Duchess Sophie's 'lengthy chat' with Prince Harry amid her declaration over royal family
The Duchess of Edinburgh commented on that Oprah Winfrey chatSophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, once opened up about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following their explosive Oprah interview.
In 2021, Sophie, who turns 61 on January 20, briefly spoke out about Harry and Meghan following their fallout with the royals.
In an interview with The Telegraph Magazine at the time, Sophie revealed she had a “nice” lengthy chat with Harry after Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.
The Duke of Sussex had flown in to the UK for the service following his grandfather’s death on April 9 of that year. It was the first time he had been back on home soil since his and Meghan’s shock departure from the royal family in early 2020. The funeral service also came just weeks after their explosive Oprah interview aired.
But in a joint interview with her husband, Prince Edward, Sophie declared: “We are still a family no matter what happens, we always will be.”
Duchess Sophie on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In the interview, which was published in June 2021, Edward and Sophie were quizzed about Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The interview had aired in March 2021, weeks before Philip’s death.
During the chat with Oprah, Harry and Meghan accused the monarchy of ignoring the duchess’ plea for help when she was having suicidal thoughts.
They also alleged that there had been “concerns and conversations about how dark” their son Archie’s skin would be when he was born. However, the couple didn’t name who had allegedly made the comment.
The interview sent shockwaves around the world, with the royal family facing intense scrutiny.
In the days that followed the interview airing, Prince William was asked about the race allegations during a visit to a school. “We’re very much not a racist family,” he said.
Buckingham Palace also described the allegations as “concerning” and said it would be dealing with it privately.
When asked by Telegraph Magazine about the Oprah chat, both Edward and Sophie had very simple responses.
Edward mused: “Oprah who?”
Smiling, Sophie also chipped in: “Yes, what interview?”
‘Things have changed’
The couple went on to explain how Prince Edward would be taking on a more prominent role in the working royal family.
It came following both Harry’s departure and Prince Philip’s death.
Sophie said: “We’ve plodded along doing what we’re doing, hopefully doing it well. And then all of a sudden there’s a bit of a hiatus and things have changed a bit. Naturally, the media are looking for people to fill the so-called void. If people want to pay more attention to what we’re doing, then great.”
All of a sudden there’s a bit of a hiatus and things have changed a bit.
Prince Edward and Sophie spoke to the cameras following Prince Philip’s funeral on April 17, 2021.
Sophie struggled to hold back tears as she recounted memories of her father-in-law.
Read more: Real reason Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie rarely ‘show affection’ in public amid ‘royal protocol’
The couple said their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, were “still keep expecting to see grandpa arrive in his green Land Rover”.
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