Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's tell-all Oprah interview currently has the world gripped. During the candid conversation, Meghan reveals how her mental health suffered during her pregnancy with Archie, why her son doesn't have a title and shed light on why she didn't take photos standing on the steps outside the hospital following Archie's birth, as is a long-standing royal tradition.
Oprah raised the question with Meghan, asking if her decision to forgo the customary photos was the start of her and Harry wanting out of their senior royal roles, "It feels to me like things started to change when you and Harry decided that you were not going to take the picture that had been part of the tradition for years?"
Meghan, having already explained that it was the royals' decision not to give Archie a title, which also meant he wouldn't have security, said in response, "We weren’t asked to take a picture. That’s also part of the spin that was really damaging. I thought, 'Can you just tell them the truth? Can you say to the world you’re not giving him a title, and we want to keep him safe, and that if he’s not a prince then it’s not part of the tradition? Just tell people and then they’ll understand'... But they wouldn’t do that."
Continuing on, Oprah asked Meghan, "Was there a specific reason why you didn’t want to be a part of that tradition? I think many people interpreted that as you were both saying we’re going to do things our way?"
The Duchess then explained that she was afraid for her baby's safety: "That’s not it at all. I think what was really hard… so picture, now that you know what was going on behind the scenes, there was a lot of fear surrounding it. I was very scared of having to offer up our baby knowing that they weren’t going to be kept safe."
Instead, Archie was first seen by the world when a photocall was held in St George's Hall in Windsor Castle, two days after his birth. Meghan told reporters at the time, "It's magic. I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy. He has the sweetest temperament. He's just been the dream, so it's been a special couple of days."
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The Palace are yet to comment on the Oprah interview, which will air in the UK at 9pm this evening on ITV.
CBS Presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry will air on ITV at 9pm tonight and on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
