Meghan and Harry Planned to Use Oprah’s Platform for Brand Launch, Claims Royal Expert

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had planned to use Oprah Winfrey's platform to launch their brand away from the palace, according to royal expert Andrew Morton.

The author of Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy claims that the Duke had secret meetings with the chat show host six weeks after his wedding to Meghan in 2018.

He also said that Oprah was always a useful contact whom the Sussexes had planned to use.

Morton believes that Harry was meeting with Oprah and other TV executives before he had travelled to the US.

He said that Harry was very keen to do an interview with Oprah within six months of the wedding and was having meetings with her in a London hotel with other TV executives regarding doing an interview.

So right off the bat, Oprah was in their sights.

There was nothing impulsive about it.

Meghan had even spoken to the chat show host before the wedding, and elements of that conversation were contained in her interview.

Morton said that Meghan's actions were disingenuous, stating that she is enough of an old campaigner to know that if you're a member of the royal family, you've got to get past the gatekeeper.

Meanwhile, the couple may visit Oprah and other neighbors with their children as they prepare to mark Halloween for the first time as a family of four.

Halloween is a big holiday in the US, and as it approaches, the Sussexes could choose to take their children trick or treating around neighbors, including Oprah Winfrey's home.

Ms. Winfrey has been described by the BBC's royal correspondent as a very close acquaintance of Harry and Meghan.

The couple's Santa Barbara home is just a six-minute drive down the road from Oprah's sprawling promised land 70-acre estate.

It comes after the couple sat down for a tell-all interview with the US host back in March, and speculation arose that the two-hour special was shot in California.

During the interview, Ms. Winfrey said that their chat wasn't filed at the Sussexes' property in Montecito but rather at a friend's house.

While the location for the interview has never been revealed, Rob Lowe, who also lives in the neighborhood, speculated with the hosts of E!

News talk show Daily Pop that it occurred at the chat show host's house.

The controversial tell-all saw the pair make a number of shocking revelations about what life was like for them in the firm, addressing allegations of racism in the monarchy and sharing Meghan's battle with her mental health.

The interview drew a staggering 5,380 off-com complaints by the end of its first month.

Morton's claims indicate that the plan for an Oprah interview had been going on for some time, and there was nothing impulsive about it.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had always planned to use Oprah's platform to help launch their brand away from the palace.

The couple's Santa Barbara home is just a six-minute drive down the road from Oprah's sprawling promised land 70-acre estate.

It comes after the couple sat down for a tell-all interview with the US host back in March, and speculation arose that the two-hour special was shot in California.

During the interview, Ms. Winfrey said that their chat wasn't filed at the Sussexes' property in Montecito but rather at a friend's house.

While the location for the interview has never been revealed, Rob Lowe, who also lives in the neighborhood, speculated with the hosts of E!

News talk show Daily Pop that it occurred at the chat show host's house.

Halloween will be one of the first milestone holidays they celebrate as a family of four.

Located just a stone's throw away from the former royals is the home of chat show host Oprah Winfrey, who would no doubt offer a warm welcome to the family for the occasion.

Morton's revelations contradict Meghan's claims that she had never met Oprah before the interview.