The moment that garnered the most headlines came when Meghan revealed that one of her royal in-laws had inquired about the skin tone of her son Archie.
Markle, 39, suggested that it was implied that there might be problems if the child’s complexion was too dark.
It remains to be seen if the British Royal Family, as an institution, will be able to recover from an allegation of such appalling behavior.
And of course, it was far from the only bombshell of the night.
For several years, the incident in which Meghan allegedly made Kate cry had been endlessly discussed and dissected by online sleuths and tabloid journalists.
Early on in her conversation with Oprah, Meghan opened up about the episode and revealed that it did not play out as the media had reported it.
“The reverse happened,” the Duchess told a stunned Winfrey.
“And I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something,” Meghan added, confirming that it was Kate who drove her to tears.
“But she owned it, and she apologized and she brought me flowers and a note apologizing.”
Kate may have owned her past behavior, but it seems William is furious that his wife is being held accountable for her actions.
“William is very protective of Kate and can get very angry,” royal biographer Penny Junor tells People magazine.
“For Meghan to name Kate in a negative light is worse than being attacked himself.”
Multiple sources have confirmed that William is outraged over the interview.
However, it seems that rather than address the matter with Meghan and Harry, he’s chosen to cut off contact.
According to a new report from Vanity Fair, William is no longer on speaking terms with Harry, and he’s told staff that he’s “now worried that anything he says to his brother will be plastered over American TV.”
While William is likely not happy about the allegations directed toward his father and grandmother, he’s said to be most upset about the comments Meghan made about Kate.
In a segment that aired the following Monday on CBS This Morning, Meghan was asked about the difference between the harassment she received from the British media and the way that Kate was covered in the early days of her relationship with William.
“This was different,” Meghan said.
“Different because of the race?” Oprah asked, which Meghan didn’t dispute, and responded, “And because of social media.”
“Kate was called ‘Waity Katie,’ waiting to marry William.”
“While I imagine that was really hard — and I do, I can’t picture what that felt like — this is not the same,” Meghan added.
“And if a member of his family will comfortably say, ‘We’ve all had to deal with some things that are rude,’ rude and racist are not the same.”
Truly, it’s hard to imagine any serious person would argue that the level and tone of the criticism both women face are equal.
We can debate the reasons why it’s the case – whether it’s racial, or because she’s American, or if Meghan and Harry have brought it upon themselves to a degree – but there’s simply no doubt it’s the case.
In any case, William is right in thinking that the interview cast the entire Royal Family in a very unflattering light.
But he’s wrong about who is to blame for that.