“Were you silent or were you silenced?” 

Oprah’s tagline question was heard around the world as she prodded Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry about her treatment as a member of the royal family. Meghan Markle was introduced into royal life in 2016 after she began dating the son of Prince Charles and the late Diana Spencer, Harry Duke of Sussex. The couple eventually got engaged in 2017 and married the next year. But, as Meghan and Harry’s relationship grew, so did the tirade of falsehoods and damaging articles published about her by the British press. After four years of marriage and the birth of their first son, Archie, Meghan and Harry made the difficult choice to step away from royal life. They even left the country; they now reside in California. The now-famous, or for some, infamous, Oprah interview is on everyone’s tongue. No one has ever really sat down to do a tell-all interview on the royal family, let alone with two people who were part of the innermost circle. 

The interview included some insane bombshells that no one saw coming. The most notable point is that the constant stress and pressure put on Meghan from royal duties, the press, and trying to fit in an archaic institution led her to thoughts of depression and suicide. Meghan claimed at her lowest point she, “didn’t want to be alive anymore.” This was the first time that a Royal has really said how being in this institution can impact the mental health of those in it. Another bombshell is the alleged conversation wherein royals were discussing how dark Archie’s skin might be. This bewildered everyone, even Oprah.  She was visibly shocked by this fact. 

Another disturbing anecdote that demonstrates the willingness of the British press to vilify Meghan Markle was found in the form of a news story that ran just before Meghan and Harry’s wedding. A story ran about Meghan making Kate cry regarding the flower girl dresses for her wedding. But, this is not the case — Kate actually made Meghan cry. Meghan states, it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings.” Though the situation was resolved privately, Markle was upset that the family made no attempt to correct this story — it seemed like a betrayal. Meghan claims this was a turning point for her and the beginning of a “character assassination” tirade against her.

Regardless of whether you believe Meghan Markle, one must admire her tenacity and bravery to speak out against one of the most powerful institutions in the world. She said, “it’s really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege in some ways to be able to say, ‘Yes … I’m ready to talk’ … to be able to just make a choice on your own and just to be able to speak for yourself.“ She told the truth, which many in her situation have not had the power to do. She and her husband’s decision to protect their son by removing him from an unhealthy and toxic environment is one to be revealed.