Oprah Winfrey is best known for her groundbreaking talk show career and her continued work as a media mogul and interviewer. The television legend sat down with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a bombshell interview in 2021, shortly after they left royal life and moved their family from the United Kingdom to California. Now, Winfrey is revisiting the most viral and memorable moment from the landmark conversation, which resonated around the world and became one of the interview’s most quoted moments.According to Vanity Fair, the most important exchange from the long interview came when Meghan spoke “quietly” about her time in the royal family. “I’ve always valued independence. I’ve always been outspoken, especially about women’s rights,” the Duchess of Sussex said at the time. “I mean, that’s the sad irony of the last four years, I’ve been advocating for women to use their voices for a long time. Then, I became silent.“
Sussex’s landmark television interview remains one of the most talked about royal conversations in recent years. Image credit (Instagram)
Oprah Winfrey’s iconic ‘silent or silenced’ question has gone viralOprah memorably answered a clarifying question that would define the interview. “Are you silent or are you being silenced?” The exchange has become one of the most quoted and talked about moments from the interview, resonating with audiences around the world and sparking important conversations about Meghan’s experience in the royal family. “The latter,” Meghan replied, confirming her belief that she had been prevented from speaking rather than choosing silence.Winfrey imitated the hand gesture she made while asking the pointed question. “I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think I’ve done it since,” he admitted with a laugh. He then thought about why he had asked Meghan to clarify her statement at the moment. “I want to clarify, because was he silenced? Did people tell him not to talk?” Winfrey explained. “I say this for clarification, because I don’t want to hear later, ‘Well, no, that’s not it. Honestly I was silenced. They won’t let me talk.’ So all for clarification. ” His explanation reflects his journalistic instincts and desire to ensure the accuracy and clarity of the historical record of the conversation.
Oprah Winfrey repeated the question that became one of the most important moments of her 2021 interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Image credit (Instagram)
Oprah Winfrey explains her approach to the 2021 interview“They didn’t know, obviously, anything I was going to ask them, but I told them beforehand, ‘I’m going to try to cover everything,'” Winfrey recalled of her preparation for the interview. “This interview took three and a half hours. And as is always the case for me, I want it to be a win-win for you. So I’m just trying to carefully study everything that happened before.” His comments highlighted the deliberate and thoughtful approach he took to the conversation with the couple, setting the stage for the candid revelations to follow.The coastal town of Montecito, where Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, are now neighbors of Winfrey, 72, was the setting for the landmark interview in which the couple were candid about their reasons for leaving royal life.
Some bombshell moments and more: tension in the royal family
Other bombshell moments in the interview included the couple revealing there were “concerns and conversations” within the royal family about the birth of their first child, Prince Archie, and how dark his skin color was. The 2021 interview also revealed the rift between Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, which continues to this day. More than five years later, the brothers remained out of any communication, although Harry’s recent visits to the United Kingdom marked the first steps towards reconciliation with King Charles, with sources saying that “the relationship is better” between father and son.