And yet the couple sat there in comfortable wicker chairs outside at a low round table belonging to perhaps the nation’s most famous television presenter. Ms. Winfrey’s list of celebrity interviews includes Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, Kim Kardashian, and Donald J. Trump – and she is known for considering little taboo (in 1993, she asked an undaunted Mr. Jackson if he was a virgin ). .
However, Meghan used the interview as an opportunity to regain her own narrative after claiming her reputation was distorted by a starved tabloid press fed falsehoods by jealous palace courtiers.
Even Meghan’s choice of wardrobe seemed designed to telegraph the message of a fresh start. Her elegant black dress, designed by Giorgio Armani, featured a striking lotus flower design, which, according to her employees, symbolized revival and the will to live. She also wore a diamond tennis bracelet that once belonged to Diana.
But the couple’s efforts to revive their public image did not go unchallenged at home. In the days leading up to the show, new allegations surfaced that Meghan had bullied employees, moved junior aides to tears and evicted two personal assistants from the palace. Meghan dismissed the claims as a character assassination attempt, while Buckingham Palace said it would investigate.
“What is happening is a major battle for control of the narrative,” said Peter Hunt, a former royal correspondent for the BBC. “What is our firm verdict on why Harry and Meghan left the royal family? Do we accept two hours of Oprah or do we believe these bullying charges? “
Early headlines in UK tabloids suggested Meghan’s bombs will reverberate for weeks. “I wanted to kill myself,” read a headline on The Daily Mail’s website. “I felt suicidal,” said a headline on The Sun’s website.
Meghan has no shortage of defenders. Patrick J. Adams, an actor who worked with her on the television series “Suits”, described her on Twitter last week as “deep in morals and with a strong work ethic”. The royal family, Mr Adams said, has been “obscene” in promoting allegations of bullying against them.
