How is a member of the royal family a lot like a publicly-traded stock? Simple: they’re only worth as much as what people think they are worth!
That’s a lesson that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been learning the hard way. Stepping down from their royal duties and leaving England already ruffled more than a few feathers, and Harry later claimed this decision made Prince Charles cut them off financially. Since then, the couple has been trading on their royal reputation to land deals with companies like Netflix and Spotify.
However, a number of weird moves have tarnished their image with both the public and the Royal Family. The best example of this was their downright-scandalous interview with Oprah that ended up airing plenty of dirty royal laundry.
Now, rumors are swirling that Harry and Meghan are planning a second interview. But will this actually do anything to repair their image? Keep reading as we dive deep into this story!
The shocking original interview
On paper, Harry and Meghan doing an interview with Oprah seemed like a smart move. Oprah is one of the most beloved celebrities in the world, and she had the perfect platform for these wayward royals. What could possibly go wrong?
In a word? Everything. Meghan revealed that she felt “silenced” by the Royal Family and that she developed suicidal thoughts after marriage. Harry revealed that his father cut them off. And speaking of Prince Charles, the two revealed that an unnamed Royal Family member was concerned about the skin color of Meghan’s first child. Considering that Insider reports Harry told Oprah that he wasn’t talking about Prince Philip or Queen Elizabeth, many assumed the two were accusing Prince Charles of being a racist.
One of the goals of the interview was to humanize Harry and Meghan. However, the interview ended up being just as divisive as its star couple.
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Creating a royal fallout
The original Oprah interview caused a major stir among the Royal Family. Eventually, that stir turned into what can only be called a royal fallout!
For example, Cosmopolitan reports that Prince Charles was annoyed that the couple handled everything in front of the world instead of resolving things privately. The typically-reclusive Prince William got in front of television cameras and pronounced that “We are very much not a racist family.” Meanwhile, The Sun reports that after the interview, Queen Elizabeth was “not angry” but “just sad.”
In many ways, this interview seemed to make “Megxit” much more permanent. After all, the whole world saw Harry and Meghan burning some serious bridges with their family.
Losing face with the public
Some might argue that losing face with the Royal Family doesn’t matter as much to Harry and Meghan. Since they are starting new lives in America, it would be sufficient if they were simply well-liked by the general public. Increasingly, though, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Some of this is due to Harry and Meghan’s own public missteps, including the interview with Oprah. Much of it, though, stems from a recent book, The Palace Papers: Inside The House Of Windsor – The Truth And The Turmoil. The book is written by former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, and it paints a devastatingly unflattering picture of the couple.
As Heat World reports, Brown claims the couple is “addicted to drama” and are thoroughly to blame for creating “maximum mayhem” among the royals. And in a recent interview, Brown had her claws out for Meghan, claiming that “Meghan certainly saw the deals that were there to be made because they were royals. It’s as though she couldn’t resist everything that was on offer on the celebrity buffet.”
As for Meghan, an insider claims “These latest claims have really gotten under Meghan’s skin.” The same insider said that “She’s told her team that something needs to be done. She’s so sick of the negative headlines and she’s desperate to come out fighting with some major damage control. Meghan feels as though doing another chat with Oprah is the best way to change the narrative and counter all the other negative claims she’s read about herself recently. She’s been in contact with Oprah’s people already.”
RELATED: The Real Reason Why Royal Staff Accused Meghan Markle Of Bullying
A return to Oprah?
Would a single book really cause Harry and Meghan to return to Oprah? Maybe, maybe not. However, they may want to risk another interview due to their declining popularity. In a recent YouGov poll, Harry had a 32% approval rating and came in at 11 out of 15 royals. Meanwhile, Meghan had a 24% approval rating and came in at 14 out of 15 royals.
To really put this in context, the only royal in that poll less popular than Meghan Markle is Prince Andrew, the man who was allegedly friends with Jeffrey Epstein and allegedly abused and assaulted an underage girl that Epstein had sex-trafficked!
Overall, a return for another Oprah interview (which has still not been confirmed) is a risky move. But considering that Meghan is barely more popular than England’s most scandalous royal, we can see why she might be willing to take the risk!