‘It was unbelievably tough’
I didn’t want history to be repeated, says Duke, as he draws parallels with his mother’s life in TV tell-all
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have put Diana, Princess of Wales at the heart of their Oprah Winfrey interview as they compared their predicament to the public scrutiny she endured, while the duchess sported her bracelet.
Two brief but dramatic clips released yesterday suggest that the couple will be ruthless in their portrayal of the monarchy, making some ‘‘shocking’’ claims about the life, and the people, they left behind.
Winfrey was shown asking the Duchess, 39: ‘‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’’ In a comment that suggests the duchess, in particular, used very strong language, she added: ‘‘‘Almost unsurvivable’ sounds like there was a breaking point.’’
Stoking the dramatic tension, Winfrey says: ‘‘I just want to make it clear to everybody there is no subject that is off limits.’’
Despite the potentially damaging claims the couple look set to make, multiple sources close to the Royal family indicated yesterday that they had been given no prior warning about the content of the interview and nor did they expect one before it airs.
One well-placed aide said: ‘‘It would be up to them to decide whether to give us a heads-up.
‘‘But my guess is, we’ll be watching it like everybody else.’’
The two, 30-second excerpts, accompanied by suitably dramatic music, also revealed that the Sussexes’ continue to be keen to compare their predicament to the public scrutiny and relentless paparazzi attention endured by the duke’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
‘‘My biggest concern was history repeating itself,’’ the duke, 36, told Winfrey.
‘‘You know, for me, I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here, talking to you with my wife by my side because I can’t begin to imagine what it must’ve been like for her going through this process by herself all those years ago.
‘‘Because it has been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we have each other.’’
It is not the first time the duke has cited his fears of history repeating itself, having used the same phrase in October 2019, when he voiced his anger at the ‘‘relentless propaganda’’ generated by British tabloids against his wife. To reinforce the parallels with the princess, the duchess opted to wear a diamond tennis bracelet that belonged to her late mother-in-law.
It is the same bracelet that the duke originally took two stones from to have his wife’s engagement ring made.
The piece of jewellery is all the more poignant as it was worn by the princess for one of her last ever public appearances, a performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1997, weeks before she died.
Like many members of the royal family who use their sartorial choices to convey subtle messages, the duchess’s £3300 (NZ$6300) Georgio Armani dress was chosen due to its prominent lotus flower design symbolising revival.
The flower’s daily resurrection is considered proof of its determination and will to live and this ‘‘refusal to accept defeat’’ is how the duchess sees her own battle against the pressures of royal life.
The interview was not filmed at the Sussexes’ Californian home, as had previously been expected, but at a nearby location in Santa Barbara.
The programme, Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special, has been extended from 90 minutes to two hours, a decision thought to reflect the strength of the couple’s comments, which is likely to prompt unease in palace circles.
The Sussexes were not involved in the edit and had no control over the final production, a source said.
The decision to extend the running time was made by Harpo Productions, Winfrey’s production company, and will also allow the company to shoehorn more profitable advertising into the programme.
It will be broadcast on CBS in the United States on Sunday and is expected to be shown in the UK the following evening.