Oprah Winfrey appeared to throw a subtle jab at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as the Duke continues his relentless battle for UK police protection. Ever since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously stepped back from royal duties and packed their bags for America, they lost their automatic right to taxpayer-funded police bodyguards when visiting Britain.
Harry is now forced to give a full month's notice before setting foot in the UK so authorities can carry out a security risk assessment. Despite his continuous appeals - and losing a high-profile High Court battle against the Home Office last year - the Prince has been repeatedly turned down for full-time protection. His ongoing campaign for royal-level security as a non-working royal has continued to spark fierce public backlash.
Oprah's Blunt Advice
In a fresh interview with Vanity Fair, US chat show legend Oprah, who hosted the Sussexes' explosive 2021 sit-down interview, appeared to offer some blunt advice. The Express reports that it came after she re-watched a clip of Harry saying: 'My father and my brother, they are trapped. They don't get to leave, and I have huge compassion for that.'
Addressing the camera directly, Oprah delivered a sharp nine-word reality check: 'If you don't want to be bothered, stay home.' Elaborating on her personal philosophy regarding fame, she added: 'If you want to keep your privacy, then don't go out. If you want to go to a restaurant...and you're having out to dinner with Stedman (her husband), and he's like, "Why are people coming up all the time?" Then let's stay home and eat. That has been my approach.' However, she did note: 'Very different though, I think, than being royalty or being even a movie star.'
Oprah's Motivation Behind Famous Question
During the same interview, Oprah also opened up about her now-legendary interrogation of Meghan, revealing the motivation behind her famous line: 'Were you silent or were you silenced?' Explaining that she simply wanted to get straight to the truth, the veteran broadcaster admitted she asked the question to avoid any ambiguity later on. She said: 'I didn't want, later, to hear "Well no, it wasn't that. It really was that I was silenced." So it was all for clarification.'
Public Reaction
Oprah's candid remarks didn't go unnoticed online, with royal commentators and social media users quickly weighing in on the TV icon's fresh perspective. One commenter suggested the host was distancing herself, writing: 'I think Oprah is covering her back. She is not going to pander to them anymore. She sounds p***ed off with them, if anything.' A second person said: 'Yeah, I think Oprah is p***ed but let's clarify. Harry may be royalty, but Meghan certainly is not. She only spent 18 months in the royal family. She's not royal as much as she wants the American public to believe that she is. She can go anywhere she wants.' A third pointed out how other royals manage, posting: 'The Wales family have eaten out several times in country pubs, completely unbothered by press and public. Catherine walked up three mountains unbothered. It can be done.' While a fourth brutally added: 'They have zero regal presence. They are at best D-list celebrities.'
