Makle "Royal Family Concerned About Son's Skin Color... Impulse for 'Extreme Choice'" (Comprehensive)

Exclusive Interview Reveals Reason for Royal Independence
Denies Feud with Middleton After 3 Years

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, who declared independence from the British royal family, opened up about behind-the-scenes stories of royal life on the 7th (local time). They spoke about rumors of discord with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, racism within the royal family, and the gender of their second child expected this summer.

In an exclusive interview with famous American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, aired on CBS, Duchess Markle refuted reports that Duchess Catherine cried at Markle’s wedding in May 2018, saying, "I was actually the one who cried."

She revealed, "I was deeply hurt when Duchess Catherine got angry a few days before the wedding over the flower girl dress." British media had reported that Duchess Catherine cried due to stress when Markle interfered excessively while trying the flower girl dress on Princess Charlotte, her daughter.

Duchess Markle said, "Duchess Catherine later apologized, so there was no ongoing conflict," but added, "I will not disclose details related to the conflict as it could disparage her." She also added, "Duchess Catherine is a good person."

At the time, Kensington Palace issued an unusual statement denying reports that Duchess Catherine was angry at Duchess Markle for being rude to her staff, clarifying that the reports of Catherine being angry at Markle were not true.

When Winfrey asked why the royal family did not address the reports that "Duchess Catherine cried" in their statement, Markle responded, "Good question," indirectly mocking the royal family. She said, "The royal family knew those reports were false," and added, "It was hard to be criticized for things I did not do."

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

"Whispers about the baby's skin color"

The U.S. and the U.K. had been buzzing for days over the interview with Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan. CNN even created a special 'Royal News' segment ahead of the interview, reporting, "Millions of viewers worldwide are eagerly awaiting the bombshell declarations from Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan."

Reflecting public interest, CBS scheduled the interview immediately after its flagship program '60 Minutes.' It aired during prime time in the U.S., starting at 8 p.m. and lasting over two hours.

In the pre-recorded interview, the couple revealed the process from their marriage to their independence from the royal family, and also shared behind-the-scenes stories including racial discrimination faced by Duchess Markle, who is of mixed Black heritage.

Duchess Markle disclosed that when she was pregnant with their first child Archie in 2019, there were conversations within the royal family about how dark the baby's skin color might be. When Winfrey asked, "Who said that?" Markle declined to answer, saying, "Revealing who would cause them great harm."

She also expressed disappointment that their son Archie was not given the title of 'Prince.' Markle said, "The royal family did not want Archie to be a prince," and added, "It was difficult knowing that Archie, the first person of color in the British royal family, could not receive the protection of the royal family."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Second child is a daughter... 'Close friend' Oprah hits a billion-dollar jackpot

Duchess Markle said she even had suicidal thoughts while living in the royal family. She said, "Because of the difficulties in the royal family, I no longer wanted to live. I seriously considered ways to commit suicide," and added, "I sought help from the royal family regarding this, but received no assistance."

She also revealed that they had already held a wedding ceremony three days before the official royal wedding, and that their second child, expected this summer, is a daughter.

Meanwhile, American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, known as a friend of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, is the biggest beneficiary of this interview. Not only has she gained renewed attention as the interviewer, but she also hit a billion-dollar jackpot through planning and producing the interview.

According to The Wall Street Journal, CBS paid Winfrey’s production company Harpo Productions between $7 million and $9 million (approximately 8 billion to 10.1 billion KRW). The advertising rates for the interview were also set at double the usual price, at $325,000 (about 360 million KRW) per 30 seconds.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.