Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Royal Row With Harry And Meghan Heats Up Before Oprah Interview

Royal Row With Harry And Meghan Heats Up Before Oprah Interview

The explosive claim is the latest salvo in an increasingly heated public relations battle between the British institution and the US-based couple.

Meghan Markle has accused the British royal family of peddling lies against herself and her husband Prince Harry, in an escalating transatlantic war of words before a tell-all interview with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey.

The explosive claim is the latest salvo in an increasingly heated public relations battle between the British institution and the US-based couple.

Harry and Meghan, who married in a fairytale wedding in 2018, stepped down from frontline royal duties last year, in part blaming media intrusion for their decision to move to North America.

But a steady drip of stories in Britain about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they are formally known - and tit-for-tat responses - is becoming a torrent as the broadcast approaches this weekend.

The new clip released by US broadcaster CBS came just hours after Buckingham Palace said it was probing claims that Meghan had bullied royal household staff during her time in Britain.

"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' (the royal family) is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," she told Winfrey in the clip from the upcoming interview.

Battle for public sympathy


There was no immediate response from Buckingham Palace but comments sparked a predictable frenzy in the British media.

Veteran royal commentator Richard Kay likened the row to the "War of the Waleses" in the 1990s when the marriage of Harry's parents crumbled.

Heir-to-the-throne Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Diana, princess of Wales, gave unprecedented television interviews that lifted the lid on their troubled relationship -- and extra-marital affairs.

That was a similar "bitter and acrimonious battle for public sympathy" to Harry and Meghan, he wrote in the Daily Mail.

But Omid Scobie, royal editor of Harper's Bazaar US, and co-author of a sympathetic biography of Harry and Meghan, "Finding Freedom", said it was merely a chance for them to tell their side of the story.

He told AFP that Meghan, a mixed-race former television actress, was likely to address the racism she faced in the British press and on social media, as well as their "troubles" in the monarchy itself.

But he added: "I think, as is often the case, the noise usually happens before the event itself when it comes to the royal family and the coverage surrounding it.

"In the end it ends up being OK and I think that that'll be exactly the same with this Oprah special. Ultimately Harry and Meghan want to start their next chapter on a positive note."

Royal biographer Penny Junor, however, said the couple's interview, scheduled to be broadcast in the United States on Sunday, and in Britain early Monday, was "obviously very bad timing".

Harry's grandfather, Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, 99, has been in hospital for more than two weeks, and on Wednesday underwent a procedure on a pre-existing heart condition.

"I would have thought he'd be aware of it and it's not helpful," Junor said, accusing the couple of spending the last year "courting publicity".

"I don't think doing this interview was a good idea in the first place."

'History repeating itself'


Harry and Meghan's acrimonious split from the royal family was made permanent last month, when the queen removed their honorary titles and patronages.

That followed nearly 12 months in which both sides have tried to control the narrative of their departure, which has polarised opinion on both sides of the Atlantic.

Harry, 36, said in a clip of the Winfrey interview released earlier this week that he feared "history repeating itself" had they stayed, in a reference to the press hounding of his mother.

Diana died in a high-speed car crash after being relentlessly pursued by photographers through Paris in August 1997.

The bullying allegations, first reported in The Times newspaper on Wednesday, however, step up the war of words, with some commentators likening it to the constitutional crisis of 1936.

Then, king Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, who like Meghan was an American divorcee.

Meghan, who is 39 and pregnant with the couple's second child, said the latest claims against her were a character assassination, and an attempt to "peddle a wholly false narrative" before the Winfrey interview is broadcast.

Since relocating to the US, Harry and Meghan have launched legal action against a number of media publications, alleging invasion of privacy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×