Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly become estranged from their good friend Oprah Winfrey.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle found a trustworthy ally in Oprah Winfrey in 2018, right before their royal wedding. Winfrey and Markle struck up their friendship while working on a project together where the former acted as a mentor and guide to the Duchess of Sussex. The American talk show host broke the internet years ago as she attended the royal couple’s wedding and gave a first-hand account and then later hosted them for an interview on her show.

The particular episode in 2021 was also the episode where the couple first initiated talks about their challenges with the royal family. However, recently the couple has soured their relationship with their long-time good friend.

A rift between the Duchess of Sussex and Winfrey?

The speculations are rooted in the absence of Winfrey from Markle’s star-studded baby shower where all the A-list celebrities were present in 2019. As reported by MSN, the 70-year-old’s name was not mentioned in the list of the A-list guests. However, in a talk with US Weekly, Winfrey mentioned she blessed the royal couple’s little on in her special way. She said, “I’m not telling. I haven’t sent it yet.”

Princess Diana’s old butler, Paul Burrell, revealed in an interview with Closer! via The US Sun, “A-list stars are dropping like flies. Some already have done — Oprah no longer seems involved with them and some other celebrities have also dropped them.” He explained that the couple no longer have a close relationship with Winfrey. He continued, “Back in the day, the A-listers were riding on the moment — Harry and Meghan were the most popular couple in the country at one time when they got married, but there’s since been a decline.”

Winfrey and Markle’s friendship back in the days

The two became friends very close to Markle’s royal wedding with Prince Harry. Winfrey attended the royal wedding in 2018 and same year revealed she shared a close bond with Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland. In 2019, Winfrey informed The Hollywood Insider about the “stranded gift she had planned ahead of Archie’s birth.

She also supported the couple in their decision to pull back from their royal duties in the year 2020. The same year, Winfrey shared that the two friends are neighbours and Markle read Archie a story from Winfrey’s book to mark the first birthday of her son. 2021 was the year the trio sat for a two-hour-long interview where the couple narrated the inside royal tale for the first time on a public forum.