Princess Diana Was Very Uncomfortable with Oprah, Thought She Only Cared About One Petty Thing

Princess Diana was among the most loved media personalities of her time and so is Oprah Winfrey. But, according to a book, the late Princess of Wales didn't have a good opinion of the TV host. Simone Simmons, a close pal and confidant of Diana, told author Robert Lacey in the book Battle of Brothers, that Diana believed Winfrey was only after "sensationalism" and "ratings." 

Simmons said, "Diana felt very uncomfortable with Oprah. She thought that when [Oprah] interviewed Fergie about her book, all she wanted to talk about was Diana. That laid bare for Diana the basic lack of respect that she felt Oprah had towards her subjects and how she was just manipulating her to garner higher ratings," making it clear that Diana despised Winfrey. 

Unlike her younger son Prince Harry who gets along quite well with the host along with his wife Meghan Markle. In fact, this fierce revelation by Simmons came months after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave a bombshell interview to Winfrey, naming and blaming the monarchy in March 2021. While Harry claimed his brother Prince William and father King Charles are "trapped" in The Firm, Markle, on the other hand, said she suffered suicidal thoughts. 

In addition, Harry later collaborated with Winfrey on an Apple TV Plus show, The Me You Can't See, chronicling his own battle with depression. Once again, during the show, the Duke targeted the royal family, making his resentment known to the world. The Independent also reported in March 2021 that during Diana's lifetime, Winfrey tried to fix an interview with her many times but failed. Darren McGrady, Diana's former chef, said the host came to meet Diana at Kensington Palace to secure an interview date, which she believed, would be the "highlight of her career." 

But, she lost to Martin Bashir who famously interviewed Diana for BBC's Panorama. The sit-down is still being considered one of Diana's boldest moves where she spoke with no holds barred approach, candidly discussing infidelity in her marriage with Charles, her struggle with depression, bulimia, and self-harm, including her fears that the royal family is scheming against her. 

And in a lot of ways, Diana's Panorama interview was likened to Harry and Markle's Winfrey sit-down for they bore the same level of significance, experience, and bitterness against The Firm. A royal expert told Closer Magazine, "Harry was clearly hurt and angry about Meghan's experience with the royals - and used the [Oprah] interview to get it out." 

"But after returning home, I've no doubt he's been feeling embarrassed, regretful, and awkward," the insider noted. "He's now facing the consequences. I believe he'll regret that interview - and maybe his decision to leave the Royal Family. " 

In an opinion piece for Daily Mail, Dan Wootton, a British journalist and broadcaster, called out Winfrey for letting Harry and Markle say the things they said which maligned the reputation of the monarchy. He directly addressed her, saying, "Ms Winfrey, you have allowed a false narrative to spread that the Royal Family was in some way racist," questioning her "lack of journalistic integrity."