Oprah Responds To Rumors She Advised Meghan & Harry On Their Royal Exit

By Lauren Crawford

January 10, 2020

Oprah Winfrey may be the Queen of giving advice, but she lets The Queen and her family handle their own business.

As rumors continue to surface about what caused Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to step back from their royal duties, one report about Oprah's alleged involvement in the couple's unprecedented move had the whole Internet talking.

After Page Six reported that Lady O, who is a close friend of Harry and Meghan and attended their 2018 wedding, advised the Duke and Duchess on how to "break free" and "build their own brand," Oprah released a statement to set the record straight. "Meghan and Harry do not need my help in figuring out what's best for them," the famed said in the statement to NBC, insisting that she was not behind their decision. "I care about them both and support whatever decisions they make for their family."

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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

On Wednesday (January 8), Meghan and Harry announced that they intend to "step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen." The couple additionally revealed that they plan to "balance" their time between the United Kingdom and North America to create a "geographic balance" for their son and to launch a "new charitable entity."

Following their announcement, multiple outlets reported that Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, asked him not to issue the statement. There is said to be "a mood of deep disappointment in the palace following the announcement; senior members of the family are hurt as a result of the news," a royal source told CNN.

Buckingham Palace hinted at their surprise in Harry and Meghan's bold move in their official statement in response to the couple's announcement, calling the situation "complicated," and noting that they are "at an early stage in discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," in regards to the new roles.

Photo: Getty Images