Do you think Oprah didn't ask the right questions.

[Noidea2114]

Lots of subjects were spoken about but I felt that Oprah could have asked for further information.

What questions do you think she should of asked.

My question is to Harry 'why didn't you get Meghan help with her MH if you are a loving husband'

It was never meant to be an antagonist interview though.

Imagine Emily Maitlis or Jeremy Paxman! But they would never have sat down with JP of course.

@GoLightlyontheEarth

Did you bully your staff? Why did so many leave so quickly? Why did you sack your first nanny during the night ? Why did you write a letter for your father with the help of palace staff and then circulate it to your friends ? Why didn’t you research your future in laws and husband? Why didn’t you consider the restrictions and expectations of your new role? Why do you feel the need to spend so much on designer outfits? Did you like your husbands family? What efforts did you make to fit in and get on with husbands family? What stopped you finding yourself a psychotherapist? Was your phone confiscated? How exactly do you reconcile your feminist views and need for a ‘voice’ with having made salacious burger ads and having a breast enhancement? Why did you deny having input into Finding Freedom? Did you get on with William? Was there anything at all that your in laws did right for you do you think, apart from the Queen? Why did you invite so many celebrities you hardly knew to your wedding but left out all your family apart from your mother? Why didn’t you introduce your father to Harry before you got married? Where was your mother when you were growing up? Why did you want to give up your career to marry into the royal family when you had the option to keep on with it, since you are such a feminist? Are you at all grateful for having enormous wealth and a gorgeous home now? When will you let go of your many grievances? How do you reconcile your treatment of your father with your creed about kindness and compassion? Why do you feel you have the right to lecture people about how they should live? Do you consider yourself a kind and compassionate person with empathy and tolerance?

All this! I haven't watched the interview though, I think it would make me cross.

I'm wondering why the issue about security came up only after they'd already said they were leaving.
You'd think it would have been discussed before they made that decision. In fact in their shoes, I think for me it might have been a deal-breaker - they do need security, and so if they are not able to pay for it themselves ( !) then maybe they should have stayed within the RF to enable them to get the protection paid out of the public purse.
To that extent, yes, they were trapped, but then aren't we all? If we don't work, we don't get paid, can't feed our families etc.

Good thread - nuanced. Its what has irked me about the interview, lots of vague accusations with no context - different from saying what they said it's not true or not true to them but unfair to have no chance of another perspective.

I would have liked her to ask about Harry's racism in the past. Dressing up as a nazi for a party and calling a colleague by a racial slur.

The thing is that they have got in first.

Any inconsistencies can be batted off with “I was so traumatised I might have misremembered a few things” and Harry’s past misdemeanours excused with the “I’ve now educated myself”.

Also these days people never make a mistake or get anything wrong or even tell a lie. They “misspoke”

Good point over feeling trapped.
Many people do . At least they have the money available to piss off even if it means he'll have to dip into his inheritance which won't last too long with that glamorous life style o er there.
I'd ask him how he feels about the pandemic and how it's affected the people that paid out 35 mil for a wedding it seems his wife wasn't too bothered about really it seems.

The issues about getting help with mental health - I can believe that the people she asked would not help (and that is in itself wrong) but would have been interested how and when they did find treatment. It is quite shocking that no one (even her own husband) would not seek immediate help for a heavily pregnant woman who is afraid to be left alone for fear of harming herself (or potentially killing herself) .Would Harry not only have been terrified for his wife, but also their unborn child?
They stayed for a year after that, I hope that they did access help either via checks for PND , which presumably her own drs would have done or the therapists that Harry must have had contact with. He is a figure head of a MH charity - I'm surprised he would not have had contacts without having to channel all requests and calls through "the firm"

When she talked about bringing the arch bishop of Canterbury to do their pre-wedding "wedding" she made that sound as if they organised it between themselves, almost secretly...which suggests they do have a phone between them, and potentially dont need permission to make a call...?

She made an announcement at the start that no topic was banned then asked her nothing about her own family and how she felt about them. The interview was not even slightly forensic. They both told her different versions of events and she didn't make them clarify anything. I lost a lot of respect for Oprah after watching that.

Okay, I've put my Oprah hat on.

I'd like to have asked Meghan if she had a message for the British people because she left the UK without saying anything - except rather strangely thanking Canada! There was a feeling of disgruntlement with people left hanging in the air but nothing was explicitly said. I know she thought the press racist but it would have been good to have some clarifying comments on her feelings about the British people.

The allegations around racism within the royal family are probably the statements most in need of further elucidation. I understand not naming the person who spoke to Harry but, given the differing accounts supplied by Meghan and Harry, I would like clarity on whether it was one conversation or several and if it was when Meghan was a girlfriend or when she was pregnant. Was the tone of this person hostile or musing and curious? How did Harry react at the time? Did he let the person know he found what they said inappropriate and what was the response if so? Does this person have form for such comments or was it out of character and does Harry think their attitude/conduct is in any way reflective of the royal family as a whole?

Yes, I would have loved to have had a more detailed account of the racist incident/incidents.

The comments about racism within the family have caused much debate across the globe and there have been growing calls for countries to finally part company with the Queen and Commonwealth.

It doesn't seem right that vague comments made during an informal chat should have such an influence on the world.

Not an interview, a love in.

Who was it who said "and what attracted you yo the millionaire (prince) ?

It was the Mrs Merton show. Opening question to Debbie McGee was "What first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?"

I suppose she didn't challenge much (although you saw meghan look shocked and angry look at Harry and grab his hand when she said some people would say you were manipulative what do you say to them or something ike that then it cut to a different part of the chat) because she wanted to hear what they had to say without judgement so you could hear them and their opinions maybe perhaps but anyway if there is no comeback from royals, Oprah the unseen bits, or the follow up to answer the unanswered I shall be most disappointed

I am bored and I read the transcript of this interview. Online .
At one point Meghan was saying she didn't get any help with protocol or how to do things. Harry goes to say ' there's.. '
Then she buts in. I bet he was going to say ' there was someone' or something similar but she stopped him speaking.
There are two more hours of this interview unseen and I'm sure this will be heard eventually.
Oprah didn't challenge them much at all really.
The What? Thing looked fake to me.
Reading it back was weird. One thing he did say was he was told that Meghan would have to work as an actress or something as there wasn't any money for them as well as being a working royal.

I think the interview was very one sided and Oprah didn't press them enough on some of their answers. As it was Prince Harry who had the conversation with the family member about skin colour I believe him when he said it was made at the beginning of their relationship and it was a general comment about kids. I' m not sure he was there in the interview when Meghan implied it was about Archie. Also why wasn't Harry there for the whole of the interview.

For those questioning Harry's parentage, I've said this before but Diana didn't meet James Hewitt until Harry was 2 years old.

I was pretty confused that Harry sort of popped in for bits of it but I think he’s not nearly as articulate as Meghan and it was a better ‘flow’ to just have her with Oprah. Plus it obviously fits into the ‘now it’s my turn to speak/finding her voice’ narrative.

She didn't ask any of the right questions or probe their answers at all - that's why they picked her and not Andrew Neill! (Can you imagine if they had)

They had an opportunity on this huge platform to talk about the work they want to do as humanitarians. Will they ever have such a huge opportunity with the whole world watching ever again.
They talked only of themselves and their grievances and perceived grievances.
Nothing about the charity work or their philosophy.

RubyViolet maybe they did but it wasn't such good teli as the rest so they cut it out

Someone said on MN that she's clearly not a journalist, a chat show host. She didn't have the ability (along with she asked what she was told to) to challenge in her interview.

I noticed Oprah was also lacking knowledge about the RF. A worthy interviewer, at least, should brush up on their guest. It stood out when Harry mentioned his private secretary and Meghan jumped in and said to Oprah "its like a CEO"

@whatisheupto

Oh good I felt this too! It was all so vague and nothing was expanded upon enough. I feel like actually far from "major revelations", I'm not sure exactly what new information we have learnt from it at all. But I am a pedant.

OOOOOOO I didn't know she'd had her boobs done!

Questions I would have asked:

William and Kate are patrons of, 'Heads Together.' Did you mention your mental health issues to them? Were they aware of your cry for help?

Initially you and Harry wanted to be half in and half out of the Royal Family. Why was it tolerable at first but not later?

Why was Oprah invited to your wedding, a woman you met once before?

Why was an interview viewed by millions of people a good forum for issues you have with your family?

Meghan: You seem to hit the nuclear option on your family members, other than your mother. Why is this?

Is the issue of race something that should be talked about more? How could you forward or facilitate a conversation about race?

Why was the issue of Archie's security the top of the agenda when in the UK where there were Royal Protection officers, but seems not to be an issue in Santa Barbara?

@IrmaFayLear "Any inconsistencies can be batted off with “I was so traumatised I might have misremembered a few things” and Harry’s past misdemeanours excused with the “I’ve now educated myself”.

Also these days people never make a mistake or get anything wrong or even tell a lie. They “misspoke” hmm "

Yep

Also @sadie9 Yes Meghan - what first attracted to you to millionaire prince and grandson of the Queen " ha ha ha

Look I am entirely up for believing they are in love and - you know what - that is lovely - but that does not give them carte blanche to say things which are not true. So e.g. Archie was not not given the title Prince because he was mixed race. ( & I believe that is the case ) Also if you bugger off a long way away why are the Met police meant to protect you when you are not in the line of succession and not doing any royal family working duties.

Also I thought accusing an un named family member of commenting on Archie and then saying I don't want to speak about it is cowardly. Surely he could have stood up to that family person or if he thought it would be harmful - then just don't mention it because many will come under suspicion

Ah - I don't think Harry is the sharpest knife in the block ( I mean academically , not that he does not have some thoughts - & I think that is proven - exam results ) but he started to do a great deal of good for e.g. invictus games . I just think he and Meghan could have done a decent job & I am not convinced that they could not have done a great deal for causes they espouse . But if they really had such a dreadful time - then , that's what they had to so.

Would have loved to see the interview with Jeremy Paxman though

Is that naughty ?

Brilliant questions

Questions about Harry's provable racist past.