Meghan breaks silence on British royalty 1:36
London (CNN) -
This was an interview that some at Buckingham Palace must have dreaded, but the conversation between Prince Harry and Meghan, Dukes of Sussex, with Oprah Winfrey was more revealing, explosive and potentially damaging to the royal family of what many might have imagined.
Allegations of racism within the family itself, and Meghan's admission that she had suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy, have appeared in UK newspapers.
Throughout their two-hour television special, both Harry and Meghan spoke with revealing frankness, uttering accusations and reprimands that surpassed even the historic Princess Diana interview of more than two decades ago.
Here is a summary of what we learned from the conversation.
Harry and Meghan: these are the biggest revelations from the Oprah interview
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Meghan had suicidal thoughts
Meghan Markle hinted earlier that her mental health deteriorated during her time as a member of the royal family, but during her interview with Winfrey she spoke for the first time about how dire the experience had been.
She revealed that life within the royal family was so isolated and lonely, and that she felt so little supported by the institution, that she considered killing herself while pregnant with her son Archie.
She added that she raised those issues with the palace, but felt unprotected by them.
"I went to the institution and said that I needed to go somewhere to get help, I said that I had never felt like this before [...] and they told me I couldn't, that it would not be good for the institution," Meghan said, adding that He went to "one of the most important people" to raise concerns.
He sent emails in which she was "asking for help," he added.
She told Harry about the terrible ordeal because "I knew if I didn't say it, I would, and I just didn't want to stay alive," Meghan said.
She revealed her thoughts to her husband as they sat on the steps of their cabin.
Hours later, the couple had to attend an event in London.
"I can't stay alone," she remembered telling Harry, after he suggested she stay home.
"I wasn't prepared for that," Harry said during the interview.
“I also went through a very dark place.
I wanted to be there for her.
He said that every day that he came home from work after Archie's birth, he would arrive to see Meghan crying as she breastfed her son.
But he said he did not broach the issue with other family members.
"That's not a conversation to have," said Harry.
"I guess I was ashamed to admit it […] For the family, they have this mentality of: this is how it is."
The Duchess also revealed that she reached out to an anonymous friend of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, to discuss their struggles.
I didn't know who to turn to on that.
And one of the people I reached out to, who is still my friend and confidant, was one of Diana's best friends.
Because I thought, who else could understand what [royalty] really is like on the inside? ”She said to Winfrey.
How to get help if you have depression or suicidal thoughts: In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255.
The International Association for Suicide Prevention.
For Latin America and Spain, check the telephone numbers at this link.
OPINION |
Harry and Meghan expose the hypocrisy of the palace
Meghan and Harry spoke of "concerns" in the royal family about Archie's skin color
Meghan said there was concern within the royal family about her baby's skin tone, and Harry condemned his relatives for failing to criticize the colonial undertones in the media coverage.
Meghan told Winfrey that an anonymous family member raised the question of how dark the skin of her first baby, Archie, would be while pregnant.
There were several "concerns and conversations about how dark her skin might be when she was born," she said, in one of the most impressive revelations of the interview.
Meghan Markle reads to her son for his first birthday 0:36
"That was passed on to me by Harry.
Those were conversations the family had with him, "added Meghan, declining to reveal who was involved in the conversations.
"That would be very bad for them," he said.
"That conversation, I'm never going to share," added Harry.
"At the time, it was awkward, I was a bit surprised."
When asked by Winfrey if she could share the questions raised during the conversation, she declined, saying, "I don't feel comfortable sharing that."
"But it was right at the beginning," he added.
What will the children look like?
That was at the beginning when she was not going to get security, when my family suggested that she could continue acting [because there was not going to be money for her] ».
Elsewhere in the broadcast, Harry also criticized royalty for not supporting them when lawmakers pointed to "colonial undertones" in the way the British press covered Meghan.
Watch the first preview of the interview with Harry and Meghan 0:23
Harry and Meghan felt "trapped" in the family
"My father and brother are trapped," said Harry, lifting the veil on the extreme limitations the couple felt as family members.
"It is a very immersive environment in which many of them are trapped," he added at another point in the broadcast.
The couple spoke several times about those limitations, relating them to their relationship with the media, their mental health and their personal freedom.
Harry said he couldn't have left the family if he hadn't met Meghan.
"I was trapped, but I didn't know I was trapped," he said.
"They cannot leave," he added about his relatives, saying that they are "trapped within the system" and that he feels "great compassion for that."
When Meghan joined the family, she said, “That was the last time, until we got [to the United States], that I saw my passport, my driver's license, my keys.
All of that was delivered.
"I couldn't call an Uber to the palace," he joked at one point.
Meghan also said she never received guidance on the formalities of the role.
"Unlike what you see in the movies, there are no classes on how to speak, how to cross your legs, how to be royalty," he said, describing how he Googled the words of the British national anthem at night to avoid embarrass the family with people.
Buckingham Palace reacts to criticism from Meghan 0:39
The details behind his separation from royalty
Winfrey asked Harry if they quit as working members of the royal family because they were asking for help and couldn't get it.
"Yes, basically," said Harry.
But the couple insisted they "never left" the family and simply walked away from their official roles.
"Lack of support and lack of understanding" was the simplest reason they left, he said.
But the prince responded to stories from last year that the queen was surprised by not telling her his plan until it was made public.
"I've never taken my grandmother by surprise, I respect her too much," said Harry.
When asked where that report came from, he said: "It probably could have come from within the institution."
"This doesn't work for everyone," Meghan recalled telling royalty.
"My biggest concern was that history would repeat itself," said Harry, adding that he saw the circumstances that affected his mother, Diana, unfold again, but in a more dangerous way as racism and social media added. to your challenges.
The couple said they suggested moving to a Commonwealth of Nations country, continuing to support the monarchy where necessary, but eventually settled in the United States after their security was removed.
"I received confirmation that no, the risk had not changed," Harry said, but given his change in status, his protective service would be revoked in any case.
The question of who would provide the couple's safety was heavily covered in the media at the time, and the couple made it clear that it was a deciding factor in their decision to move from Canada, where they temporarily stayed, and then went to California. .
Queen Elizabeth II with Harry and Meghan in 2018. The couple spoke enthusiastically of the monarch, but admitted that their relationship with other royals was strained.
His relations with the Queen and Princes Charles and William
Few high-ranking members of the royal family were portrayed positively in the interview, but the queen was the exception.
Harry said the couple have spoken to the queen several times since moving to the United States and also informed her of their decision to resign as active royals.
"My grandmother and I have a really good relationship, and a deep understanding and respect for her," she said.
Princes William and Harry in 2014.
But she admitted that her relationships with her brother, Prince William, and her father, Prince Charles, are much more strained.
"I had three conversations with my grandmother and two conversations with my father, before he stopped taking my calls," Harry said, recalling the events surrounding his decision to leave last year.
“There is a lot to work on there.
I'm really disappointed, because he's been through something similar: he knows what pain feels like and Archie is his grandson.
"But at the same time, of course, I will always love him," Harry said, adding that repairing the relationship was one of his priorities.
He also hinted that he tried to reveal to his family the real-life limitations he had discovered.
"I have tried to educate them," he said.
When asked why Carlos wasn't answering the phone, Harry suggested it was because "I had taken care of the matter."
When he spoke about his brother, Harry said: "I love William to heaven, he is my brother, we have been through hell together […], but we are on different paths."
He added that "the relationship is estranged at the moment" and that "time heals all things, hopefully."
"My family literally cut me off financially" in the first quarter of 2020, he added, a move that required his lucrative media deals with Netflix and Spotify.
Meghan has seen some of the headlines about her
Winfrey presented Meghan with a series of headlines about her in the British media, contrasting them with much more positive stories about her sister-in-law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
In one example, Winfrey read a story about her eating avocados that said the fruit was "related to water scarcity, illegal deforestation, and environmental devastation," while a separate story simply reported that Kate was eating them for relief. morning sickness.
"That's something really loaded," Meghan replied, admitting that she saw the story.
PHOTOS |
Meghan Markle, from TV star to Duchess of Sussex
This is how Henry grew up, the rebellious prince of the royal family 2:16
They both took aim at the British press in the interview, as they have done on several occasions before.
And Harry said the palace is "afraid" of media coverage, meaning they had little freedom while they were part of the family.
"To keep it simple, this is a case where if you, as a family member, are willing to have wine, dinner and give these reporters full access, then you will get better press," said Harry.
"Why do you care about better press if you're royalty?" Winfrey asked.
"I think everyone should have some compassion for them in that situation […] there is a level of control over fear that has existed for generations," Harry replied.
But the racial undertones of some coverage made it more than "malicious gossip," Harry said.
"He brought out a part of the people who were racist and how they were accused [...] and that changed the threat, that changed the level of death threats, that changed everything."
Kate made Meghan cry, not the other way around
Kensington Palace asks for help to control cyber abuse 0:24
Meghan was asked about stories in the British media that she made her sister-in-law cry while preparing for her wedding to Harry.
Those stories were heavily covered in many tabloids and were emblematic of media allegations about Meghan's behavior with royalty and staff.
But the reality was "backwards," Meghan said: Kate brought Meghan to tears during a discussion about the ceremony, and months later the wrong story appeared in the media.
Meghan said Kate gave her flowers and apologized, and forgave her, adding that "she's a good person."
But she said the reporting of the incident was a "turning point" in her experience.
"If they love her, they don't have to hate me," Meghan said, urging people not to confront the two duchesses.
Meghan called the queen to ask her about Prince Philip
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Prince Philip of the United Kingdom, Duke of Edinburgh, poses in his military uniform circa 1990. (Terry O'Neill / Iconic Images / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip was born into the royal families of Greece and Denmark.
His family left Greece in 1922 and settled in Paris after his uncle, King Constantine I, was overthrown.
(Topical Press Agency / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip dressed for a production of "Macbeth" while attending school in Scotland in July 1935. (Fox Photos / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip is the youngest of five children and the only boy.
After his parents' separation in 1930, he was sent to England and raised there by his maternal grandmother and uncle.
(Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip sits with his fiancee, Princess Elizabeth, in July 1947. He had become a naturalized British citizen and commoner, using the surname Mountbatten, an English translation of his mother's maiden name.
He was also an officer in the British Royal Navy and fought in World War II.
(Topical Press Agency / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth were married in November 1947. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip plays in a village cricket match in July 1949. (Central Press / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Philip and Elizabeth support their children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, in August 1951. (Keystone / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth dance in Ottawa in October 1951. (Keystone / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth were touring the Commonwealth - or Commonwealth of Nations - when their father, King George VI, died on February 6, 1952. She was next in line for the throne.
(Fox Photos / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip salutes from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after his wife's coronation in June 1953. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip sails during the Cowes Regatta in August 1962. (George Silk / The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip laughs as the Beatles fight for the Carl Alan Award that he presented to the band in March 1964. (Keystone / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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The Queen and Prince Philip, accompanied by their sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during a parade in June 1964. (Fox Photos / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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The royal couple return to Buckingham Palace after a ceremony in June 1965. (Hulton Archive / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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The Queen and Prince Philip leave Westminster Abbey in April 1966. (Central Press / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip competes in a bike polo match in August 1967. (George Freston / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip paints during the filming of the documentary "Royal Family" in 1969. (Rolls Press / Popperfoto / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip and his daughter, Princess Anne, prepare a barbecue at Balmoral Castle in August 1972. (Lichfield / Getty Images)
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The Queen and Prince Philip attend the Royal Windsor Horse Show in April 1976. (Tim Graham / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip participates in the 1980 World Carriage Driving Championship. (Tim Graham / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip fishes in a Scottish lake in 1993. (Julian Parker / UK Press / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip hunts on the Sandringham estate in 1994. (Julian Parker / UK Press via Getty Images)
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Prince Philip tours the London Stock Exchange in 1998. (Tim Graham / Pool / Getty Images)
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Former South African President Nelson Mandela talks to Prince Philip in November 2000. (Anna Zieminski / AFP / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip rides a minibike at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2005. (Julian Finney / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attends the Commonwealth Day celebration in London in 2011. (Allpix / Splash News / Newscom)
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The Queen and Prince Philip attend the annual Trooping the Color ceremony in June 2011. (Dan Kitwood / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip visits Sherborne Abbey during his wife's Diamond Jubilee tour in May 2012. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)
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The Queen presents Prince Philip with New Zealand's highest honor, the Order of New Zealand, at Buckingham Palace in June 2013. (Anthony Devlin / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip visits the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards in February 2014. (Paul Grover / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
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The royal couple arrive at the Royal Ascot horse races in June 2014. (Steve Bardens / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip signs the guestbook at Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in June 2014. (Jail Photo / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip smiles when he visits an Air Force Auxiliary squadron in Edinburgh, Scotland, in July 2015. (Danny Lawson / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip and his grandson, Prince Henry, attend the Rugby World Cup final in October 2015. (Phil Walter / Getty Images)
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The Queen and Prince Philip greet guests in June 2016 during their 90th birthday celebrations.
(Arthur Edwards / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip gives an elephant a banana in Dunstable, England, in April 2017. (Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip speaks to students in May 2017 during a visit to Lord's cricket ground in London.
The new Warner Stand of the place opened.
(Victoria Jones / PA Images / AP)
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Prince Philip makes his last public appearance before his retirement in August 2017, attending a Royal Marines parade at Buckingham Palace.
The event also marked the end of Felipe's 64 years as Captain General, the ceremonial leader of the Royal Marines.
(Hannah McKay / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip attends the wedding of his grandson, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in May 2018. (Owen Humphreys / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip poses after Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018. (Kensington Palace / Twitter)
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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend a polo match in Egham, England, in June 2018. (Antony Jones / Getty Images Europe)
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Prince Philip is seen at the wedding of his granddaughter, Princess Eugenia, and Jack Brooksbank in October 2018. (Alastair Grant / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
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Prince Philip speaks with Sir David Attenborough before an Order of Merit luncheon in May 2019. (Jonathan Brady / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
Segments of the broadcast, in which Winfrey toured the couple's home, were recorded hours after Prince Philip entered a hospital last month.
"This morning I woke up before H and saw a note from someone on our team in the UK saying that the Duke of Edinburgh had gone to the hospital," Meghan told Winfrey.
"I picked up the phone and called the queen, just to see how they were," he said, adding that the ability to do so freely would not have existed if they were there.
The queen's 99-year-old husband has spent three weeks in the hospital and underwent a heart procedure.
The only thing that he regrets
Meghan said her only regret is "believing them when they said she would be protected."
"Now that we're on the other side, we've actually not only survived but we're thriving," Meghan added, comparing the couple's situation today to their time as royalty.
Harry added that he doesn't regret the way they left.
"I am very proud of us," he said.
I'm so proud of my wife.
She gave birth to Archie safely for a period of time that was so cruel, so cruel.
"It's a girl'
The couple revealed that their second child will be a girl.
"Amazing, [I'm] just grateful," Harry said, describing his feelings.
“Having any child, any one or two, would have been amazing.
But to have a boy and then a girl, what more could you ask for? ”He said.
But they will not try to be parents for the third time.
"There are two," Meghan said, adding that her daughter will be born in the summer.
The couple revealed in February that they were expecting another child.
In November, Meghan revealed that she suffered a miscarriage last year.
Prince Harry and Meghan are going to be parents again 1:15
Their lives today
Harry said having an outdoor space has been a huge benefit during lockdown orders in California, where they moved shortly before the pandemic began.
Taking Archie outside is his favorite thing to do, he said.
"The highlight for me is sticking it on the back of the bike", something he could never enjoy as a child.
"Hydrate" is Archie's recent favorite word, Meghan said.
He ended the interview by describing their lives today as "bigger than any fairy tale you've ever read."
CNN has reached out to the royal family for comment.
- CNN will soon launch Royal News, a weekly newsletter that will provide you with information about the royal family, what they are doing in public and what is happening behind the palace walls.
Meghan Markle Prince Harry