Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been keeping their relationship with Oprah Winfrey on the “down-low” to avoid angering the King further, author Christopher Andersen claimed. Speculation about the state of the friendship between the Sussexes and the talk show host ignited after the Duke and Duchess were notably absent from Oprah’s 69th birthday bash. But Anderson insisted the US host is normally very “loyal” to her friends and their snub was likely an attempt not to deepen the rift with the Royal Family so close to the coronation.
He said: “I have to be honest, I’ve interviewed Oprah several times over the years, starting when she first burst onto the national scene in the 1980s.
“If there is one thing Oprah is, it’s loyal. I think people are reading a lot more into this supposed snub than they should. “
“My reading of the situation is that both Oprah and the Sussexes realize this is a very delicate moment for Harry and Meghan as we approach the coronation of King Charles.
“Appearing at such a glitzy, high-profile event with Hollywood A-listers to honour Oprah is not what the Sussexes need right now.”
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Speaking to Fox News Digital, he added: “That would certainly rub King Charles the wrong way, not to mention an already hostile British public.
Meghan and Harry first connected with the talk show host when they invited her to their wedding in May 2018 but the Duke is believed never to have met her in person before the ceremony.
They later agreed to a tell-all 90-minute interview with Oprah a year after their departure from the Royal Family to discuss their decision to step down from their working roles.
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But this week reports emerged suggesting His Majesty had reached out to the Archbishop of Canterbury to help broker a truce between Harry and William ahead of the ceremony.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl said: “Charles is a forgiving person by nature, and he wants to move on.
“Whatever has been said and done, Harry is still his son and he loves him.
“He also cannot imagine being crowned, the most important moment of his life, without both his sons witnessing the moment.”
The King’s coronation will take place on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
