https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqo9tdYRs18
John Oliver is sharing his thoughts on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent sitdown interview with Oprah Winfrey.
While appearing as a guest on The Tonight Show on Monday evening, the 43-year-old Last Week Tonight star told host Jimmy Fallon that the CBS interview was "amazing," but added that for the most part, "That is kind of what I felt like, sadly, her experience was going to be going in. He cited his knowledge of the royal family "from a distance" growing up in England.
Asked by Fallon if anything "shocked" him about the interview, Oliver replied, "The only thing that shocked me after was that Oprah, the next day, saying, 'Harry wants to make clear it wasn't Prince Philip being racist.' Which made me think, 'Really? Okay, that is actually surprising.'"
During her interview with Winfrey, 67, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her family's royal exit, including the staggering toll their life at the Palace took on her mental health.
"I was ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry. But I knew that if I didn't say it — then I would do it," she said during the candid conversation. "I just didn't want to be alive anymore."
Meghan — who is expecting her second child with Harry, a girl — also spoke of how she felt her own voice, as well as the voices of her loved ones, were stifled by the institution.
"I've always valued independence. I've always been outspoken, especially about women's rights, and that's the sad irony of the last four years, I've advocated for so long for women to use their voice. And then I was silent," Meghan said.
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Since Meghan and Harry's revealing interview, Buckingham Palace has responded with a statement of their own.
"The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," read the statement, which was released by Buckingham Palace on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," the statement continued. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.
"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members."
Oliver's latest comments on The Tonight Show came shortly after a clip went viral on Twitter last week for previous comments the comedian made to Stephen Colbert a few months before Harry and Meghan got married in 2018.
"I would not blame [Meghan] if she pulled out of this at the last minute," Oliver told Colbert, 56, on The Late Show at the time of the pair's nuptials. "I don't think you need to have just seen the pilot episode of The Crown to get a basic sense that she might be marrying into a family that could cause her some emotional complications."
"They're an emotionally stunted group of fundamentally flawed people doing a very silly pseudo-job," he continued. "That's what she's marrying into."
"So I hope she likes it. It's going to be weird for her. I would not marry into the royal family. I'm a commoner," Oliver added. "I would not be welcomed — especially after what I've just said."
Thousands of people have shared the clip of Oliver's remarks online, noting how accurate his assessment was, given the revelations from the couple's interview with Winfrey.
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