The United Kingdom, and especially the Royal Palace, are anxiously awaiting the broadcast of Oprah Winfrey’s sensational interview with Prince Harry and his wife Megan Merkel early in the morning, when in the trailers the Duchess of Sussex is seen declaring that it “liberates” talk without palace intervention.
The media interview, which is expected to be one of the most dramatic broadcasts for the Royal Palace since the interview with Princess Diana in 1995, will air on CBS and last two hours. At the beginning of the broadcast Winfrey will talk to Merkel, and then the prince will join.
Another trailer for the broadcast was released over the weekend, in which Winfrey said that in 2018, shortly before the couple’s wedding, she called Merkel to offer her an interview, but the answer was no. “I remember that conversation very well,” the Duchess replied, adding, “I was not even allowed to speak to you in person. There were people from the media staff sitting in the room when I spoke to you.”
When Winfrey asked why Merkel now agreed to hold the interview, the Duchess explained that in the past year, since she and the prince ceased to be active members of the royal family, she feels more free. “So I could not say yes, it was not my decision. It is very liberating to have the right and privilege to say yes. Make your own decision and speak for yourself.”
According to reports in the UK, Queen Elizabeth II did not receive an early copy of the interview, and family members will be forced to watch the broadcast in real time. The tabloids quoted officials at the palace as saying that only then would it be decided whether to post a comment on what the couple would say.
However, the Royal Family has already prepared a media blitz ahead of the interview. Just hours before the broadcast, the Queen will attend a special BBC TV event today in honor of the British Commonwealth Day, alongside Regent Charles and his wife Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie.
Later in the day, Prince Charles will deliver a speech on the corona plague and Camilla will be interviewed about the importance of books, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will talk to medics and volunteers about dealing with the plague, and Countess Sophie will talk to women from across the CIS.
Meanwhile, last Friday Prince Philip (99) was transferred to the private hospital named after Edward VII, after undergoing a successful medical procedure due to a heart problem. The queen’s husband was hospitalized three weeks ago due to an infection and it is still unclear when he will return to the palace.
Prince Harry and Megan Merkel in an interview with Oprah Winfrey (Photo: Reuters)