Exclusive: Meghan Markle's Secret Oprah Deal That Shook the Royal Family
Meghan Markle's Secret Plans: The Royal Author Spills the Tea on the Duchess's Reluctance to Join Forces with Prince Harry
In a shocking revelation, royal author Valentine Low claims that Meghan Markle was hesitant to participate in an interview alongside her husband Prince Harry because she had already made plans to sit down with Oprah Winfrey two years prior. This bombshell admission comes as relations between the Sussexes and the Palace seem to be warming up after the recent 'peace summit'.
The drama began four years ago when Harry and Meghan gave a blockbuster interview to US TV personality Oprah Winfrey, making explosive allegations that sent shockwaves through the monarchy. But what was behind Meghan's reluctance to join forces with her husband? According to Low's biography, "Courtiers", Meghan had already agreed to speak with Oprah in autumn 2019, while Harry and Meghan were still working royals.
The stage was set for a tumultuous few months ahead of the Africa tour, which would mark one of the last official royal engagements for the couple. Royal aides were keen to persuade them to give an interview to British journalists, but Meghan's attention was focused on the Oprah deal. "Meghan in particular was reluctant at first," Low wrote, "her attention was focused on the prospect of doing an interview with Oprah Winfrey, which at that point was slated for the autumn of that year."
The couple eventually did agree to sit down with ITV's Tom Bradby, but only under one condition: they couldn't do the interviews together or be in the same shot. This would have gone against their deal with Oprah. Meghan's interview with Bradby sparked controversy when she spoke about struggling to cope with media scrutiny as a new mother and newlywed.
But was this just a PR exercise to divert attention from the impending Megxit? Low suggests that the royal staff had already picked up on clues that the couple might be planning an exit strategy. "There were clues that - again, with hindsight - might have suggested that Harry and Meghan did not see their long-term future as working members of the Royal Family," he wrote.
The Africa tour was just around the corner, but there seemed to be nothing in the diary for them after November 2019. What were they planning to do next? Low points out that staff were increasingly aware of Meghan's team in the background - her business manager Andrew Meyer, lawyer Rick Genow, agent Nick Collins, and publicist Kaleigh Thomas Morgan of Sunshine Sachs.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan continued to drop hints about their plans. "The US team had been very busy on Meghan's behalf, working on deals," Low wrote. This was no ordinary tour; the couple was quietly planning their departure from royal life.
Fast-forward to March 2021, when Harry and Meghan finally sat down with Oprah for their explosive interview. The pair made bombshell allegations about comments made about Prince Archie's skin tone and Princess Catherine allegedly making Meghan cry over bridesmaid dresses just days before her wedding.
Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement saying that the issues raised would be dealt with privately as a family, but "recollections may vary". Other shocking claims included Meghan's candid discussion about her mental health struggles during her time as a royal. She revealed: 'I just didn't see a solution... I would sit up at night, and I was just, like, I don't understand how all of this is being churned out.'
One of the more extraordinary allegations made by Harry and Meghan was that they were married in secret three days before their official wedding in May 2018. According to Meghan, they exchanged vows at Nottingham Cottage - their home at the time - with the Archbishop of Canterbury leading the private ceremony.
But just two weeks later, this claim was blown apart when the General Registrar Office released their wedding certificate for the first time. It revealed that Harry and Meghan were officially married on May 19, 2018, in the lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle, witnessed by Prince Charles and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland.
As we look back on the drama of Megxit, it seems clear that Meghan was playing a long game all along. Her reluctance to join forces with Harry for an interview may have been just another piece in her exit strategy puzzle.
