Following the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were stepping back as "senior royals" and would work to become financially independent, it has been revealed that Television star Oprah Winfrey advised the royal couple about breaking free and following their own path, as reported by Fox News.
Oprah, who also attended the couple’s wedding is reportedly close to Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland. A source mentioned in the report says that, “Oprah was the first person to talk to Harry and Meghan about breaking free and doing their own thing, building on their own brand. She made them realize it was really possible.”
Meanwhile, Oprah’s representative declined to comment on the same.
It was also reported that Harry and Meghan reportedly ignored instructions from the Queen not to go public with their announcement.
According to the Evening Standard, Harry's father Prince Charles and his brother William, the Duke of Cambridge only received the statement 10 minutes before it was released.
The Buckingham Palace has refused to give out details, but it was likely that royal aides were organising the Harry's showdown meeting with his father and the Queen, the metro.co.uk report said.
"We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through," it said in a statement.
Harry and Meghan's step comes just months after Prince Andrew stepped back from his duties after a BBC interview about his ties to late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Harry and Meghan communicated their plans shortly after returning from a lengthy trip to Canada, where the former actress lived for seven years while she was filming the TV series "Suits".
A few weeks before Christmas, the couple's problems dealing with the pressure of being in the bright media spotlight all the time were highlighted in a documentary aired on Britain's ITV television channel.
With inputs from IANS
