By Aaron Miller-
The Duchess of Sussex accused the royal family on Sunday night of neglect and racial prejudice that got so bad that she came close to suicide while pregnant with her first child.
Dropping bombshell after bombshell in a series of revelations during a two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey, American viewers grimaced as they listened in detail to the discrediting claims from the wife of one of their own, backed up by her husband Harry himself.
The allegations did not have the benefit of a response from the Buckingham Palace, who have so far not provided any official comments.
One of the most notable claims of from Meghan Markle, wad the claim that the firm was perpetuating falsehoods about her in the British press. A perceived lack of support from the royal institution against continuous negative stories can be connected to a fear of the press who could turn on the Monarchy, according to Harry.
Meghan claimed she was left marginalised and without any mental health support, despite her attempts to speak to a psychiatrist.
One particular alarming moment in the interview came when Meghan claimed members of the royal family had openly expressed concerns about how dark her son Archie’s skin would be, and that he was going to be denied security or even a royal title.
The concern of the colour of their unborn child’s skin was expressed to Harry, who insisted he would never reveal the individual who made the comment, or the precise context of the conversation. However, the Sussexes later made it clear that it was definitely not the Queen who expressed those concerns, leaving other members of the royal family under suspicion.
Isolated
Meghan expressed being isolated from the royal household and said she felt utterly unprotected from the tabloid onslaught and undermined by the “firm”, who she said had repeatedly turned down her appeals for help. and discouraged her from leaving the house for months.
According to the tearful former actress, Meghan Markle was left with nowhere to turn, including for mental health support, because of the negative optics it would cause. She painted a picture of a royal institution exercising an excessive level of control against her, unconcerned with the private trauma she was undergoing.
“It was all happening just because I was breathing,” Meghan said, breaking down in tears at one point and prompting Winfrey to do the same. “I just didn’t want to be alive any more. That was a clear, real, frightening and constant thought.”
Harry and Meghan Interview With Oprah Winfrey Image: CBS
When she went to the personnel department at the height of her despair, she said, she was told: “My heart is going out to you, but there’s nothing we can do because you’re not a paid member of the institution.”. Prince Harry said the attitude of his relatives had been that they had all been through something similar and the only thing to do was to tough it out.
Let Down By Prince Charles
Prince Harry said he felt let down by his father, Prince Charles, because Archie is his grandson and he(Prince Charles) has been through something similar.
Rather, the couple portrayed family members trapped within the institution that defines them as terrified, above all, of the tabloid “monster machine”, as Meghan called it, that could at any moment turn on them as it had turned on her.
The two-hour CBS special, to be screened in the UK on ITV at 21:00 GMT on Monday night and on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS, was broad in its coverage.
Harry also said his brother William and father were “trapped within the system” of the Royal Family Harry said he loved his brother “to bits” and wanted to heal his relationship with both him and his father
Meghan also said that at one point she thought she “could not feel lonelier”, she told Oprah.
Asked by Oprah if she was thinking of self-harm and having suicidal thoughts at some stage, the 39-year-old replied: “Yes. This was very, very clear. Very clear and very scary. I didn’t know who to turn to in that.”
Meghan said that she felt “haunted” by a photograph from an official event she attended with Harry at the Royal Albert Hall while she was pregnant.
“Right before we had to leave for that (event), I had just had that conversation with Harry that morning,” Meghan said.
Winfrey asked: “That you don’t want to be alive any more?”
“Yeah,” Meghan confirmed.
Damaging
The multiple revelations is damaging to the image of the royal family who has not responded to any of the claims, and last week announced an investigation into bullying claims against Meghan Markle by her former aides. The depth of the revelations by both Harry and Meghan makes all pending investigations against her somewhat redundant until the globally revealed accusations are addressed.
The palace by tradition tends to avoid getting caught up in this kind of open internal feud., but some experts expect their response to come through leaks to the British press addressing what will be seen by cynics as a betrayal of the royal family.