Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah on Sunday still has us reeling from all the shockers shared, with one of the major ones being that the royal family took away Harry’s access to their funds in early 2020 ― and that if it weren’t for his mother’s inheritance fund, his family would be in dire circumstances.
This decision to cut Harry off also left the Sussex royals without a security detail, at a time where they were — and still are — on the receiving end of death threats.
And the fact that they had baby Archie to keep safe and were living on Vancouver Island, at a location widely publicized in the tabloids, didn’t help either.
It’s why Harry tapped into money Princess Diana left behind for him, to pay for the protection his family needed. Both Harry and his brother, Prince William, reportedly inherited $10-million USD after taxes, or $12.6-million CAD, according to Forbes.
“I’ve got what my mom left me, and without that, we would not have been able to do this,” Harry told Oprah, adding: “What my mum would think of this? I think she saw it coming. And I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process.”
People were appalled by the eye-opening revelation that Harry, a former senior royal, had to rely on Princess Diana’s savings to get by:
Harry is living off his Diana money. I can’t.
— RUSHCAM (@RushCam) March 8, 2021
THEY TOOK HARRY’S MONEY?????? HE’S LIVING OFF DIANA??? PRINCESS DIANA SAVING THEM TO. THIS. DAY. PRINCESS DIANA IS THERE WITH THEM TODAY! IN THIS MOMENT! #MeghanandHarryonOprah
— morg ? HONEY GIRL OUT NOW (@garnetmorgue) March 8, 2021
HARRY’S INHERITANCE FROM DIANA IS WHAT SAVED THEM OH MY GOD
— Roseanne A. Brown is on Hiatus!!!! ✨ (@rosiesrambles) March 8, 2021
So, Harry’s family cut them off entirely financially in early 2020 and left them without security protection.
They made it through thanks to what Diana left to Harry… which Harry took as a sign Diana knew that day would come.
Wild. This has been wild.
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) March 8, 2021
“Tyler Perry provided security to the royal family because the Queen wouldn’t” is not something I had on my 2021 bingo card.
— Rep. Chaz Beasley (@ChazBeasley) March 8, 2021
Princess Diana left my boy vex money. A true Jamaican princess
— SB ?? (@Sebby_VI) March 8, 2021
… And appreciation for Diana looking out for her son:
Harry: “Yeah, my family cut me off. And if it wasn’t for the money that my mum left me, Meghan and I wouldn’t have been able to do this and be on our own.”
Even in death, Diana still has Harry’s back. And that really is a beautiful thing. #HarryAndMeghanOnOprah pic.twitter.com/MJOSli91Bx
— hellresidentNY (@hellresidentNY) March 8, 2021
If it weren’t for what Princess Diana left Harry, they would’ve been completely vulnerable with no money or security.
Harry thinks that perhaps she knew what was coming.
Whoa. Moms will look out for you from beyond the grave. #OprahMeghanHarry
— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) March 8, 2021
When asked how he believes his mom would react to his family’s circumstances, Harry spoke from the heart.
“I think she would feel very angry and very sad, but ultimately, all she’d ever want for us to be happy,” Harry told Oprah.
The news about Diana’s savings led to people comparing “The People’s Princess” and Meghan.
A clip of Diana’s interview with BBC interviewer Martin Bashir in 1995 resurfaced, in which she spoke openly about how the Royal Family as didn’t support her and saw her as a threat to the establishment; statements that paralleled what Meghan described in the CBS primetime special.
Even when she wasn’t mentioned by name, Diana’s presence was felt throughout the interview. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Meghan wore one of her cherished keepsakes and that young Archie had picked up a bittersweet way to say goodbye.
Princess Diana’s nearly 2-year-old grandson’s favorite thing to say to people when they leave the house is “drive safe.”
— Jenna Amatulli (@ohheyjenna) March 8, 2021
And upon hearing the news that the Sussexes are expecting a daughter, some hoped “Diana” would be her name ― both as a sweet gesture and to potentially rile up royal family members who don’t support them.
Ultimately, the significance behind Harry using his late mother’s savings to forge a life away from the royal family was not lost on anyone.
Damn, look at Diana financing Meghan and Harry’s freedom. They really let history repeat itself.
— roxane gay (@rgay) March 8, 2021
What Diana left behind is now helping Harry, Meghan and her grandkids. What a tragic full circle moment
— Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) March 8, 2021
Buckingham Palace has yet to respond to the couple’s claims in the CBS special. But it’s clear that whatever is said (or not said), many will think well of Diana and how her foresight’s given her son a chance to live the life that she didn’t have.
More bombshells from Oprah, Harry and Meghan’s interview:
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