On Mar. 7, 2021, Oprah Winfrey sat down with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, respectively, so the two royals could tell all about their lives after the royal wedding and the struggles they faced from the U.K. media and the royal family.

“I remember so often people within the firm would say ‘Well you can’t do this because it will look like that,’ so even ‘Can I go to lunch with my friends?’ was [met with a no],” Markle said. “I haven’t left the house in 4 months, I’m everywhere but I’m nowhere [in the media].”

Markle opened up to Winfrey about how the view of the media caused her mental health to spiral.

“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore, and that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought,” Markle said. “And I remember how I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to get help, and I was told that I couldn’t. It wouldn’t look good for the institution.”

Markle went on to explain how difficult it was to find help, and to show her support for those who are also struggling with their mental health.

“I share this because there are so many people who are afraid to voice that they need help, and I know personally how hard it is to not only voice that, but to be told ‘no’,” Markle said. “I remember we had to go to this event, and [Harry] said [he didn’t think I should go] and I told him I didn’t think I could be left alone [because I was afraid of what I might do to myself].”

Markle also spoke out against the royal family about the racist comments that were made and the lack of support from the royal family.

“There were months when I was pregnant, all around this time, where we had both the conversations that [Archie] won’t be given security, he won’t be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” Markle said.

This shocked Winfrey, whose only response was “what?” She asked Prince Harry about that conversation when he joined the interview. He stated that he will never share that conversation and that he is not comfortable even sharing what the question was that prompted that conversation. They said this lack of support from the royal family was what ultimately led them to step away from life involved with the royal family.

Harry revealed that if Meghan hadn’t been involved he would not have been able to step back from royal life. He said that despite the privileged life he had he still wouldn’t have been able to. 

“I was trapped within the system,” Harry said. “Like the rest of my family [is]. My father and my brother are trapped, they don’t get to leave. It’s a very toxic environment. And I have huge compassion for [them].”

Harry also stated that one of the large reasons that they left the UK was racism and racist comments. He said that he was told at a formal dinner that he shouldn’t fight with the media, that [the media] would destroy his life. He replied that “The UK is not bigoted, the UK press is bigoted, especially the tabloids. Unfortunately, if the source of information is inherently corrupt, or racist or biased, then that filters out to the rest of society.”