Oprah Winfrey is best known for her entertaining and ongoing career as a media mogul and interviewer. The television legend sat down with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to discuss the bombshell in 2021, shortly after they left royal life and moved their family from the United Kingdom to California. Now, Winfrey has recaptured an ugly and memorable moment from the big interview, which was heard around the world and became one of the most talked about interviews.According to Vanity Fair, the most important exchange in the long-running interview came when Meghan spoke about the “hush-hush” nature of her time with the royal family. “I’ve always valued independence. I’ve always been very vocal, especially about women’s rights,” the Duchess of Sussex said at the time. “I mean, it’s been a sad mess of the last four years, I’ve been advocating for a long time for women to use their voices. Then I became silent.“
The Sussexes’ televised interview is one of the most talked about royal interviews in recent years. Photo credit (Instagram)
Oprah Winfrey’s famous ‘shut up or shut up’ question went viralOprah memorably responded with a question that could easily be interpreted as an interview: “Did you keep quiet or did you shut up?” The exchange became one of the most reported and talked about moments from the interview, which resonated with people around the world and sparked a wide-ranging discussion about Meghan’s experience in the royal family. “The following,” Meghan replied, confirming her belief that she had been prevented from speaking rather than choosing to remain silent.Winfrey mimicked the hand gesture she made while asking a pointed question. “I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think I’ve ever done that,” he admitted with a laugh. He then thought about why he had asked Meghan to explain what she had said at this point. “I wanted to be clear, because he was silent? People were telling him not to speak?” Winfrey explained. “I said it to be heard, because I didn’t want to hear later, ‘Well, no, it wasn’t like that. It was true that I fell silent. They didn’t let me talk.’ So it was all very clear.” His explanation reflected his journalistic mindset and desire to ensure accuracy and clarity in the historical context of the conversation.
Oprah Winfrey looked back on the question that became one of her questions in 2021 with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Photo credit (Instagram)
Oprah Winfrey explains how to do interviews for 2021“Obviously, they didn’t know what I was going to ask them, but I had already told them, ‘I’m going to try to hide everything,'” Winfrey recalled about preparing for her interview. “This interview lasted three and a half hours. And as it always is for me, I want it to be successful for you. So I was just carefully evaluating everything that came before.” His comments highlighted the deliberate and thoughtful approach he took to the couple’s discussions, and set the stage for more meaningful revelations to follow.The seaside town of Montecito, where Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, were now neighbors of Winfrey, 72, was the scene of a cross-examination in which the couple revealed their reasons for leaving royal life.
Some bomb moments and more royal family feuds
Other moments during the interview included the couple revealing that there was “concern and discussion” within the royal family about the birth of their first child, Prince Archie, and how dark his skin would be. The 2021 interview also highlighted the rift between Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, which continues to this day. More than five years later, the brothers have not spoken, although recent visits from Harry to the United Kingdom have shown ways to reconcile with King Charles, sources indicate that “friendship is good” between father and son.