In case you've been living under a rock, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently sat down for a history-making and pretty explosive conversation with interviewer extraordinaire Oprah Winfrey.
Dominating headlines across the world, with millions watching on both sides of the Atlantic (11.3 million tuned in to ITV for the interview's airing last night, making it the most watched TV event of the year so far by quite a stretch), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's voices were heard on issues that are typically never spoken of.
A year after announcing their decision to step back from the monarchy as senior working members of the royal family, the couple shared their side of the story.
A lot was covered during the two-hour televised interview, from the toll the whole situation took on the Duchess' mental health, alleged discussions about their son Archie's skin tone from inside the royal family and the current state of Prince Harry's relationship with his father and brother, Prince Charles and Prince William, respectively.
Confronted directly with assumptions, stories and rumours which have surrounded the couple for years by Winfrey, the royal couple also had the chance to directly address these for the first time. Here's what they said...
Story: 'Meghan and Harry refused titles for Archie'
When the couple's first child Archie was born and his name was subsequently announced as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, many news outlets ran with the assumption that the couple had shunned giving their son a royal title like 'Prince'.
Meghan and Harry's response: Speaking to Winfrey, the Duchess said the decision to not give Archie a title was not in their control. In fact, she suggested that she would have preferred her son to have a title as this would have meant he was entitled to security - a major point of contention for both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
'He needs to be safe,' she told Winfrey. 'So we're not saying don't make him a Prince but if you're saying the title is what is going to affect their protection... our son needs to be safe.
'The idea of our son not being safe and also the idea of the first member of colour of the family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be...'
The pregnant royal also noted the George V convention which allows the grandchild of the Monarch to have a title, meaning that when Prince Charles ascends to the throne Archie and the couple's future child is born they would both be entitled to those titles. However, the mother-of-one claimed there were conversations during her pregnancy about 'changing that convention... for Archie'.
Story: Meghan Markle shunned royal tradition and chose not to have a photograph with her newborn baby
With the world's media used to seeing royal babies presented to them in their mother's arms shortly after childbirth - which happened with the late Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson and Kate Middleton - it was reported and assumed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had chosen not to do this following the birth of Archie in May 2019.
Meghan and Harry's response: When Winfrey referred to this move as the couple's decision, the Duchess jumped in to say: 'We weren't asked to take a picture, that's also part of the spin that was really damaging.'
She went further to then say that as they knew Archie would not be given a title and therefore the level of protection they required, there was a 'lot of fear' and they were both scared 'to offer up their baby knowing that they weren't going to be kept safe'.
Story: Prince Harry wanted to have it 'both ways'
Large sections of the press claimed that the couple wanted to have it 'both ways' with their decision to step back as senior working members of the royal family and that they allegedly wanted their titles, privileges and security despite no longer performing the same royal duties they had been doing previously.
Meghan and Harry's response: Asked directly by Winfrey if Prince Harry had wanted it 'both ways', the 36-year-old responded: 'On the security element, I never thought that I would have my security removed because I was born into this position, I inherited the risk. That was a shock to me, that was what changed the whole plan.'
Prince Harry suggested that his security would be a given, considering he is Prince Charles' son and therefore son of the heir to the throne, so he doesn't see asking for security as having it 'both ways' because he thought that was non-negotiable.
Story: 'Meghan Markle made Kate Middleton cry before the Royal Wedding'
The Duchess herself admitted that the widely shared story that she left her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, in tears ahead of the royal wedding in 2018 - which was splashed across on tabloid front pages - was a 'turning point' for her.
Meghan and Harry's response: Markle said that, in actuality, 'the reverse happened' and that she was the one left in tears. However, she was quick to clarify that the Duchess of Cambridge is a 'good person' and that there were no hard feelings left after the incident.
She also claimed that 'everyone in the institution' knew the stories were not true, and implied that she is upset that this was never clarified on the record and that these stories and rumours were allowed to swirl.
Assumption: Prince Harry and Meghan wanted to leave the institution
Much of the narrative was that the couple did want to completely 'leave' the royal family even though the couple's statement said they were 'stepping back' and becoming 'financially independent'.
Meghan and Harry's response: The couple were very clear to say that, 'without question', if they had received the support they felt necessary they would still be working members of the royal family.
The Duchess also clarified that the couple did not want to fully leave the institution, rather they wanted to step down to a level of the family where you can earn money, live on palace grounds and represent and support the Queen and family when called upon where she said she can think of numerous members who do this already.
'We never left the family and we only wanted to have the same type of role that exists, there are senior members and non-senior members... we weren't reinventing the wheel here, we said, "Ok this isn't working for everyone, we're in a lot of pain, you can't provide us with the help we need, we can just take a step back",' said the royal.
Story: Meghan and Harry 'blindsided' and consequently upset/disrespected the Queen
Following the couple's decision to step back as senior royals - which was announced on their social media account - several tabloids reported that both the Queen and Buckingham Palace had been 'blindsided' by the announcement.
Meghan and Harry's response: The Duchess suggested that their decision was actually two years in the making, while her husband said that he had conversations with both his grandmother and father and had named the exact date, January 7 2020, when they would release their statement about their decision.
Put more frankly, the Duke said directly: 'I've never blindsided my grandmother, I have too much respect for her.'
The veteran continued that he had three conversations with the Queen and two with his father ('before he stopped taking my calls') while the couple were in Canada the month before their announcement.
Later on in the interview, Prince Harry and his wife suggested their relationship with the Queen was great, with the Duke saying he has spoken to her more in the past year than he has done years prior.
Story/Assumption: Meghan Markle was the driving force behind the decision to step back from royal family
Some of the most sexist coverage and social media trolling of the Duchess of Sussex pertained to the notion that she was in control of the decision to head back to the US and resign from being senior working members of the family, with some even going as far as to allege that she had a 'plan' in this vein all along.
Meghan and Harry's response: Clearly shocked by the suggestion when Winfrey put it to her directly, the 39-year-old responded: 'Can you imagine how little sense that makes? I left my career, my life, I left everything because I love him.
'Our plan was to do this [be working members of the royal family] forever,' to which the Duke nodded in agreement.
Assumption: Meghan and Harry have jumped at financial deals offered to them
Since becoming financially independent from the monarchy - and no longer receiving taxpayer's money and royal funding - there have been slights and criticism levied at the couple for signing on to partnerships with companies like Netflix and Spotify.
Meghan and Harry's response: Prince Harry told Winfrey that making deals with 'streamers' was never in their plan, but was suggested to them by a friend. He also said the reason they are doing it is to be able to afford the appropriate level of security for his family.
'We're certainly not complaining,' he was sure to say. 'Our life is great now. We've got a beautiful house, I've got a beautiful family, the dogs are really happy... from my perspective all I needed was enough money to pay for security to keep my family safe.'
Prince Harry later opened up about being able to buy the house due to the inheritance he received from his late mother, Princess Diana, but needed the top-up of income for security costs.
Assumption: Meghan Markle was given formal 'training' on all things royal
When the couple's engagement was announced in November 2017 and over the next few months in the build up to the royal wedding, it was widely assumed and speculated that Markle would have undergone 'training' to be a royal, from etiquette to elocution lessons.
Meghan and Harry's response: The Duchess of Sussex firmly said that this was not the case, claiming: 'It's not like what you see in the movies.
'There was no guidance... there's no class on how to speak, cross your legs, how to be royal. That might exist for other members of the family but that was not something that was offered to me.'
The former Suits star even claimed that this even came down to the national anthem, suggesting there was no appreciation for the fact she wouldn't know it being American, so instead took to Googling the anthem late at night to learn it.
'We were doing the training behind the scenes because I just wanted to make them proud,' she added.
UPDATE 10/03/21: Buckingham Palace issues statement on behalf of the Queen in response to the interview:
'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.'
The full interview aired on ITV on Monday March 8 and is on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS.
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