The Duke & Duchess of Sussex with Oprah III - Post-Interview, March 9th 2021 -

[Marengo]

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The pre-interview discussion can be found here.

The interview discussion can be found here.

 

[principessa]

Statement of the BRF:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1369339720967348229

 

[A Tudor]

I'm new around here, but have been lurking for quite while. As a fierce royalist, as most of the people here I guess, I have to admit this was a devastating blow to the royal family, regardless if the allegations are false or not.


I've read people comparing this to the Panaroma interview, but imo this is much more damaging. In 1995, Diana, who was already separated by then, attacked Charles pretty hard, but not the institution itself. What H & M did this time goes beyond personal attacks, the interview exposes the whole institution of the monarchy, makes people question not only if Charles or William are fit to rule, but the actual existence of a monarchy in the UK.


Considering the political climate we are currently living , a racism accusation is the worst kind of accusation any public figure could get right now. People tend to buy the narrative of racism much more easily nowadays, proven or not. Pretty much, the Royal Family was put in a very difficult position, damned if they deny any misconduct (people would still be suspicious) and damned if they acknowledge even the minor wrongdoing (people would take that as proof every other accusation is also true).


I'm sure the royal aides are trying to come up with a response, I tend to think they will take the "we take the allegations very seriously and will do some internal investigation, etc" route. That might suffice for now, but I'm not sure if it's the right decision in the long run.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

Statement of the BRF:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1369339720967348229

Nothing less than I expected. The Queen, Charles and William are class acts. They are keeping the door open.

 

[Lee-Z]

Imo that was a classy comment:
acknowledging their pain
sympathizing
leaving the door open for reconciliation

but at the same time not
being defensive
lashing back at H&M

 

[poppy7]

I sense something not said in that statement, something similar to "don't let the door hit ya..." I know it probably took BH hours to come up with just the right balance and in my opinion, they've succeeded. The economy of it is a striking contrast to the "two hours plus bonus features" of the Oprah interview. Same for the tone of each.

Once the adrenaline rush passes, I believe H&M will regret just how far they went in telling their "truth."

How many versions of that simple statement were written. I am all for writing the most emotive you can first and peeling it back. It was an excellent statement and I am sure the first draft was something akin to

'I am sorry they have such a hard time but they drove us and our staff around the bend. We don't agree with the racism claim and you of anyo e has been caught out or racism it is Harry. We appreciate the Sussexes are very damaged and we will deal with it privately.'

The real kicker in it. Recollections vary.

 

[A Tudor]

Statement of the BRF:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1369339720967348229

Good statement tbh. Deal with it privately and let them go forever.

 

[Dalriada]

The Palace makes announcement.

“The race issues raised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are "concerning" and will be addressed by the family privately, Buckingham Palace has said.

In a statement, the Palace said "recollections may vary" but the claims made in their interview with Oprah Winfrey are "taken very seriously".

Meghan race issues 'taken very seriously' - Palace https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56340451

 

[sophie25]

I can't imagine the anger at the Palace over this, that statement was measured and restrained but you can sense the fury underlying it.

 

[Erin9]

Nothing less than I expected. The Queen, Charles and William are class acts. They are keeping the door open.

It was very classy. And about the best they could do IMO in terms of a response.

It was horrible for Harry and Meghan to attack his family publicly like that knowing they would never truly respond in public.

 

[roseroyal]

Statement of the BRF:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1369339720967348229

Action is louder than words. I’m not buying this.

 

[Erin9]

The statement says "recollections may vary" which to me means they think some of what Megs and Haz said is bullshit. And for all we know, that includes the "no one listened to my mental health problems" accusations.

Indeed. I really liked the part about “recollections may vary.” I have no doubt they do. Very generously put though.

 

[roseroyal]

It was very classy. And about the best they could do IMO in terms of a response.

It was horrible for Harry and Meghan to attack his family publicly like that knowing they would never truly respond in public.

They should respond in public. They won’t. That’s one of the problems.

 

[Lee-Z]

I'm assuming that was not how it was put at the meetings over the last couple of days. Peeled back many times I think.

oh yes, peeled back, asked feedback from a few people, slept on, rewritten, to convey just the right message.

Just like the Oprah interview was likely rehearsed, tried out, directions given, takes viewed and reshot, until it conveyed just the right message.

'Recollections may vary' is for me statement of the day

 

[Lori138]

You know I am still so angry over this interview, that I can barely think of anything else.

But, I do want to put into context one of the things they said: The comment about the color of their children's skin. I think it was a passing comment such as after being introduced to Meghan and chatting and then wondering aloud oh I wonder what shade of skin color the children will have? I think it was meant as a comment and NOT as a racial dig as Meghan is now making it out to be. Even Hsrry seemed uncomfortable with the fact that had come out. The BRF may have their faults but I have never seen them behave in any racist way before, and having a bi-racial member of the family was a wonderful addition to their working members.

Meghan, and Meghan alone, has chosen to make everything about race and most of what she uttered on her interview was a lie, and can be proven to be so. I sincerely hope that the family can recover from this and that H & M fade rapidly into the proverbial sunset.

 

[camelot23ca]

I think that was a good statement.

They showed compassion for the struggles, pain and mental health problems Harry and Meghan talked about without judgement or trying to claim it didn't happen.

Politely called BS on other things without engaging in mud slinging and repeated that they're loved. The opposite of what the interview was.

Whether it will be enough, especially for the "racist royal" narrative who knows but it's a good start.

I think it’s the best statement they could have made under the circumstances. They’ve made it clear that family matters will be dealt with in private, not in the public sphere.

It will never be enough for those who would love to see the BRF engaged in a public fight to the death with Harry and Meghan, either because they wish to see the monarchy harmed, or just for the entertainment value. It will also never be enough for those who feel even the mention of the word racism should result in an immediate public crucifixion.

The BRF showed that they’re willing to communicate with Harry and Meghan as family members but will not play a part in their new careers as professional victims. It was a gracious statement and one that was frankly much better than The Sussexes deserve.

 

[Erin9]

They should respond in public. They won’t. That’s one of the problems.

That’ll just lead to mud slinging and drag this horror out. These were private issues. They should have stayed that way.

This response was very good. I imagine it took some time to craft it. It was well thought out IMO.

 

[princess gertrude]

IMO, the statement was well crafted. And I completely agree with many of you that the most telling part of the statement is "recollections vary".

 

[moby]

Though I thought they would not issue a statement but provide media lines, I was correct in my guess that the statement would mention these elements:

Race issue to be taken seriously
Matters to be dealt with privately
That line about Harry Meghan being much loved members of the family.

However, the “recollections may vary” line is genius. Props to their comms team for that succinct but loaded line.

 

[Claire]

I am told that there is things afoot - but they will play nice for Prince Philip and the Queen. There is a bullying investigation to be done and the charity board will be looking into movement of funds from a charity to a not charity.
Afraid to say we have not heard the last of this by a long shot. Meghan still has lots of interviews in her - no doubt she is saving some stuff for the book tour.

 

[Lee-Z]

That’ll just lead to mud slinging and drag this horror out. These were private issues. They should have stayed that way.

This response was very good. I imagine it took some time to craft it. It was well thought out IMO.

Agree, i would even go as far to say that the royals *did* learn from the past and know a public response has never yet worked out well..

 

[Hallo girl]

Also the way we view things are different. Less competition on networks back in 1995 than 2021 in the era of streaming. Either way that is quite a number.

Just glad they did release a statement. It was needed since the royals are still going out on engagements and they don't need to be ambushed with questions.

It has been stated.

Also there was no build up. It was just announced a couple of days before. Totally out of the blue. Best kept secret.

 

[Mirabel]

Interesting point. I didn't realize this but it makes sense that Harry and Meghan were not paid $100 million but were given it to produce things and have to pay the cost of the production and they could pay themselves a salary. They have spent $20+ million buying a house and paying for the renovations at Frogmore. I wonder if they are only now beginning to realize that they even with Spotify and Netflix, they are going to run out of money.

I just hope that, if they do run out of money, Charles doesn't cave and bail them out.

 

[Kellydofc]

They should respond in public. They won’t. That’s one of the problems.

Whatever else they say it just becomes a war of words and spirals downward. This way it cuts it off at the knees. They're not responding to H&M so they're not giving them any ammo. Sometimes the only way to stop a fight is to not engage.

 

[Erin9]

The Duke & Duchess of Sussex - Interview with Oprah March 2021

Though I thought they would not issue a statement but provide media lines, I was correct in my guess that the statement would mention these elements:



Race issue to be taken seriously

Matters to be dealt with privately

That line about Harry Meghan being much loved members of the family.



However, the “recollections may vary” line is genius. Props to their comms team for that succinct but loaded line.

It was genius indeed. “Recollections may vary” was, as you said, succinct but loaded. Spoke volumes about how they feel, but keeping it classy and without calling the Sussexes liars outright. And recollections can and do vary. Their PR team sure earned their paycheck IMO.


I can only imagine what they’re all saying privately.....

 

[Scarebaby]

It sill beggars belief that they would tell her she could not have it. It might be difficult to arrange, but they could have done it, and i find it hard to believe that having supported Harry and Diana when they had mental health issues they would not do the same for her...

Just spitballing here, but is it possible she had a specific place in mind? Something that might have seemed to the folks in charge, inappropriate, like a private spa-like clinic in Switzerland or something? It does indeed beggar belief that she would be told she couldn't have ANY help.

 

[Eskimo]

The doctor makes real good statements that explain why Meghan (and Harry) did not take on any help with their depression. The worst for me was that they feared the didgnosis would become public information leading the media into a new, negative frenzy. I can imagine how captured they felt in their gilded cage when they couldn't even be sure that their call for help to a doctor would stay confidental.



It would be okay to tell that, IMHO. But I think we never learned of the real reasons of their struggle with Prince Charles and thus it is diffuclt to put that into perspective. Harry is very angry with his father and the way he feels reduced to a second class-family member. IMHO he still suffers from what he saw in Afghanistan, so getting protection for his family is an extremely important point for him. Meghan and their son being POCs makes them even more endangered. We don't know what Harry took with him in beliefs what really happened to his mother, but he surely saw what the British state is able to do in war times. Meghan maybe saw "On her Majesty's Secret Service" or any of all the other movies dealing with MI5 or 6 (or whatever) and both might have really felt threatened for their life. And Diana died because she did not have police protection, we shouldn't forget that, as noone checked to see if she was securely belted into the car on her last travel.



IMHO both suffer from tough cases of anxiety. Maybe telling the world at the cost of their bonds to Harry's family was a cry out to the world about how they feel. I am just sorry that the world will not give them what they need. Only they themselves can give them their inner peace back and I hope they take the time and medical help to reach that.

This is why they are angry and bitter. They feel that the world owes them the adulation they want

 

[Kellydofc]

I just hope that, if they do run out of money, Charles doesn't cave and bail them out.

I hope so too.

 

[Claire]

I do know Edward and Sophie had to give up their jobs and there was some growing pains there. But he doesn't seem to have the second son problem for being resentful that his position would lessen in life. If anything his issue was that he wanted to keep working but he gave up the production company easily as Sophie did her job and there were no grumbling interviews, no over the top behavior.

Edward was born way down the succession - he was spare to the spare. He was told as a child that that only contribution he could make to the family was to die in a war. He never ever had a position. He was left alone by Uncle Dickie and not moddlling by the Queen Mother. Charles and Andrew were both placed under the wing of a senior office from about 15 to shape and mould them. (As was William and Harry) When Edward left school, the Duke of Edinburgh asked to see the officer that was Edward's mentor - only to have the palace reply that would have been you sir. No one had told him.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

I just hope that, if they do run out of money, Charles doesn't cave and bail them out.

I hear you but Charles would have to consider their security, after all, they are his children and grandchildren. I can see him placing conditions such as moving back to the UK and living in one of the estates, where there is already security. Maybe also an NDA. There is no way that they could become working royals, but Charles, like Andrew, would probably pay for security when they leave the estate.