Key questions from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s damning Oprah tell-all
Meghan Markle’s father is preparing to hit back at claims he betrayed his daughter after the couple’s interview raised more questions than answers.
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It’s the interview that shocked the monarchy … and the world. So what questions did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s tell-all with Oprah raise about their relationships with the royal family, Megxit and their new life in California?
What is Meghan’s relationship with her father?
During the solo section of her interview with Oprah, Meghan revealed she is no longer in contact with her father and hinted that the wounds have far from healed, saying, “I genuinely can’t imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my children.”
Problems between the two began when, in the lead up to her wedding with Prince Harry, Thomas Markle sold pictures and stories to tabloid media outlets and denied that he had to Harry and Meghan.
Meghan called the move a “betrayal”, saying, “If we’re going to use the word betrayal it’s because I asked him. We called my dad and I asked him and he said no, absolutely not,” Meghan said.
Now, Mr Markle is set to speak to Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain about the interview and claims made by Meghan.
Which member of the royal family raised questions about the colour of Archie’s skin? Perhaps the most damning allegation in the interview was that a senior member of the royal family allegedly discussed the colour of Archie’s skin with Prince Harry while Meghan was pregnant.
Both Meghan and Harry refused to name the family member who had made the comment, but since the interview went to air Oprah Winfrey has since confirmed neither the Queen or Prince Philip made the remark.
Were Meghan and Harry paid for the interview?
CBS paid somewhere between $A9.1-$11.7 million to Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions for the licencing rights to the interview.
The US network reportedly sold advertising slots throughout the two-hour-long interview for up to $A422,000 – on par with the Super Bowl.
But despite the six-figure sum, Meghan and Harry confirmed they were not paid for the interview.
Sources close to the couple said they wanted to tell their side of the story and that’s why they did it.
When is Harry and Meghan’s baby due?
Prince Harry and Meghan announced their child is due “in the summer”. America’s summer spans from about June to August/September.
The couple have kept the pregnancy quiet, sharing the news a couple of weeks ago. They have not announced an exact due date.
What is the gender of Meghan and Harry’s second child?
The couple confirmed they are having a girl.
Who is Meghan referring to when she says “the Firm”?
During the interview with Oprah, Meghan made several references to “the Firm”. “I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there’s an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” she said.
The Firm is seen as the group of eight, which consists of the Queen, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, and Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.
During her time in the spotlight, Princess Diana often made reference to the “grey men”, which was in reference to courtiers and senior palace staff who represented the establishment and operated largely behind the scenes, and were nicknamed due to the colour of their suits.
When asked during her 1995 interview with BBC if she thought she would ever be Queen, Princess Diana famously said, “I don’t think many people will want me to be Queen”.
“Actually, when I say many people I mean the Establishment that I married into. Because they have decided I’m a non-starter.”
“They see me as a threat of some kind,” Diana said at the time, in a truly heartbreaking confession.
Today, Meghan Markle echoed a similar sentiment when she said she had originally believed “they” were looking out for her and had her best interests at heart, but did not clarify if “they” referred to palace staff, the royal family, or both.
Why doesn’t Archie Harrison have a royal title?
Per the Letters Patent issued in 1917 by King George V, as male-line grandchildren of the Queen, Archie is entitled to the title of Prince.
At the time of his birth, it was reported that Meghan and Harry had decided, with the support of the Queen, not to give Archie a royal title.
During their interview with Oprah, however, Meghan Markle challenged this, saying it had not been a discussion, they had simply been told Archie would not receive a title.
Markle says the palace advised her that Archie would only be entitled to security if he had the title of Prince, which is why she said she had wanted it.
Did Kate Middleton make Meghan Markle cry?
For almost two years many have believed that Meghan Markle made Kate Middleton cry in the lead-up to her 2018 wedding. The story, which was leaked to the media by royal insiders, ran six months after the wedding and alleged Kate Middleton had been reduced to tears after Meghan Markle snapped over Kate’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, being a flower girl.
Now, Markle says “the opposite is true” and that it was in fact Middleton who made Markle cry, and that following the incident, Middleton apologised and gave her flowers.
What will life be like for Meghan and Harry after their tell-all?
The precedent for tell-all interviews was set by Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, when she sat down with the BBC for her now infamous Panorama interview to speak candidly about her separation from Prince Charles and what life was like within the royal family.
Within a month of the interview going to air, both the Queen and the Prime Minister approved Charles and Diana’s request to divorce. Diana also lost the title of Her Royal Highness.
Depending on the impact of the interview, Meghan and Harry could face losing their titles of Duke and Duchess, which were given to the couple by the Queen following their wedding.
The couple could enjoy an increase in public support, as Princess Diana did following her Panorama interview, but they also risk further backlash.
Within an hour of going to air, #AbolishTheMonarchy was trending on Twitter, which would suggest the interview has generated support for the couple.
What is the status of Prince Harry and Prince William’s relationship?
Royal insiders have consistently said Prince William wants to repair his fractured relationship with his brother and that he is worried for Harry’s wellbeing.
During the interview, Prince Harry said he and William were on a break. “The relationship is space at the moment,” Harry told Oprah.
A close friend of William and Kate’s told the UK’s Telegraph said the couple were keen to clear the air. “There will always be bumps in the road but they’re a family and families come through these things,” the source said.
It is unclear if Prince William has taken any steps to begin mending the relationship. To date, neither friends or palace insiders have provided any specific examples in which Kate or William have taken action to reach out to Meghan and Harry, or if they will want to after seeing the interview.
Is Prince Harry talking to his father, Prince Charles?
One of the most heartbreaking moments in the interview was when Harry revealed his father Prince Charles had “stopped taking my calls” when he moved to Canada. “Because by that point I took matters into my own hands,” Harry said.
He later confirmed he was now back on talking terms with Charles.
Was the Queen really kept in the dark about “Megxit”?
No. Harry said he was in regular contact with Queen Elizabeth. “My grandmother and I have a really good relationship and an understanding and I have a deep respect for her,” Harry said.
He said he and Meghan had open communication with her now.
Meghan revealed she has called the Queen personally to discuss Prince Philip’s health, as he remains in a London hospital.
Are former Palace staff who have spoken to the media about Meghan and Harry in breach of their employment contracts, and could there be legal ramifications?
Neither Harry nor Meghan identified who had leaked private details about them to the media.
The couple did not touch on the bullying allegations made about Meghan to London’s The Times as the Oprah interview was shot before that story came out.
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