Prince Harry and Meghan Markle suffer jab from Oprah Winfrey over controversial surname

Daily Mirror

17-07-2025

Oprah Winfrey has made a playful jab at her friends Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a podcast appearance, poking fun at their tongue-twister surname
Oprah Winfrey has taken a playful jab at her friends and neighbours Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a podcast appearance, mocking their tongue-twister surname. While appearing on Kelly Ripa's Let's Talk Off Camera podcast, Oprah recalled a sweet story about the Sussexes from earlier this year.
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During the candid chat, the podcast host asked Oprah if she would enjoy receiving baby chicks as a gift, and she retorted: "I'd run them straight over to the Sussexes" while mispronouncing the royal surname. Oprah then playfully repeated "the Sussexes" while slurring the S sounds together and laughing once again for good measure.
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Oprah, who lives close by to the royal couple, recalled rushing over to the Sussexes house on Easter to help them relocate a family of baby ducks that had settled in their garden.
Oprah recounted the wholesome: "I got a call from Harry, Prince Harry, on Easter Saturday. Sorry to bother you, O, but we have a duck problem here."
She retold the story of how Harry insisted he wanted to bring the lost ducks over to Oprah's house, saying: "Our pond is a stream, we don't have a pond, so can we bring the ducks over to your pond?"
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Oprah agreed to help but asked Harry to wait because her best friend Gayle King's grandchildren were coming to visit, but Harry insisted they be moved to safety immediately, as she continued: "I said, 'Wait until I can get the kids to come down to the pond so they can see you put the ducks in the pond.' And he goes, "No, we're coming right away, we're coming over!"'
The TV host then describes how Oprah, Harry and Meghan, together tried to chase and collect the mother duck who had "fled" and escaped into the garden.
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Oprah has a long history with the Sussexes, famously interviewing them in 2021 after they quit royal life in 2020 and relocated to California. The tell-all interview revealed a series of bombshell allegations against the royal family.
After the famous interview, Oprah spoke with her friend Gayle King and admitted: "I didn't set out to do a 'bombshell' interview – I set out to do an interview, have a conversation that will allow them to tell their story."
Oprah was invited to Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 where she first tried to get an interview with Meghan, but was unable to go through with it due to strict royal protocols.
The 2021 interview, which was the first major conversation with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they quit their royal duties, received mixed reactions online from royal fans, with many condemning the Sussexes for their allegations against the Firm.