Oprah Says She Was Surprised by Meghan Markle's Racism Claims

published 24 April 2021

Many royal fans were shocked by the revelations Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made during their sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey this spring.
In a new chat with Nancy O'Dell, Oprah revealed that she, too, was shocked by some of what Meghan revealed during their discussion, particular when it came to her experiences with racism in the royal family.
"I had no idea that it would have the reverberating impact that it has had and continues to have," Oprah explained. "Our shared intention was the truth. They wanted to be able to tell their story and tell it in such a way that allowed them to be as truthful as possible."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey surprised a lot of people—including Oprah herself.

Speaking on Nancy O’Dell’s new TalkShopLive streaming show, Oprah opened up about the explosive interview and made it clear that she did not know going into the discussion just how candid Meghan was going to be about her experiences in the royal family.

"I had no idea that it would have the reverberating impact that it has had and continues to have," Oprah said, according to Page Six. "Our shared intention was the truth. They wanted to be able to tell their story and tell it in such a way that allowed them to be as truthful as possible."

Oprah revealed that she was particularly surprised by Meghan's revelation that an unnamed member of the royal family had expressed concerns about the skin color her and Harry's children when she was pregnant with Archie Harrison.

"What? You’re going there? You’re going all the way there," Winfrey said of her reaction in that moment. "The reason why it was such a powerful interview....was when you have somebody else who is willing to be as open, as vulnerable, as truthful as they were."

During their interview, Meghan revealed that the conversations about Archie's skin color had arisen during the same time when she and Harry were fighting for their child to be granted security.

"In those months when I was pregnant, all around the same time...So we have in tandem the conversation of, He won't be given security, He's not going to be given a title," she explained. "And also, concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born."

"What? Who is having that conversation with you?" Oprah asked in response, clearly shaken by what Meghan was saying. "There's a conversation with you...? Hold up. There's a conversation?"

Meghan clarified that the conversations had been with her husband, who had relayed them to her. The Duchess of Sussex declined to reveal who in the royal family had been involved in the discussions, saying that it would be "very damaging to them."

Later in the interview, Harry confirmed the story, but also refused to specify who in his family had expressed concerns about Archie's skin color.

"That conversation...I am never going to share," he said. "But at the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked...I am not comfortable with sharing [the question]. But that was right at the beginning—What would the kids look like?"