Oprah Winfrey has, reportedly, planned to interview Meghan Markle for over three years and made efforts to befriend Prince Harry's wife and her mother, Doria Ragland, to have Meghan agree to it.
According to Page Six, Winfrey had to "court" Meghan and play "the long game" of mentoring the Duchess of Sussex as she stepped away from her royal roles with Harry in 2020. Winfrey also had to agree to a deal with Harry to do a documentary on mental health for Apple TV+.
The Times of London reported that Meghan met Winfrey one time only before the Sussex pair invited the talk show queen to their wedding in May 2018. Their first meeting wasn't a simple social call as Winfrey was actually trying to land an interview with the former American TV actress who became a member of the British royal family.
Palace insiders have been aware of Winfrey's goal to interview Meghan for years. However, the royals were still apparently surprised that Meghan would sit down with Winfrey for a special TV interview on CBS in March.
Sources said that the royal family found out about Meghan's interview with Winfrey on Twitter. But Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that Meghan and Harry do not need to inform the Palace of their media ventures before telling the public since they are no longer working royals.
Winfrey's best friend, journalist Gayle King, revealed that there's "nothing off limits" in Meghan's upcoming interview. They were apparently told that Winfrey can ask Meghan "anything she wants." King said that her best friend has been preparing her questions last weekend, which means that Meghan and Winfrey have yet to film the special 90-minute show.
A few senior royals are reportedly concerned about this interview as there have been precedents over this potentially becoming controversial. Princess Diana and Prince Andrew had agreed to do tell-all interviews as well and their decisions rocked the royal family to the core, ending with significant consequences.
A source said that Meghan and Harry might live to regret having sat down with Winfrey. The source added that while Winfrey might feel like the Sussex pair's trusted friend, the outcome of the interview could be a big blow. The Sussexes might lose their patronage's support because of it.
The news comes as Meghan and Harry announced on Valentine's Day that they are expecting their second baby. The child will be born in the United States, where Harry has been based with Meghan since the pandemic. (Business Times)