Oprah Winfrey has defended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step back from royal duties, saying she supports them "1,000 percent". The 65-year-old and her best friend Gayle King – who were both guests at Meghan's baby shower in New York last year – shared their thoughts on the couple's new life during a night out in the Big Apple on Tuesday.
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Speaking to TMZ, Oprah said: "I support them 1,000 percent. You know why I support them? I support them because I believe, when you have thought about this as long as they have - and even in the Queen's statement [she] says, 'This has been going on for months' these discussions have been going on for months - and when Harry said in that charity statement the other day [that] he had to make the decision to move forward in peace with his new family, who doesn't feel what that takes to make that decision to give up everything you've known your whole life to say I'm going to choose this new life or what I believe to be the truest vision for myself?"
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Oprah and Gayle King supported the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
The US mogul added that we shouldn't judge Prince Harry for his decision, adding: "He did what he needed to do for his family. I don't think anybody has any right to say anything."
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Gayle agreed, saying she thought it had been "unfair" to say the Queen had been "blindsided" by Prince Harry and Meghan's decision. "Even the Queen's own statement said these conversations have been going on for months," she added.
"He did what he needed to do for his family," Oprah said of Prince Harry
Both Oprah and Gayle have been vocal supporters of the royal couple in the past couple of years, and Oprah was also a guest at the royal wedding in May 2018. She is even working with Harry on a series of documentaries for Apple focusing on both mental illness and mental wellness, topics the Duke is particularly passionate about.
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