The interview Meghan Markle the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex had with Oprah Winfrey has made international news, having over 17 million views. Many were interested to hear what the two had to say about their decision to step down from their duties as members of the British royal family last March. This interview has raised more questions than ever, gaining the attention of people around the world including Queen Elizabeth herself, who later put out a response to this interview.

One of the biggest questions viewers had was why the couple chose to step down, which is not easily answered, as there were several factors involved in this heavily debated decision. The issue begins with the media’s treatment of Meghan during not only her wedding but also throughout her first pregnancy. Criticisms escalated to the point where Meghan was even judged on her decision to eat avocado toast while she was pregnant with her son Archie.

Meghan was under constant attack from the media, while the duchess Kate who is married to Prince William, Harry’s brother, received mostly positive attention. Many suspect that this negative attention has to do with the fact that Meghan is of mixed race and that the media has been discriminating against her because of it.

“The press was undeniably racist and harsh towards Meghan. Kate was praised and worshiped for everything from her style to her mannerisms. I think the worst thing about how the press treated Meghan is they spread intense lies about her and made fun of her children,” senior Sara Ebrahimi said.

Along with the attacks from the media, Meghan received little support from the royal family. In the interview with Oprah, Meghan opened up about her struggles with mental health and her suicidal thoughts before stepping back from her royal duties. In the interview she states, “I knew that if I did not say it, I would do it. I just did not want to be alive anymore.”

Meghan emphasized that she did not receive much support even after telling a Senior royal about her mental health struggle. Her struggle with mental health and the constant attack of the media is what made their final decision to step back from their duties.

In the interview, the two confirmed that during Meghan’s first pregnancy, there was a discussion about the skin tone of the unborn baby. The couple refused to reveal too much detail about the conversation, including who initiated the conversation or how exactly the question was asked. They did reveal that this conversation did surround how the baby would look and whether it would be “too brown.” They also made it clear that neither the Queen nor Prince Phillip had anything to do with these conversations.

Along with this, Archie did not receive the title of Prince, unlike the children of William and Kate who did. It is commonplace for those directly in line for the throne such as George, William’s oldest son, to receive the title of prince or princess. The Queen, however, made an exception and declared that all of Williams’ children will receive a royal title, an exception not made for Archie.

“They were not going to give him a title [Archie], they were not going to give him protection. Even though he does not have a title, he is still associated as a very important part of the royal family so he should have some type of security,” freshman Tamya Wallace said.

After almost a year since Harry and Meghan stepped back from their duties, the royal family broke their silence. A statement on behalf of the queen was put out in response to the interview. It stated “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members.”

This interview has overall caught the attention of the world as everyone readily awaits to hear the news on what comes next with this royal family. With all the new accusations and questions there is surely a lot more to develop as the people slowly but surely find out more each day. Until then everyone will just have to watch as the story unfolds.

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