to apologize for the conditions that led to their departure. Multiple times during the interview the couple emphasized on a lack of support from the royal family, especially while Meghan faced a bombardment of negative press.
Meghan was berated in the media for her race, her outsider status, and the amplification of social media. Their response was “We've all had to deal with things that are rude.”
“Rude and racist are not the same”
While the Sussexes found it apparent that Meghan’s negative coverage in the media was because of her race, no one in the royal family acknowledged that it was the contributing factor to the double standard in the media. During the interview, Harry said it would be better if the royals did acknowledge it, even saying it would make a “huge difference.”
Meghan even went on to say she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.” She asked the officials of Buckingham palace for medical help but was told it would damage the institution.
Before their son, Archie, was born, Meghan says race was brought up—specifically about his skin tone and if he turned out to be “dark” what that would mean and look like. The Sussexes denied commenting on who made these statements but assured it was not the queen or Prince Phillip.
The Four-Sentence Response
Two days after the interview with Oprah, Buckingham Palace issued a four-sentence response on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, that in summary said the accusations of racism and lack of support are taken "very seriously" and will be addressed in the royal family “privately.”
Before the statement nothing had been said regarding Prince Harry and Duchess Meghans accusations.
What does this mean for the royal family?
The royal family has long kept family affairs out of the spotlight. These implications do make one side-eye the monarchy, but the data suggests that the Sussexes have overwhelming support in the U.S. while the polls are more mixed in the U.K.
The royals putting out such a vague statement does not help their case at all, especially in the U.S. where Meghan and Harry are mostly supported.
The interview definitely rocked the royal family to the core and the hashtag #AbolishTheMonarchy was trending across multiple platforms and will have a lasting impact that has yet to be determined. Reputations that have withstood the test of time have been cracked and broken. These revelations paint a damning picture of what life as a royal entails and goes against their core beliefs and values.
Did Meghan and Harry’s confession make you think differently of the royals? Comment Below!