Oprah Winfrey taped her bombshell interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the home of the couple’s friend, the TV mogul’s pal Gayle King has revealed – shutting down rumors that it was filmed at the Sussexes’ $14.5 million Montecito mansion.
Gayle, 66, once again touted her friend’s highly-anticipated interview with Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, on CBS This Morning on Monday, hours after two teaser clips from the controversial sit-down were posted online.
The CBS anchor doubled down on her claim that Oprah, 69, believes the interview is ‘the best she has ever done’, adding that the sit-down was so successful because the couple was ‘so candid’ while chatting with the TV mogul.
Making it their own: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle taped their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey at a ‘friend’s home’, the TV mogul’s pal Gayle King has revealed
Scenic: It had previously been reported that the sit-down took place at Harry and Meghan’s $14.5 million Montecito mansion, or at Oprah’s LA home, which is a short distance away
Sneak peek: Gayle, 66, doubled down on her claim that Oprah believes this is ‘the best interview she has ever done’, describing the conversation between the trio as ‘so candid’
‘She believes it’s the best she’s ever done and she said it wasn’t just her though, it was because the conversation apparently was so candid with all three of them,’ Gayle said. ‘They all look comfortable sitting talking to one another.’
Speaking about the location of the interview, Gayle also revealed that the trio filmed it in the grounds of a friend’s house – not at Harry and Meghan’s California home, nor at Oprah’s sprawling mansion, which is just a short drive away.
‘They taped at a friend’s home,’ Gayle confirmed. ‘People said it was at Oprah’s house or Harry and Meghan’s, [but] it was at a friend’s home.’
Gayle did not reveal the identity of the friend – nor did she say whether the property owner was a neighbor of Harry, Meghan, and Oprah’s, however the trio certainly have plenty of famous pals to call upon.
Open book: In teaser clips from the interview, Oprah reminds viewers that ‘there is no subject that is off-limits’
Harry and Meghan’s new home, which is just a short distance from Oprah’s own California mansion, is located in the same area as Ellen DeGerenes, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.
The choice of location does to appear to have been one of mere convenience for the couple however. According to experts, the rustic garden setting for the interview was meant to ‘foster trust’, and the green yard also conjured up images of the British countryside in a nod to Harry’s home nation.
‘My first thought is that the scene suggests reassuringly peaceful, smart English country house garden idyll,’ interior designer Benji Lewis explained. ‘We’re channeling a kind of Highgrove [Prince Charles’ estate] that comes to the West Coast vibe. It’s chic and very cleverly crafted, slightly grand and yet not overly complicated.’
Gayle’s comments about the interview come just hours after two teaser clips from the sit-down were released, revealing the kinds of intimate topics that will be discussed by the couple – and likely sparking yet more fears at Buckingham Palace over the potentially-uncomfortable revelations that could be shared by Meghan and Harry.
In one of the clips, Oprah probes pregnant Meghan about whether she was ‘silenced’ by the palace during her brief time spent as a royal, and she is also seen referencing a comment made by the Duchess of Sussex about living in an ‘un-survivable’ situation – presumably referring to royal life.
During the trailer a visibly-pregnant Meghan, wearing a $4,700 black Armani dress, says nothing, and is only shown looking emotional while either cradling her baby bump or holding on to her husband’s hand.
Hint: Although Meghan, 39, does not speak in the teaser clips, Oprah, 67, is seen probing her about whether she was ‘silenced’ by the palace
But in a hint that Meghan will not hold back about Harry’s family, Oprah reveals the former actress calls her 20 months as a royal ‘almost un-survivable’ and the interviewer brands her account ‘shocking’.
Oprah then tells her friend: ‘It sounds like there was a breaking point,’ before asking the former actress: ‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’
The TV mogul also promises plenty of ‘shocking’ revelations, before saying to the camera: ‘Just to make it clear to everybody, there is no subject that is off-limits’ in the interview the Sussexes plan to use to boost their popularity in the US and continue their war with the press.
While Meghan does not speak during the trailers, Prince Harry is much more vocal, speaking to Oprah about his decision to quit royal life in favor of settling down in the US, revealing that he did so because he feared ‘history repeating itself’ after the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
Harry, wearing a smart grey suit and white shirt, also said he was ‘relieved and happy’ to have his wife by his side, hinting he feared that Meghan would suffer the same fate as his mother, who died 23 years ago.
There will be some disquiet at the palace because it has now emerged that Harry has chosen to reference Princess Diana, who died in 1997 in a Paris car crash along with her partner Dodi Fayed.
‘I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her going through this process by herself all those years ago,’ Harry tells Oprah.
He added: ‘Because it’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us but at least we have each other.’
In more bad news for the royals, who have already been warned to ‘hide behind their sofas’ next Sunday, CBS last night revealed the show has extended from 90 minutes to a two-hour special that will be watched by tens of millions of people worldwide.
The extra half-hour will also allow CBS to rake in more advertising, with a 30-second prime time slot believed to cost around $200,000. According to Page Six, the Sussexes are not being paid for the Oprah interview, but experts believe it is a key part of their plan to build a billion-dollar brand in the US after signing mega-deals with Netflix and Spotify, which are believed to be worth at least $100 million.
Oprah’s interview will focus primarily on Meghan – with the two women enjoying a one-on-one conversation, before they are joined by Harry, who appeared in his own televised interview with James Corden just last week.
The interview, which took place on Corden’s Late Late Show, was also broadcast by CBS.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose a rustic garden with ‘touches of the English countryside’ and shapes that ‘foster trust’ for their explosive Oprah interview, experts reveal
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose an outdoor setting with ‘touches of the English countryside’ for their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, experts have revealed.
Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan Markle, 39, filmed the 90-minute TV special in a beautiful garden at an unknown property in Santa Barbara, California, near their $14.5 million mansion.
It was originally thought the couple invited Oprah to film the interview at the home they share with 10-month-old son Archie, however this is not the case.
Speaking to Femail, British interior designer Benji Lewis of online advisory service Zoom That Room explained how the couple chose a ‘rustic’ and ‘relaxed’ garden with nods to traditional English design as the setting for the explosive tell-all.
‘My first thought is that the scene suggests reassuringly peaceful, smart English country house garden idyll,’ he explained. ‘We’re channeling a kind of Highgrove that comes to the West Coast vibe. It’s chic and very cleverly crafted, slightly grand and yet not overly complicated.’
He added they are surrounded by circular shapes that ‘foster trust’ and ‘promote harmony’.
Here, Benji and Heather Barrigan of home renovation service MyJobQuote break down the key features of the outdoor setting…
England meets California: Experts told FEMAIL how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted for a garden that had features of the traditional English countryside for their tell-all interview. Pictured: 1. Soft paving stones like those favoured in England; 2. Soft fabrics that bring the inside out’; 3. Circular shape to foster trust; 4. Dressing to complement the scene; 5. Scented vines with a regal feel; 6&7 a lawn and soft lines with a wild meadow; 8. Round pots that foster harmony
1. SOFT PAVING STONES THAT BRING ‘ENGLAND TO CALIFORNIA’
Benji said: ‘Instead of choosing paving that is uniformly coloured, textured, and sized, the stone here has been laid more casually; the wider mortar lines in the further part of the terrace seemingly broken up in parts with moss.
‘This softer approach covers the ground between formal (i.e. we have gone to the extent of paving) and informal (i.e. but the paving we chose and how we had it laid is relaxed and rustic).’
Heather added: ‘The barely visible paving stones are typically seen in English gardens. This adds a hint of traditional décor, which works perfectly next to the more exotic elements.’
2. BRINGING THE ‘INSIDE, OUT’
Benji said: ‘They have very much dressed the setting in the way you would an interior with natural textures playing a key part (we’re thinking cotton and linens and timber and stone) – the herringbone sisal rug on the old York stone paving and the cut grass lawn beyond – accessorising the furnishings with soft linen cushions and including a coffee table and side table, suggesting “you have a comfortable place to sit and even more than that, a table close by on which to put your cup of tea”.
‘The seating is comfortable and supportive and loungey but not at all floppy or over relaxed.’
Heather added: ‘The woven-style rug is the epitome of indoor/outdoor living which is a staple of Californian homes. This is a complimentary contrast to the traditional-style paving stones underneath, creating an authentic British-American fusion.’
3. CREATING A ‘CIRCLE OF TRUST’
Benji said: ‘There’s a gentle formality about the scene I suppose but no hard edges, the round coffee table could have been square, but they rightly chose a circle. The circle of trust.’
4. DRESSED TO MATCH
Benji said: ‘The colour palette wise has all been gently layered to deliberately not contrast with the rustic setting, and I love how they’ve worked their colour palette up, starting with soft creamy tan tones on the floor, working soft grey into the clothing they have dressed Prince Harry in, the charcoal dress on Meghan with Oprah cleverly dressed in tones of dusty pink, ivory and going into shades of light rosewood on her skirt.’
5. ‘REGAL’ SCENTED VINES
Heather noted: ‘The vined columns, which date back to the second renaissance, help create a regal but wild feel to the garden. This incorporates royalty-style décor with the new trend of garden rewilding.’
Benji said: ‘The creeping foliage on the old square stone posts looks like it could be jasmine and the pots of lavender means it is an all-round feel for space with the impression of scent as well.’
6. & 7. PLANTING WITH SOFT EDGES AND A WILD MEADOW
Benji said: ‘The line of hedge trailing away down the hill in the yonder shows a degree of tailoring but there are no hard lines or edges, similarly, the creeping jasmine softens the architecture of the posts.
‘The grounds are bountifully pleasing in their fullness and greenness – with the slightly wilder looking woodland trailing off down the hill, the charmingly almost non maintained hedge providing a break point suggesting that this side of the hedge we’re into the formal garden and yet before we reach the daisy lawn there’s an area of what looks like it could be allowed to run into a wild meadow. Different textures all the time to create interest.’
Heather noted: ‘You will notice that the garden is not overloaded with flowers. Instead, there is more relaxed planting visible at the back of the garden near the grass.’
8. DESIGN THAT ‘FOSTERS HARMONY’
Benji said: ‘The use of round potted plants indicates a soft boundary from the terrace to lawn. The shape of the round pots being echoed by the coffee table to create a sense of harmony. It’s a very gentle vibe they’ve created, reassuring, trustworthy and not confrontational.’
Pregnant Meghan Markle cradles her baby bump in trailer for bombshell Oprah interview – but remains quiet as TV mogul probes her about ‘un-survivable’ royal life, and asks if she was ‘silenced’ by palace
Sitting down with Meghan alone, Oprah asks her, ‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’ in what appears to be a question about the Duchess’ relationship with the Royal Family
Pregnant Meghan Markle proudly cradled her baby bump while showing off her growing stomach in a teaser trailer for her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey – her most high-profile appearance since she and Prince Harry revealed they are expecting their second child later this year.
The 39-year-old emphasized her blossoming baby bump in a $4,700 black Armani dress, which was belted above her stomach and featured floral embroidery over one shoulder. She paired the look with some simple heels from designer Aquazurra and wore a necklace from sustainable designer Pippa Small.
Meghan placed a hand on her bump while fielding questions from 67-year-old TV mogul Oprah – who asked her about her brief time as a royal, and her decision to quit palace life with her husband last year.
Meghan says nothing in either of the short teaser clips that have been released, however Oprah’s line of questioning makes clear the sensitive topics that will be covered – some, if not all of which will likely send fears through the palace over what potentially-uncomfortable revelations may come to light during the primetime sit-down.
In what could be seen as a warning to the Royal Family, Oprah reminds viewers that ‘there is no subject that is off limits’ while sitting opposite the former Suits star, who simply nods her head in agreement with the bold statement.
Oprah then asks a somber-looking Meghan: ‘Were you silent or were you silenced?’ in what appears to be another jab at the Royal Family – this time over the palace’s treatment of the Duchess.
Later in the interview, Oprah refers to comments Meghan appears to have made about life in the Royal Family being ‘almost un-survivable.’