Oprah Winfrey Reportedly Tried For Three Years To Score Sit-Down With Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

Oprah Winfrey reportedly tried for three years to secure a sit-down with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle before the couple agreed to an interview. The Times of London reported the talk show magnate only met Meghan once before the Sussexes’ May 2018 wedding. Oprah was a guest at the luxe affair.

The newspaper said Oprah played a “long game” and acted as a mentor to Meghan. She befriended her mother Doria Ragland and became closer to the couple when Meghan, Harry, and their son Archie moved to Montecito, California, the town where Oprah lives, in 2020.

CBS announced the sit-down via a press release on Monday, February 15. This reportedly caught Buckingham Palace by surprise, with royal officials learning about the finalized event on Twitter, the Times report said.

The show, titled Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special, will air on March 7. It comes almost a year after they stepped away from their royal duties.

The Oprah discussion will reportedly cover everything from Meghan becoming part of the royal family to marriage and motherhood. The women will also discuss Meghan’s philanthropic work and how she handles life under intense public pressure.

The two will then be joined by Harry. The twosome will speak about their move to the United States, which took place in March 2020, and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family.

The royals are well-known for using the media to tackle topics they would not otherwise discuss in public.

Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, spoke to Martin Bashir for a BBC One Panorama interview in 1995. The Princess of Wales answered questions on topics ranging from her bulimia, her unfaithfulness to Charles, his involvement with Camilla Parker-Bowles, the lack of support she felt from the royals, and her doubts over Charles’ future as King of England.

During the interview, Diana was asked if she would be portrayed as retaliating against her husband and the royal family. She said she did not sit there speaking with resentment. Rather, she spoke with sadness over a marriage that did not work.

While the media often works in the royals’ favor, sometimes it does not. Prince Andrew, for example, found himself the recipient of some backlash after agreeing to a sit-down with the BBC to discuss his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. His lack of regret regarding their connection was seen as detrimental to his work for the monarchy. He stepped back from his royal duties as a result.