Meghan Markle Spoke About the "Basic Right to Privacy" in an Unaired Oprah Winfrey Interview Clip

Meghan Markle spoke with Oprah Winfrey about facing incessant invasions of privacy in a previously unaired interview clip released by OprahMag.com.

  • Meghan Markle spoke with Oprah Winfrey about facing incessant invasions of privacy in a previously unaired interview clip released by OprahMag.com.
  • "I think everyone has a basic right to privacy. Basic. We're not talking about anything that anybody else wouldn't expect," Meghan said.
  • "It's about boundaries. And it's about respect," the Duchess of Sussex explained.

In an unaired clip from the Sussexes' interview with Oprah Winfreyreleased by OprahMag.com Monday, Meghan Markle opened up about the incessant invasions of privacy she's faced ever since her relationship with Prince Harry first became public. Earlier this month, Meghan won her lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday over their publication of a private letter to her father, Thomas Markle, while the Sussexes were also forced to take legal action last year after paparazzi used drones to take photos of son Archie.

Beginning the conversation on facing media intrusion as a member of the royal family, Winfrey asked Meghan, "Shouldn't you have an expectation that you're going to have to lose privacy?" In response, the Duchess of Sussex explained, "I think everyone has a basic right to privacy. Basic. We're not talking about anything that anybody else wouldn't expect."

"If you're at work and you have a photograph of your child on your desk, and your coworker says, 'Oh my gosh, your kid's so cute. That's fantastic! Can I see your phone so I can see all the pictures of your child?' You go, 'No. This is the picture I'm comfortable sharing with you," Meghan continued.

"And then if they double down and say, 'No, but you already showed me that one. So you have to show me everything. You know what, I'm just gonna hire someone to sit in front of your house, or hide in the bushes and take pictures into your backyard, because you've lost your right to privacy because you shared one image with me."

"I think life is about being able to share our stories and share parts of our lives that you're comfortable with. There's no one who's on Instagram or social media that would say, 'Because I shared this one picture, that entitles you to have my entire camera roll. Go ahead and look through it.' No one would want that," Meghan added. "So it's about boundaries. And it's about respect."

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Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.