Oprah Winfrey has faced renewed criticism for her handling of Meghan Markle's claims during their 2021 interview, particularly concerning the Duchess of Sussex's assertion that she was "silenced" by the Royal Family.
In a recent video for Vanity Fair revisiting her career highlights, Winfrey stated that her questions during the interview were intended "for clarification." She explained her specific question to Meghan – "Were you silent or were you silenced?" – was to ensure clarity on whether Meghan felt prevented from speaking by others, rather than choosing to be silent herself. "I wanted to be clear because... was she silenced? Were people telling her not to talk? That's why I said that," Winfrey said. She added that her intention was to avoid later hearing, "Well no, it wasn't that. It really was that I was silenced."
However, royal fans on the social media platform X have voiced their dissatisfaction, accusing Winfrey of "backpedalling" and attempting to distance herself from the interview. Many questioned why she did not probe the Sussexes' allegations more rigorously at the time of the original broadcast.
The March 2021 interview sent shockwaves globally, featuring claims from Meghan that there were "concerns" within the Palace about the skin color of her son Archie and accusing the institution of "perpetuating falsehoods."
During the interview, Meghan described the "sad irony" of being "silent" while advocating for women's rights, leading to Winfrey's pointed question. Meghan's reply was a definitive "The latter," explaining that she and Prince Harry were given a directive to "say 'No comment'" from the moment their relationship became public.
Commenters on X perceived Winfrey as appearing "uncomfortable" while rewatching the interview. Others dismissed her explanation as "meaningless word salad" and felt it was an insufficient response given the years that have passed since the interview aired. Some also pointed to other claims made during the interview, such as the assertion that Meghan was "silenced," and questioned why Winfrey did not seek clarification on these points, including disputed claims about the couple's pre-wedding ceremony.
Critics suggested Winfrey sounded "defensive" and that her attempt to clarify her journalistic approach so long after the fact was a "bad look." Royal insiders, however, have maintained that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex largely controlled their own public relations and media engagements.
Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan was reportedly fascinated by the Royal Family, with former friends and acquaintances providing accounts of her interest in royalty. One friend recalled Meghan's desire to emulate Princess Diana.
This discussion of the 2021 interview comes shortly after reports of a private meeting between King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince Harry, Meghan, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at Highgrove House. This marked the first in-person meeting between the monarch and Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet since 2022.