Did Middleton Cry? ... Markle: "The One Who Shed Tears Was Actually Me"

Breaking Silence After 3 Years on Rumored Discord with Crown Prince's Wife

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has spoken out about rumors of discord with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. She refuted reports from May 2018 that claimed the Duchess of Cambridge cried at Markle's wedding, stating, "I was actually the one who cried," after more than three years.

In an exclusive interview with CBS in the United States on the 7th (local time), Markle revealed, "I was very hurt when the Duchess of Cambridge got angry a few days before the wedding over the flower girl dress." British media had reported that the Duchess of Cambridge cried due to stress after Markle excessively interfered while trying on the flower girl dress for Princess Charlotte, her daughter.

Markle said, "The Duchess of Cambridge later apologized, so there was no ongoing conflict," but added, "I will not disclose details related to the conflict as it could disparage her." She also added, "The Duchess of Cambridge is a good person."

At the time, Kensington Palace issued an unusual statement denying reports that the Duchess of Cambridge got angry because Markle was rude to her staff, clarifying that the reports of the Duchess of Cambridge being upset with Markle were not true.

When Oprah Winfrey, the interviewer, asked why the royal family did not address the reports that the Duchess of Cambridge cried in their statement, Markle responded, "Good question," indirectly criticizing the royal family. She added, "The royal family knew those reports were false," and said, "It was difficult to be criticized for things I did not do."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom had been buzzing for days ahead of the interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. CNN, which even created a new 'Royal News' segment for the interview, reported, "Millions of viewers worldwide are eagerly awaiting the bombshell revelations from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle."

Reflecting public interest, CBS scheduled the interview immediately after its flagship program '60 Minutes.' It aired during the prime time slot in the U.S., starting at 8 p.m. and lasting over two hours.

In the pre-recorded interview, the couple discussed their journey from marriage to independence from the royal family, revealing behind-the-scenes stories including racial discrimination faced by Meghan Markle, who is of mixed Black heritage, within the royal family.

Oprah Winfrey, known as a friend of the couple, is the biggest beneficiary of this interview. Not only did she gain renewed attention as the interviewer, but she also struck a jackpot worth around 10 billion won through planning and producing the interview.

According to The Wall Street Journal, CBS paid Winfrey's production company, Harpo Productions, between $7 million and $9 million (approximately 8 billion to 10.1 billion won). The advertising rates for the interview were also set at double the usual price, at $325,000 (about 360 million won) per 30 seconds.