Lee Cohen: After Meghan's Oprah interview -- what Brits will do now with Queen, royal family

Actresses love drama and in this regard, Meghan Markle, her bewitched Prince Harry and now Oprah Winfrey have delivered magnificently.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat down with Oprah for a two-hour interview broadcast on Sunday night and millions of Americans couldn’t resist. The interview was watched by 17 million Americans and was broadcast on Monday night in the U.K.

When Harry presented his bride to the U.K. in November 2017  they were met by joy, warmth and enthusiasm by the Palace, people and press. That’s a distant but much happier reality than presented in the Sussexes’ spectacle of victimhood on Sunday.  

With its hefty $7million-plus price tag, Oprah Winfrey, and CBS awarded failed royals Harry and Meghan Markel—for now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex— a singularly ill-timed public relations bonanza to, ‘speak their truth.’ Speak they did; whether their truth is the truth is much-questioned where it matters.

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With cringe-worthy public soul-bearing and tears, the couple, now safely out of granny’s Kingdom, told us that they feel free to share how terrible things were -- knowing that in all likelihood the Palace would not engage to refute.

The monarchy, popular in Britain, will likely not suffer greatly from Oprah’s latest production.  A just-released YouGov poll indicates, the public largely supports the Monarchy with  47% finding the interview inappropriate while only 21% of respondents found it appropriate.  

American celebrities and other Sussex supporters have rushed to the airwaves and the internet to express outrage and horror at the revelations following the bombshell interview. Even the Biden White House inserted itself, praising Ms.Markle’s "courage."

It matters not. At home and elsewhere in her realms, the Queen is beloved. The monarchy is cherished and will carry on. Leading British historian, Andrew Roberts wrote Monday in The Telegraph: "The monarchy has lasted a thousand years and will clearly survive this." 

Sean O’Grady, Associate Editor of  the left-leaning publication The Independent agrees "No doubt the institution will survive, for the time being – it’s been shown to be very resilient, and has been through worse in the past; distressing as the revelations are." 

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The hypocrisy and self-interest of the Sussexes has been recognized for what it is.

The couple knew better than to go after the almost universally-loved nonagenarian Queen, but by attacking the organization of which she is head, and her relatives, it was an attack nevertheless.

Meghan’s defenders are blind to the fact that her ambitions for self-promotion and the self-absorption of ‘not many people asked if I’m OK’ sentiments, while common among tabloid celebrities, are unfathomable to royal public servants – and don’t ring true to normal folk.

The Duchess asserted to Winfrey accusations of the Palace lying to justify the exposé. Be that as it may, the timing could not have been worse, against the backdrop of hospitalization and surgery for Harry’s 99-year old grandfather-Prince Phillip—himself a national treasure—and media reports of serious bullying allegations against Markle resulting in forced departures of palace aides. 

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On Tuesday afternoon, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of the Queen. Here it is in full: 

The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.  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.

Whether they are deliberately or unconsciously deluded, there is a gaping hypocrisy in almost everything the Sussexes do. They don’t want media attention, yet court it. They don’t want the spotlight, but choose California, the center of showbiz, to make their home. They want to save the planet but fly on private jets – including to conferences on the subject.

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After ditching the royal circle that exists for a public purpose, they attach themselves to Hollywood royalty that exists for personal aggrandizement and enrichment.

Meghan’s defenders are blind to the fact that her ambitions for self-promotion and the self-absorption of ‘not many people asked if I’m OK’ sentiments, while common among tabloid celebrities, are unfathomable to royal public servants – and don’t ring true to normal folk. 

British reaction depends most on those. And indeed, that is all that matters in case anyone is wondering about damage to the monarchy from this ordeal.

If they hadn’t already gone, the "bombshell" interview, has lost the Sussexes the hearts and minds of the British people. Former UK footballer Peter Shilton OBE tweeted to thunderous likes: "I think Harry & Meghan are about to feel the wrath of our nation. Many Brits and our British press will want to defend and protect our Queen. I think thousands will stand united behind our sovereign." 

The Brits anyway have an aversion to airing in public the kind of private emotional intimacy on which actresses and talk show hosts thrive. They also don’t take kindly to having their joyous support thrown back in their faces by hugely privileged people throwing a public tantrum against – however much they tactically avoid direct criticism of her – a hugely popular monarch who commands overwhelming support.

By accounts visible from afar, the interview so applauded in the U.S. has outraged British audiences who just don’t buy the narrative of victimhood, perceiving it as self-serving, disloyal, ignorant and insincere.

Many wonder, rightfully, if the monarchy is so flawed, why do the Sussexes cling to the titles? And if they want privacy, why don’t they just shut up and keep their heads down?

As we have seen with the struggle for independence from the European Union, the U.K. is a proud nation not given to taking kindly to insults to their Queen, her family or a national institution with which they so identify.

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It rubs them the wrong way that Markle so quickly abandoned them and the highest level of society that had so obviously embraced her; and took so little interest that she didn’t bother to learn her lines - the national anthem – for the role, or the details of her husband’s position in the family she had joined. 

With all of the thoughtless disrespect, slights, and now attacks on a Royal Family who are popularly cherished, Britons and many Americans (I’m head of the queue) would be glad to see the back of the Sussexes.

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Alas, it seems the show must go on as they have an audience that will, at least for now, facilitate their lust for money and attention. From the Brits’ point of view the biggest perceived benefit of this latest sorry episode is that it likely means the Sussexes are gone, like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, to inglorious permanent exile.

As for the British Monarchy, it has adapted and endured for more than a thousand years. It is safe to assume that it will put the Sussex circus behind it.