MEGHAN Markle’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey has reportedly been in the works for two years after the Palace vetoed a sit-down chat with US star Gayle King.
Oprah’s tell-all chat with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex airs on Sunday – but sources say they originally tried to organise a televised talk with the CBS anchor.
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It is understood the sit-down with King was planned for after Meghan gave birth to son Archie in May 2019, MailOnline reports.
She hoped to do a “short interview” about her experience of Royal life and becoming a mother.
At the time The Celeb Report revealed King was actively lobbying for an interview with the Sussexes, and that Oprah was in prime position to make that happen.
But the Royal Family’s PR team reportedly overruled the idea.
They feared “it would alienate the UK press”, a source close to the controversy said.
Instead, Kensington Palace said King and her CBS TV crew could attend the first photo shoot of Meghan and Harry with baby Archie at St George’s Hall in Windsor.
This went against protocol as traditionally footage is shared between British broadcasters – but the source said “Meghan put her foot down”.
TV insiders say Oprah and King have been discussing a televised interview with the Sussexes ever since, eventually leading to the much-anticipated special on CBS on March 7.
The source told MailOnline that Meghan wanted to “manage their own public image” and her motto was “our lives, our way”.
They added: “This interview has been two years in the making with either Gayle or Oprah asking the questions.
“In reality it is the two of them prepping for the in-depth conversation.
“It is what the Sussexes have wanted for a long time.
“Oprah and Gayle have been supportive publicly of Meghan and Harry, since they dated. So for the Sussexes their friends felt like a safe place.”
King, who attended Meghan’s baby shower in New York, compared Meghan to Princess Diana in her 2019 documentary Harry and Meghan Plus One.
She drew comparisons between their outlooks on raising children.
And during Friday’s episode of Good Morning America, King described Oprah’s interview with the couple as a triumph.
She said: “Harry and Meghan are talking to Oprah. It’s their first major broadcast since giving up their senior royal duties.
“I’ve heard from reliable sources – this is Oprah talking – that it’s the best interview she’s ever done. So I’m curious. I think that’s saying something!”
The interview is due to air on Sunday while Prince Philip undergoes checks on his heart in hospital.
Many have called for the chat to be pulled under the circumstances, but broadcaster CBS is reportedly refusing to budge.
The chat is likely to raise the issue of race in Britain, ITV’s royal editor has said.
Chris Ship revealed Meghan discussed her experience of being mixed race in the UK when she met with Oprah for their upcoming TV chat.
ITV’s Chris Ship told Good Morning Britain: “I know that she is going to mention things like mental health and the impact of being in the UK had on her mental health.
“I know that she’s going to mention about the press intrusion, but also she’s going to raise the issue of race in Britain.”
Speaking alongside three other white guests on the show, Mr Ship told Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid: “I’m not sure this is the right panel to discuss that about how when you are either black or mixed heritage like Meghan how she felt in the UK.
“That issue, I think, is the one we are going to be talking about next week.”
Meghan has spoken about her experience with racism in the past and showed her support for the Black Lives Matter movement last summer as protests swept the globe.
The Duke of Sussex also said he has had “an awakening” to white privilege since being with his wife, and the pair called for an end to structural racism in the UK last year.
In an article for the Evening Standard, they said: “As long as structural racism exists, there will be generations of young people of colour who do not start their lives with the same equality of opportunity as their white peers.”
Harry, who moved to the US with Meghan, 39, last year, added: “The UK is incredibly diverse and London is celebrated as one of the most diverse cities in the world, yet if you actually get out on to the streets and talk to people, it doesn’t feel as diverse as it actually is.”
The pair are expected to speak in more detail about their lives at the weekend, with two trailers promising “shocking” royal revelations.
Meghan is asked by Oprah in the preview clips why she felt her time as a duchess was “almost unsurvivable”.
The famous talk-show host also wanted to make it “clear to everybody there is no subject that is off limits”.
Holding hands with Meghan in an outdoor location understood to be Santa Barbara, California, Harry adds: “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 have been like for her, going through this process by herself. All those years ago.
“Because it’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we had each other.”
The “primetime special” with Meghan and Harry was initially set to last 90 minutes, but CBS have now reportedly extended that to two hours.
