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Oprah Winfrey slammed for claiming Meghan Markle was 'silenced' by Queen: 'They're not the Corleone family'

'The Queen and the Royal Family are not the Corleone family of Windsor,' said Robert Jobson, a biographer of Prince Charles and Prince Philip

Oprah Winfrey has received a lot of flak from royal experts after claiming that the Queen may have "silenced" Meghan Markle. After stepping down from senior royal duties and starting their life in Los Angeles, it's the first tell-all interview of the Sussexes. About the interview, which will air on March 7 on CBS, reports have said that it has been extended from 90 minutes to two hours at the last minute, and the royal family should be “scared” of it.

CBS released a short clip of the interview. The video showed Prince Harry explaining his reason to move to the US. He said, “My biggest concern was history repeating itself. I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side. Because I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her [Diana], going through this process by herself all those years ago. It’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we had each other.”

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Winfrey has reportedly promised her viewers that the interview will reveal “shocking” things and “no subject was off limits”. However, experts did not mince their words while slamming her and the trailer of the interview. Robert Jobson, a biographer of Prince Charles and Prince Philip, said the trailer was “over the top, melodramatic nonsense”.

“The Queen and the Royal Family are not the Corleone family of Windsor. There are no hit men or heavies going around silencing people. Meghan, whilst a working royal, was always protected by a team of Scotland Yard officers. Thankfully, she was never in danger physically and Harry knows that. Talk of being ‘silenced’ is just ridiculous. It suits a narrative, I suppose, but at what cost to the Queen, Prince Philip and the Royal Family and our reputation as a country,” he added.

While another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, criticized the extended time of the show as he told MailOnline, “An extra 30 minutes could be scary for the Palace. Was this because Harry and Meghan were angry at having their patronages removed or had it always been planned? The interview with Oprah will determine their future relations with the royal family for the foreseeable future.” Another critic stated: “It’s been so unbelievably tough moving into our $11million home, signing huge deals with Netflix and Spotify, and drawing on my huge trust from my Royal lineage. Like if you want a quiet life, go have one, keyword being quiet.”

The trailer came days after Harry claimed “toxic” British media forced him to step back from his royal duties. During a candid interview with James Corden on his show, ‘The Late Late Show’, the 36-year-old said, “I did not walk away", but was forced to leave to protect his mental health. He continued that it was a "really difficult environment, as I think a lot of people saw", before adding as reported by Sky News, “We all know what the British press can be like. And it was destroying my mental health. I was like... 'this is toxic'."

He added: “So I did what any husband and father would do - I need to get my family out of here. But we never walked away - and as far as I'm concerned, what decisions are made on that side - I will never walk away. I will always be contributing - my life is public service - so wherever I am in the world it is going to be the same thing.”

Twitter was also not very kind towards Winfrey and the couple as one tweeted, “WTH has she done to her face? And of course she's clutching her ‘bump’.” “Now regarding M, she forgets that thanks to H & family she's a name now, she says she a feminist but they make a name for themselves not clinging onto ‘a husband's’ She was a nobody so that couple should be a bit grateful to their family, dirty laundry at home not on Oprah,” another user said.

A person wrote, “The press have been appalling, yes, sadly it sells papers but she was not young when they met, unlike Diana with Charles, she has been rather naïve and they really should stop the complaining now, going on Oprah will just make things worse for themselves.” The second one added: “Dreadful people. Freeloaders.”