Oprah Winfrey offers 'support' to Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Oprah Winfrey speaks during the Celebration of the Life of Toni Morrison, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. Picture: AP

Oprah Winfrey speaks during the Celebration of the Life of Toni Morrison, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. Picture: AP

Published Jan 10, 2020

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Oprah Winfrey says she "cares" about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and while she will "support whatever decisions" they make for their family, she insists the couple "do not need my help figuring out what's best for them."

The 65-year-old actress and talk show host - who attended the pair's wedding in May 2018 - is close friends with Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, and she has publicly voiced her support for the couple after they announced intentions to "step back as senior members of the Royal Family" and become "financially independent".

She said: "I care about them both and support whatever decisions they make for their family."

In a surprise statement, Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38 - who have eight-month-old son Archie - also announced plans to balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America, but Oprah insisted she didn't play any part in their decision.

She added to PEOPLE: "Meghan and Harry do not need my help figuring out what's best for them."

Harry recently offered to support Oprah's Apple TV+ mental health documentary series, and she admitted it was the duke who approached her about the show.

She said: "We were having a discussion about, 'What are the things that really matter to you in the world?'

"And I'd asked Prince Harry that, and he said, 'Climate change and mental health wellness.'

"I went, 'Gee, me too!' So, from there, the conversation went to, 'I'm doing this thing for Apple...' and when I finished the conversation, he said, 'Oh, if you need any help with that Apple thing...' [and I was like], 'Actually, I do!'

"Would I have asked him? Probably not, so that's how that [partnership] came about."

The as-yet untitled series is expected to air later this year, and will feature Oprah and Harry as co-executive producers.

What's more, just days after Harry and Meghan's son Archie was born in May, Oprah revealed she was planning to give the youngster her usual gift of books to celebrate his birth.

She said at the time: "I have a standard gift that I do for people that I really care about.