Meghan revealed during the sit-down conversation that life within the royal family was so isolated, lonely, and little support that she had experienced suicidal thoughts. She also said individuals within the facility had expressed concerns about the color of their son Archie’s skin.
Even before the interview – Meghan’s first since she and her husband announced plans to step down from senior positions in the British Royal Family – British media criticized the event. The relationship between the couple and the country’s press, and the tabloids in particular, has long been tumultuous.
The Daily Mail published wall-to-wall coverage of the interview trying to fit all the bombshells into a single headline: “Meghan claims she was suicidal when she was 5 months pregnant, Kate made HER cry and Royals refused to do so. make Archie a prince for worrying how ‘dark’ he would be as Harry reveals their new baby will be a GIRL. ”The website was dominated by coverage, including at least 13 articles about the interview with photos.
The interview aired Sunday on CBS during primetime US hours and 1am local UK time.
The tabloid’s website also featured a prominent banner that read, “I WANTED TO KILL MYSELF”, and a clip that played on-loop from the interview, showing Meghan, with captions, “I just didn’t want to live anymore . “
Another article on the website tore into the couple’s discussion during the interview about living in the United States, where they keep chickens.
“Back to basics in their $ 14.5 million mansion,” read a headline.
Monday’s print edition of the Daily Mail, meanwhile, highlighted allegations of concerns about Archie’s skin color: “MEGHAN ACCUSES PALACE OF RACISM,” read the front page of the Daily Mail’s Monday edition. While other news outlets used images from Harpo Productions, Winfrey’s production company, the Daily Mail chose a cropped image focused on Meghan’s face.
The deluge of stories on the Daily Mail home page follows a dismissive banner headline ahead of the interview earlier on Sunday, in which the outlet attempted to accuse the CBS special as “an afterthought.”
Other newspapers also quickly weighed in on the possible consequences of the interview.
Meghan Markle may never return to Britain after angering the royal family with the bombshell Oprah interview, wrote The Sun newspaper, referring to Meghan’s name before the wedding. It quoted “insiders [who] fears she and Prince Harry might have burned their bridges by not telling relatives what was in the two-hour chat before it was shown. “
The publication has coined a new nickname for Meghan amid her split from the royal family: “Megxile.” Previously, British tabloids dubbed the couple’s decision to relinquish their royal duties ‘Megxit’, a riff on the term used to describe the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.
“Queen: duty and family unite,” read the front page of the Daily Express newspaper. “That’s a public service for you, Harry and Meghan … NOT a self-service TV chat with Oprah.”
Even before the program, British tabloids came armed for the occasion, which was one of the biggest royal interviews in decades.
Monday, the print edition of the Daily Mirror will refer to Princess “Charles & William’s ‘immense sadness'” amid “Oprah interview fallout,” reported Sky News.
Both the Duke and Duchess have increasingly opened up to the harsh media attention they have received.
Last month, Prince Harry told James Corden, late night talk show host, that his experiences had prompted him to step back from the royal family. “We all know what the British press can look like, and it destroyed my mental health,” he said.
And in April last year, Harry and Meghan said they would cut off all contacts with four of the UK’s biggest tabloid newspapers after years of strained relationships. The couple has also fought with the media in court.
In the interview with Oprah on Sunday, Meghan said that it had become painfully clear that there were double standards in the way that the media had adopted her and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William, who is second in the line of succession. the British throne.
“I can now see what layers were playing there. And again, they really seemed to want a story of a hero and a villain,” said Meghan.
Coverage of the interview with Meghan and Harry was not limited to the tabloids. Snippets were also featured prominently in UK morning shows and broadsheets on Mondays.
How to Get Help: In the US, call it National suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.
– Brian Stelter contributed to this report.
