Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Meghan Markle Oprah Interview: From ‘Megxit’ to now, how it all unfolded

In early 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stunned the world by announcing they were stepping down as senior royals.

Some argued the writing was on the wall. Meghan, 39, had told ITV’s Tom Bradby months earlier “not many people have asked me if I’m ok” as she detailed her struggles as a new mother while living in the spotlight.

The hard-to-watch interview, conducted during the couple’s tour of Africa in 2019, came against the backdrop of her fraught relationship with her family and a legal case against Associated Newspapers, rumours of a rift between the Sussexes and the Cambridges, and relentless criticism for everything from the couple’s travel arrangements, Archie’s babyshower and even the colour of Markle’s nail polish.

News the couple were planning a departure from the UK was published in The Sun in January 2020. Harry and Meghan confirmed it shortly afterwards via a new website, suggesting they planned to take on a “progressive new role” within the monarchy.

An emergency summit was called: with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William coming together at Sandringham to make a plan.

Much was reportedly discussed - including funding and security for the couple - and that “megxit” would be subject to a 12-month review.

A statement released by the Queen read: “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.

“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives. It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK. These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”

Prince Harry and his family then departed, flying to their short-term base in Canada before moving to sunnier climes in California.

Weeks after the move - dubbed “Megxit” - the pandemic struck, and the couple have since been working on new projects from LA.

They also confirmed they are expecting their second child - a sibling to Archie who turns two in May - after Meghan wrote candidly about suffering a miscarriage.

But on February 15, news broke the Sussexes were sitting down with Oprah Winfrey for a “tell all” interview about the monarchy, their life and their family. It will be broadcast on Sunday night on CBS in America, and ITV on Monday at 9pm.


And in the past week, a seemingly difficult situation has turned nasty - with reports of bullying and accusations of “perpetuating falsehoods” among some of the dramatic developments in the past seven days.

Here’s how it all unfolded:

March 31 2020


Harry and Meghan officially step down as senior royals and take part in their final engagements.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex join the Queen and other senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey - their final engagement


April


Details of the couple’s new foundation, called Archewell after their son, emerge. It would replace their Sussex Royal brand. It comes days after Disney releases Elephant, a nature show about the creature, which is voiced by Markle.

Later that month, the Sussexes announce they will no longer co-operate with some of the British media suggesting that “salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue” of the tabloids.

Details emerge of the duchess’s privacy claim against Associated Newspapers via court documents. It is suggested Meghan warned her father Thomas via text message that contacting the press would “backfire.”

May


Details emerge of a book about the Sussexes, written by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, called Finding Freedom. The authors say it is an “accurate version” of the couple’s relationship and departure from the UK.

July


Meghan claims she was “unprotected by the institution” of the British monarchy when stories emerged about her in the media and she was “prohibited from defending herself”, in leaked court documents. The Sussex Royal Foundation is closed as the couple launch legal action against an unnamed individual who allegedly tried to use a drone to take pictures of Archie.

August


Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand is released and the Sussexes deny co-operating with the authors as Meghan’s privacy case continues.

September


The couple sign a major deal with Netflix thought to be worth millions.

Netflix said the couple would produce “content that informs but also gives hope.”

Meanwhile, the duke pays back the £2.4 million of taxpayers’ money used to renovate Frogmore Cottage where the couple lived before they left the UK. A spokesman confirms the couple were able to do so thanks to the Netflix deal.

October


The couple launch their website for their charitable organisation Archewell. They speak to the Standard about racism in the UK to mark Black History Month.

In a candid exclusive interview to mark the start of Black History Month today, Prince Harry also spoke powerfully of how the UK can be made a better country by white people understanding more about life for those “of a different coloured skin”.

Harry, 36, who is sixth in line to the throne, described his own “awakening” to the lack of opportunities for people from the BAME communities since he met his bi-racial wife. The duke said: “Because I wasn’t aware of so many of the issues and so many of the problems within the UK and also globally as well. I thought I did but I didn’t.”

November


In an article in the New York Times, Meghan reveals she had a miscarriage in July and experienced an “almost unbearable grief.” She said her husband was left holding the “shattered pieces” of her heart.

The duchess is widely praised for her honesty.

December


Meghan and Harry sign a multi-year deal with audio streaming service Spotify, thought to be worth millions.

February


February 11 -


The Duchess of Sussex wins her high court privacy case after a two-year legal battle.

A judge granted a summary judgment in Meghan’s favour over the Mail on Sunday’s publication of a “personal and private” handwritten letter from her to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.

In a statement, Meghan said: “After two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and the Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanising practices.

“These tactics – and those of their sister publications Mail Online and the Daily Mail – are not new … For these outlets, it’s a game. For me and so many others, it’s real life, real relationships and very real sadness. The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep.

“The world needs reliable, fact-checked, high-quality news. What the Mail on Sunday and its partner publications do is the opposite. We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to profit from people’s pain.

“But, for today, with this comprehensive win on both privacy and copyright, we have all won.”

February 14 -


Three days later, the couple announce they are expecting their second child. The Queen is said to be “delighted”.

The couple announce they are pregnant

February 15 -


Hours later, it is confirmed the couple will be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in a television special.

February 16 -


Harry’s grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh is admitted to hospital in central London.

February 19 –


Megxit is confirmed as permanent, with the couple stripped of their patronages.

In a statement, the couple say they have “offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role”, adding “service is universal”.

February 26 –


The duke said the “toxic” atmosphere created for the couple by the British press forced the family to leave the UK.


In an interview with James Corden, host of the US talk show The Late Late Show, he also discusses Archie’s first word, catching up with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh via Zoom and how he doesn’t mind Netflix show The Crown as it is “fictional.”

Harry insisted that he will “never walk away” from the royal family and he did “what any husband or father would do” by emigrating to America.

In an extraordinary interview, the Duke of Sussex said he had “stepped back not stepped away” because his mental health was being “destroyed” and maintained that his “life is public service”.

Meghan also made a small appearance in the interview, which was filmed as Harry toured LA in a double-decker bus with Corden.

Speaking about how the couple got together, Harry revealed how dating for any member of the Royal family is “flipped upside”.

He told Corden that early dates take place at home and only when they are a couple do they venture out in the couple.

March


March 1 –


A preview clip of the “tell all” Oprah interview is released, showing Harry suggesting his “biggest fear” was that “history would repeat itself” in a reference to the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

March 3 –


The Duchess of Sussex says she is “saddened” by a report in the Times that she faced a bullying complaint during her time at Kensington Palace.

The paper reports the complaint, which dated back to October 2018, was made by Jason Knauf, then the Sussexes’ communications secretary. It claims Meghan had allegedly driven two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third.

Buckingham Palace announces its HR team will investigate.

March 4 -


Meghan says Buckingham Palace "perpetuated falsehoods" about the couple in another preview clip from the upcoming interview with Oprah.

Oprah asks the duchess how she feels knowing the family will be hearing her speaking out.

“I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent when there is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” Meghan says in the clip.

“And if that comes with risk of losing things … there’s a lot that’s been lost already.”

March 5 -


A third preview clip of the Oprah interview is released. In it, the duchess said it is “liberating” to be able to have the “right and privilege” to be able to “say yes” to an interview with Winfrey.

Winfrey revealed she first approached the duchess for an interview a few months before her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018 - which the US chat show host attended. However, Meghan said she was unable to accept. “That wasn’t my choice to make,” she said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×