Meghan Markle, Prince Harry sit down for first joint TV interview since Oprah in 2021

The former royals have given their first joint TV interview since their chat with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, as they prepare to launch a new initiative.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have sat down for their first joint TV interview since their 2021 bombshell Oprah Winfrey special.

A preview from The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s conversation with US broadcast veteran Jane Pauley has been released, before it airs in full this weekend on CBS Sunday Morning.

It shows the former royals discussing the dangers of children using social media, with the couple set to launch a new initiative next week to address online bullying.

“Our kids [Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet] are young, they’re three and five,” Meghan, 42, begins, adding with a smile: “They’re amazing.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have sat down for their first US TV interview since their explosive 2021 chat with Oprah Winfrey. Picture: CBS

Markle continues, “All you want to do as parents is protect them. And so as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there. We’re just happy to be able to be a part of a change for good.”

Harry, 39, urges every parent to be a “first responder” in spotting mental health warning signs among their children.

“At this point, we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide,” Harry says,

“That is the terrifying piece of this.”

The couple’s interview will air this weekend on CBS.

A CBS spokesperson said in a statement, “The Duke and Duchess sat down with CBS Sunday Morning host Jane Pauley last week for an exclusive interview to introduce a program aimed at supporting parents whose children have been impacted by online harm. Jane also spoke with parents participating in the pilot program who described how it has helped their healing process.”

It comes as the pair announced plans for their next “faux royal” tour, with the Sussexes confirmed to be heading to Colombia. Dates have not yet been released.

The news was shared by the nation’s vice president Francia Márquez, who said in a statement, “As the Vice President of Colombia and Minister of Equality and Equity, I am pleased to announce that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have kindly accepted my invitation to visit our beautiful country.”

Meghan and Harry embarked on an unofficial tour of Nigeria in May, which raised eyebrows after they quit as senior members of the British royal family and moved to the US in March 2020.

While the UK Government was not involved in organising the trip, it had all the hallmarks of a traditional royal tour, including state receptions and charity events.

Harry and Meghan in Nigeria in May. The couple are next set to visit Colombia. Picture: Kola Sulaimon/AFP

Meanwhile, Meghan has been relatively quiet on the publicity front over the past year, while Harry has remained in the spotlight thanks to a number of high-profile court cases.

More recently, he opened up about his ongoing estrangement from his father, King Charles III in a new interview for the ITV documentary, Tabloids on Trial, which aired late July.

Harry said the royals’ relationship with the British press, as well as his security detail being stripped after he left the UK, marked the “central piece” in their family breakdown.

“It’s a hard question to answer, because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press,” he told Ms Barry.

“I’ve made it very clear this is something that needs to be done, and it’d be nice if we did it as a family. From a service standpoint, in a public role, I believe this should be done for the greater good.”

“For me, the mission continues. But it has caused, as you say, part of a rift,” he continued.

During the chat, Harry also said that he “won’t bring my wife back to this country [the UK]” over “genuine concerns” he holds for her safety.

He explained he was fearful that negative press coverage of the couple could motivate a member of the public to target them.

“All it takes is for one lone actor who reads this stuff to act on what they’ve read,” he said.

“And whether it’s a knife or acid, these are things that are genuine concerns for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”

Originally published as Meghan Markle, Prince Harry sit down for first joint TV interview since Oprah in 2021