Summary

  • The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for a two-hour CBS primetime special

  • Meghan says one member of the Royal Family had concerns about how "dark" her son Archie's skin would be

  • Winfrey clarifies that neither the Queen nor the Duke of Edinburgh were part of that conversation

  • In unaired footage, Prince Harry says racism from the tabloid press that filtered into the rest of society was a "large part" of why they left the UK

  • He says he has now been "cut off" financially, which is why the couple sought Netflix and Spotify deals

  • Prince Harry reveals their new baby - due in the summer - is a girl

  • In January 2020 the couple had an invitation to visit the Queen at Sandringham suddenly withdrawn by her private secretary, he says

  • Meghan says she found life within the Royal Family so difficult that at times she "didn't want to be alive any more"

  • But she talks about contact with the family - she phoned the Queen after Prince Philip went into hospital last month

  • At a government Covid briefing, Boris Johnson refuses to comment, but says he has the "highest admiration for the Queen"

  • Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A Primetime Special, drew more than 17m viewers in the US

  • The interview is being broadcast in the UK on ITV and on ITV Hub, courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS

Live Reporting

Edited by Paul Gribben

  1. In pictures: Harry and Meghan's life together

    Since Harry and Meghan first appearance in public in 2017, the couple have had a rollercoaster four years of ups and downs.

    We've put together a look back at their relationship in pictures.

    Harry and Meghan were pictured in public for the first time in Toronto, attending a wheelchair tennis match during the 2017 Invictus GamesPA Media

    Harry and Meghan were pictured in public for the first time in Toronto, attending a wheelchair tennis match during the 2017 Invictus Games

    In June 2018, the Queen and the duchess were seen at their first royal engagement together, as they officially opened the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Chester's Storyhouse Theatre.Getty Images

    In June 2018, the Queen and the duchess were seen at their first royal engagement together.

    On 6 May, 2019, Meghan gave birth to a boy, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who became seventh in line to the throne. Harry told reporters: "It's been the most amazing experience I could ever possibly imagine".Getty Images

    In May 2019, Meghan gave birth to a boy, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who became seventh in line to the throne. Harry told reporters: "It's been the most amazing experience I could ever possibly imagine".

  2. 'Way out of your league': Meghan's friends mount her defence

    Patrick J. Adams and wife Troian Bellisario arrive at St George's Chapel at Windsor CastlePA Media

    Patrick J Adams and his wife Troian Bellisario at Meghan and Harry's wedding in 2018

    The reaction to the news that Prince Harry and Meghan were doing an interview with Oprah has been mixed - with some commentators critical of the pair. (You can read more here about some of the controversy.)

    But many of the duchess's fans have leapt to her defence, as well as her personal friends.

    The actor Patrick J Adams - who played Meghan's on-screen boyfriend Mike Ross in the drama Suits - hit back on Friday at some of the "vitriol" that has been aimed at her.

    "Meghan Markle and I spent the better part of a decade working together on Suits," he wrote on Twitter. "From day one she was an enthusiastic, kind, cooperative, giving, joyful and supportive member of our television family. She remained that person and colleague as fame, prestige and power accrued."

    He said it "sickened" him to read some of the media coverage of her, adding: "My friend Meghan is way out of your league."

    Meanwhile, actress Janina Gavankar defended Meghan against the allegations of bullying that the Times newspaper reported earlier this week.

    "Here’s what she is: kind, strong, open," said Janina on Twitter. "Here’s what she’s not: “a bully”. ANY of us who know her, feel the same thing from her broken silence: Relief. The truth shall set you free."

  3. What the British papers say

    Several of the UK papers feature the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey on their front pages.

    The Daily Mail reports that royals “face fallout” from the “bombshell interview”.

    Emphasizing royal "duty", the Mail and many other papers carry comments made by the Queen to the Commonwealth on Sunday.

    The Queen commended the “courage, commitment and selfless dedication to duty” the Commonwealth had shown throughout the pandemic.

    Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror says the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge have been left “immensely saddened" by the interview.

    And "fights, camera, action", is Daily Star's chosen headline.

    The Daily Mail and Daily Mirror front pages 8 March 2021

  4. Who is Meghan Markle?

    Meghan MarkleReuters

    Meghan Markle, 39, made her name as an actress, campaigner and blogger before marrying Harry in 2018 and becoming the Duchess of Sussex.

    She was best known for playing lawyer Rachel Zane in US TV drama Suits.

    She has been a longtime advocate for women's rights, working with the United Nations on gender equality and receiving a standing ovation at a UN women's conference for a stirring speech on International Women's Day 2015.

    When she married, she gave up her acting career and immersed herself in the life of a royal.

    Her marriage to Harry wasn’t her first – in September 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson, but the pair divorced two years later.

    In 2019, she gave birth to her and Harry’s son Archie, and the couple have a second baby on the way.

    But soon after her move to the UK, it became clear that both Harry and Meghan were becoming increasingly disenchanted with the expectations that came with their royal lives.

    They’ve brought various legal actions against the press and Meghan previously said it had been a "struggle" becoming a new mum amid intense media scrutiny.

    She, Harry and baby Archie now live in California, where her mother also lives.

    Read more about Meghan.

  5. Who is Prince Harry?

    Prince HarryReuters

    Harry, 36, is the Queen’s grandson and is currently sixth in line to the throne.

    His father is Prince Charles – the heir to the throne – and his older brother, Prince William, is also an heir. (For more on the line of succession, that’s here).

    Harry was only 12-years-old when his mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car crash in Paris.

    He later said that “losing my mum at the age of 12 and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well”.

    For 10 years, Harry was in the armed forces and served in Afghanistan twice. He left the Army in 2015 and since then has focused on charity work.

    He met Meghan in the summer of 2016 on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend in London. They married at Windsor Castle two years later. The couple now have a son, Archie, and are expecting a second child.

    Attention from the press has been a constant in Harry's life. In recent years, the prince has compared the tabloid press’s coverage of his wife to the way that Diana was treated.

    Last year, he and Meghan dropped a bombshell when they announced they were stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family.

    He later said he stepped back in order to protect himself and his family from the "toxic" environment created in the UK by the press.

    Read more about Harry here.

  6. When Harry met Meghan...

    It seems like a long four years since Prince Harry met actress Meghan Markle in 2016. Here's a look back to the beginning of their love story.

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from the beginning

  7. What will the interview cover?

    Meghan being interviewedReuters

    ITV at 21:00 GMT on Monday and on ITV Hub, courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS

    Tonight’s Oprah interview is being shown in the US first - on television network CBS. Oprah has promised a big show, saying it will be "shocking" with "nothing off limits".

    Meghan will be asked about marriage, motherhood, life as a royal and "how she is handling life under intense public pressure", CBS has said.

    The couple will also discuss their move to the US and their future plans.

    Four clips have already been released of the interview – three of which you can watch here.

    In one, Prince Harry drew parallels between the media’s treatment of his mother, Princess Diana, and Meghan. And in another, Meghan accuses Buckingham Palace of "perpetuating falsehoods about us".

    However, the interview was recorded in mid-February – before any of the recent royal developments which include a newspaper report claiming Meghan faced allegations of bullying by her former royal staff.

    The announcement of the interview also came before it was confirmed that Harry and Meghan will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family.

    They stepped back as senior royals last year, but this recent news meant they would return their honorary military appointments and royal patronages.

  8. Welcome to our live coverage

    It’s a big night for people interested in the UK's Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – also known as Prince Harry and Meghan – are giving a much-anticipated interview to Oprah Winfrey.

    Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special is due to begin at 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT). We’ll be bringing you live updates as the show airs, as well as reaction as it comes in.

    And for people in the UK who want to watch it - the interview will be broadcast in the UK on Monday night on ITV at 21:00 GMT and on ITV Hub.