This week I was quite surprised by the dramatic unfolding of events surrounding the Sussex interview, which is to be aired this Sunday on CBS. In what the Guardian describes as “A war of words” between the Sussexes on the one side and Buckingham Palace on the other side, very strong allegations were made on both sides. But what happened exactly? And what are those allegations?
Before we start, let’s have a look at one of the three published trailers for the much anticipated interview:
The wording couldn’t be more dramatic and there is no wonder that this interview is much anticipated on both sides of the pond. Oprah asking Meghan whether she was “silenced” must have sent shockwaves though the palace as grim associations of men in grey (courtiers) operating mafia style to keep the Sussexes in check. This whole feeling is furthermore fueled by words and phrases like “breaking point” and “almost unsurvivable” . Oprah promised there is no subject that is off limits and that the Sussexes have said “pretty shocking things”.
In other words the stakes are very high in what seems to be a battle for truth. More even: This interview is stylized as a fight between David and Goliath.
Buckingham Palace (BP) vs. The Sussexes – the allegations
Allegations
| The Sussexes | Buckingham Palace |
| Feb. 16 : The Sussexes announce that they plan a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. March 3: The Sussexes deny these accusations and call it a smear campaign of the palace as a reaction to the interview. | March 2: The Times publishes an article citing a former aide that the Sussexes had bullied three staff members in 2018 of which two of them quit their jobs. March 3: The palace announces to launch a probe into the bullying allegations. |
Bottomline
Tensions are now running high and with ITV also airing the interview on Monday in Britain this so-called tell-all interview bears all the parallels to Princess Diana’s legendary Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, in which she detailed the problems of her marriage to Prince Charles to a nation that was practically glued to their TVs back then.
The fallout of the Panaroma interview was tremendous, resulting in an irrevocable split from the Royal family. The Firm – as the royal family is sometimes also referred to – cut basically all private ties to Diana leaving her fend for herself. Diana was ousted and only acknowledged for being the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry. As we all know Diana had a hard time readjusting herself and finding a niche where she could be of help.
The biggest concern here is that with this interview history might indeed be repeating itself as Prince Harry had worried in the teaser above. The Guardian called the recent controversies between the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace an “open hostility”. Are both parties burning bridges here? And has no one really learnt their lessons from what had happened to Diana?
