The Duchess of Sussex has claimed Buckingham Palace shouldn’t be surprised at her speaking out against them ”if” it has taken what she called an ”active role” in the promotion of false information about herself and the Duke of Sussex.
In the latest clip of the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, The Duchess makes reference to ”The Firm”, the name used widely around the world to describe the Royal Family.
In the trailer, Oprah Winfrey asks Meghan how she feels ”about the Palace hearing you speak your truth today?”. The Duchess of Sussex replies ”I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.”
Set against dramatic music and using the famous photo of Harry and Meghan under an umbrella at one of their last public engagements in the UK ahead of stepping back as senior royals in 2020, the clip continues with Meghan saying ”and if that comes with risk of losing things, I mean, there’s a lot that’s been lost already.”
The use of the phrase ”The Firm” has led to some debate. The name was reportedly coined by The Duke of Edinburgh when he married into the House of Windsor and is often used to describe the Royal Family. It’s not clear from the context of the clip whether the Duchess of Sussex is referring to the family or to the wider court surrounding it.
The trailer was released just hours after Buckingham Palace announced it would examine the circumstances of bullying allegations made against the Duchess of Sussex in The Times newspaper. Harry & Meghan’s former staff members, including their chief of staff, have made serious allegations against the Duchess. The report alleged that two of Meghan’s personal assistants were driven out of their roles and that a third member of staff had their confidence undermined. A spokesperson for Meghan said she is “saddened” by the allegations which were published on Wednesday in The Times. The spokesperson added that the story was the “latest attack on her character”.
The interview was recorded several weeks before the bullying allegations were made in the newspaper.
Oprah’s interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be broadcast by CBS on Sunday, March 7th 2021 with viewers in the UK being able to watch it on ITV1 on March 8th.
