British press up in arms over Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are taking more flak Friday morning for their interview with Oprah Winfrey, airing Sunday on CBS.
The couple said the press was one of the driving forces behind their decision to move to the U.S., but the United Kingdom's royal family has relied on the media for generations to shore up support.
U.K. tabloids seem to have their knives out for Meghan over the explosive interview, and with Buckingham Palace investigating bullying allegations against the duchess, CBS News Holly Williams' reports that an all-out war appears to be taking shape — Harry and Meghan on one hand, the palace on the other.
Amid accusations the Sussex sit-down is tone-deaf, one presenter on "Good Morning Britain" said the timing of their upcoming interview was described as "unfortunate."
Screen personality Piers Morgan called it "crass beyond belief."
"I don't understand what they want, or what they think they are going to gain," another commentator said.
With Harry's grandfather Prince Philip in the hospital and a deadly pandemic raging, the couple are revealing all about leaving royal life behind.
In a soundbite from the interview, Winfrey asks, "How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?"
"I don't know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that 'The Firm' is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," Meghan said in the preview.
British comedian Gina Yashere, who is based in Los Angeles, told CBS News the criticism coming from across the pond is yet another example of British racism — which she described as more subtle than the American variety.
"She wouldn't be doing this interview with Oprah, they wouldn't be in California, if not for the way that they were reported, the way that they were harassed and harangued while they were performing their royal duties," Yashere said.
While there was joy in the country when Harry married his beautiful and charismatic bride, a recent opinion poll found only 32% of the British public viewed her favorably.
An ambitious, self-confident and outspoken American horrified the British establishment, said journalist Ayesha Hazarika.
"British culture is still incredibly socially conservative," she said. "And the British tabloids and British polite society — they prefer to see women in the royal family seen but not heard."
That is a game the duchess is clearly unwilling to play.
Meghan's supporters have pointed out that while the palace is investigating her behavior, it has never publicly announced an investigation into the allegations against Prince Andrew, a former friend of Jeffrey Epstein.