MONTECITO, Calif. 鈥� The latest on Oprah Winfrey's interview with Meghan and Harry, their first since stepping away from royal life. All times Pacific Standard Time:
9:15 p.m.
Oprah Winfrey's explosive interview with Prince Harry and Meghan reached an estimated 17.1 million viewers in the United States on Sunday.
That's according to preliminary numbers from the Nielsen company. Winfrey guided the two as they discussed racism and dysfunction inside the royal family in a two-hour special on CBS.
CBS gave the interview a good time slot, following the popular newsmagazine 鈥�60 Minutes.鈥� In an era when many people are making their own TV schedules, reaching that kind of live audiences is unusual now unless it's a big sporting event.
Nielsen said it had the largest audience for any prime-time entertainment special so far this television season.
In the interview, Meghan said she considered suicide, while Harry said he and his family were 鈥渢rapped鈥� in an oppressive institution.
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9:10 a.m.
The White House is emphasizing America鈥檚 鈥渟pecial partnership鈥� with the U.K. government in the wake of the bombshell interview in which Prince Harry and Meghan alleged racism and widespread misconduct within the royal family.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked Monday if, given their relationship with Harry and Meghan, President Joe Biden and his wife Jill had any reaction to the interview. She said that Meghan鈥檚 decision to speak about her struggles with mental health 鈥渢akes courage鈥� and said 鈥渢hat鈥檚 certainly something the president believes in.鈥� But she said she wouldn鈥檛 offer additional comment on the situation 鈥済iven these are private citizens, sharing their own story and their own struggles.鈥�
Psaki added that the U.S. has 鈥渁 strong and abiding relationship with the British people and a special partnership with the government of the United Kingdom on a range of issues, and that will continue.鈥�
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8:45 a.m.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is steadfastly refusing to comment on the explosive allegations of racism and dysfunction inside the royal family made by Prince Harry and Meghan in a television interview.
Asked about the interview at a coronavirus news conference, Johnson said he had 鈥渁lways had the highest admiration for the queen and the unifying role that she plays in our country and across the Commonwealth.鈥�
But he said that 鈥渨hen it comes to matters to do with the royal family the right thing for a prime minister to say is nothing.鈥�
In contrast, Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, says the palace has to take the allegations seriously.
鈥淭he issues that Meghan has raised of racism and mental health are really serious issues,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is a reminder that too many people experience racism in 21st-century Britain.鈥�
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7 a.m.
Oprah Winfrey has revealed that while Harry would not say who in the royal family made comments about his son鈥檚 skin
Appearing Monday on 鈥淐BS This Morning,鈥� Winfrey said Harry told her neither his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, nor his grandfather, Prince Philip, were part of conversations about Archie鈥檚 skin tone.
鈥淗e did not share the identity with me, but he wanted to make sure I knew and if I had the opportunity to share it that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather that were a part of those conversations,鈥� Winfrey said.
In her bombshell interview which aired Sunday, Meghan described that when she was first pregnant with son Archie, there were 鈥渃oncerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he鈥檚 born.鈥�
The Duchess of Sussex declined to say who had this conversation with Harry that he relayed to her, saying revealing their name would be 鈥渧ery damaging.鈥�
Winfrey said Monday she had tried to get the identity of whoever had those conversations both off-camera and on but came up empty.
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1:10 a.m.
Tennis star Serena Williams says she's 鈥減roud鈥� of Meghan Markle following her interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Williams called Meghan 鈥渕y selfless friend鈥� in an Instagram post after the sit-down aired Sunday night in the U.S. praising the Duchess of Sussex as 鈥渂rave.鈥�
鈥淚 know it is never easy,鈥� Williams said in the caption. 鈥淵ou are strong- both you and Harry.鈥�
Meghan revealed in the interview that she experienced suicidal thoughts after joining the royal family. She also said there were concerns within the palace while she was pregnant with son Archie about how dark his skin might be.
Williams said Meghan's words 鈥渋llustrate the pain and cruelty鈥� Meghan has experienced.
鈥淚 know first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of
Williams said she wants her daughter, Meghan's daughter and 鈥測our daughter,鈥� referring to readers, 鈥渢o live in a society that is driven by respect.鈥�
Meghan and Harry announced during the interview that they are expecting a daughter.
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8:40 p.m.
New Zealand's prime minister says the country is unlikely to become a republic anytime soon or otherwise break from observing Britain鈥檚 Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was asked by a reporter whether the unflattering picture of the British royal family painted by Harry and Meghan had given her pause about New Zealand鈥檚
鈥淚鈥檝e said before that I鈥檝e not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our
Asked whether Harry and Meghan had ever inquired about living in New Zealand, Ardern said they hadn鈥檛 in any official capacity, as far as she was aware.
And asked about her personal friendship with Meghan since the couple toured the country in 2018, Ardern said she had kept in touch. 鈥淚t is fair to say in the past I鈥檝e had contact here and there,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut ultimately, the matters that are being canvassed here I see as for Meghan and Harry to respond to directly. These are matters about their personal lives and their personal decisions, and I don鈥檛 think it deserves a commentary from anyone else.鈥�
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6:50 p.m.
Prince Harry says he was 鈥渢rapped鈥� in the royal family before Meghan helped free him.
Oprah Winfrey asked Harry in their interview airing Sunday night whether he would have stepped down from his royal duties if he had never met Meghan.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have been able to,鈥� the Duke of Sussex replied, 鈥渂ecause I myself was trapped as well鈥� until 鈥渢he moment that I met Meg.鈥�
Meghan said allegations that the couple鈥檚 departure was due to her scheming made no sense.
鈥淚 left my career, my life. I left everything because I love him,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur plan was to do this forever.鈥�
Harry said 鈥渨e did everything we did to make it work鈥� and would never have left had the palace been supportive of Meghan.
Harry also said his family cut him off financially in early 2020 after they announced they were eschewing their duties, and that they were only able to depart because of the money left him by his mother, the late Princess Diana.
Harry says Diana would have been 鈥渧ery angry at how this has played out, and sad. But ultimately, all she鈥檇 ever want is for us to be happy.鈥�
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6:20 p.m.
Meghan and Harry say their second child is a girl.
The two made the revelation in their interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on Sunday night, a rare positive moment in a conversation that dwelt mostly on their struggles within the royal family.
Their first child, son Archie, turns 2 in May.
Harry said 鈥渢o have a boy and then a girl, what more can you ask for? But now we鈥檝e got our family. We鈥檝e got the four of us and our two dogs.鈥�
Harry, wearing a gray suit as he sat next to his wife at a distance from Winfrey, joined the interview after Meghan talked to Winfrey alone.
He denied blindsiding the queen with the news that he and Meghan were stepping down from their royal duties, saying it was preceded by several conversations.
鈥淚鈥檝e never blindsided my grandmother,鈥� Harry said. 鈥淚 have too much respect for her.鈥�
He did however say that his father, Prince Charles, has stopped taking his calls.
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6:05 p.m.
Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey that she had suicidal thoughts after marrying Prince Harry, and the palace prevented her from getting help.
Meghan told Winfrey in the interview airing Sunday night that she 鈥渏ust didn鈥檛 see a solution鈥� to the mental suffering she had experienced since joining the royal family and that she told Harry she 鈥渄idn鈥檛 want to be alive anymore.鈥�
She said she went to a senior royal staffer and said she needed to get help for her mental health, but was told it would be bad for the family if she did.
She described the moment as a breaking point leading to her and Harry stepping aside from their royal duties.
Meghan said she 鈥渨asn't planning to say anything shocking" during the interview, 鈥淚'm just telling you what happened.鈥�
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5:45 p.m.
Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey that she realized soon after marrying Prince Harry that she learned that the institution of the royal family would not protect her.
In their pre-taped interview on Sunday night, Meghan told Winfrey that 鈥渘ot only was I not being protected, but they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family, but they weren鈥檛 willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.鈥� She did not give specific examples.
She said when she was first pregnant with son Archie, there were 鈥渃oncerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he鈥檚 born.鈥� The statement led Winfrey to ask 鈥淲hat,鈥� incredulously and sit in silence for a moment.
Meghan declined to say who had this conversation with Harry that he relayed to her, saying revealing their name would be 鈥渧ery damaging.鈥�
Meghan also said she was stunned when she was told he would not be a prince and would not receive security from the palace.
Meghan said she did not worry about being a divorced, mixed-race American actress entering the British royal family, but later she 鈥渢hought about it because they made me think about it.鈥�
Meghan said it was not so much the royal family members themselves who treated her this way, but the people behind the institution.
She emphasized that the queen herself 鈥渉as always been wonderful to me.鈥�
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5:15 p.m.
Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey that she didn鈥檛 鈥渇ully understand what the job was鈥� when she married Prince Harry.
Winfrey's hotly anticipated two-hour pre-recorded interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began its airing on CBS in the U.S. on Sunday night, with Meghan sitting alone with Winfrey.
The two talked about the early days before the royal marriage, with Meghan saying 鈥渢here was no way to understand what the day-to-day was going to be like.
"That鈥檚 what was really tricky over those past few years, is when the perception and the reality are two very different things," Meghan said. 鈥淎nd you鈥檙e being judged on the perception, but you鈥檙e living the reality of it.鈥�
Meghan also revealed that she and Harry were technically married a few days before the ceremony watched by the world.
After a brief intro with Winfrey narrating a recounting of the couple's wedding and subsequent announcement that they were stepping down from their royal duties, Meghan walked into the backyard garden setting of the interview.
鈥淵ou really are having a baby!鈥� Winfrey shouted when she saw Meghan's baby bump under her black empire-style dress.
Meghan said she would reveal the sex of the baby later in the interview when Harry joined them.
Winfrey and Meghan said they were at the home of a friend of Winfrey's because they liked the setting.
They clarified that no questions would be off limits and that Meghan and Harry would not be paid for the interview.
The Associated Press
