THE Royal Family have been warned to “hide behind the sofa” when Harry and Meghan’s tell-all chat with Oprah Winfrey airs next month.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have sat down with the chat show queen in a 90-minute interview — with Oprah’s pals suggesting “nothing will be off-limits”.
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It is believed the couple used the interview to “get what they want to say off their chests” three days before they announced they have permanently quit as frontline royals yesterday.
An “intimate” interview with the Duchess was filmed on Tuesday — the same day the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, was taken to the hospital with an illness on Tuesday and is expected to remain there for several more days.
It was filmed in the Californian enclave where Harry and Meghan are neighbours of 67-year-old Oprah Winfrey reports the Times.
Meghan, 39, who is expecting their second child, will be the star of show, revealing her experience of “stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work”.
She’ll also discuss “how she is handling life under intense public pressure”.
INTERVIEW TO FOCUS ON MEGHAN
Meanwhile, Harry, 36, will be the support act in the interview which CBS will broadcast as a “primetime special called Oprah with Meghan and Harry, on March 7.
An international bidding war for broadcast rights is underway.
The couple will attempt to have the final say on Mexit with Winfrey.
But a royal source said: “Time to hide behind the sofa at the palace.
“Oprah is skilled at getting people to talk about their feelings and bound to take them down a path they’ll almost certainly regret.
“There will be an element of reliving Megxit and airing their grievances.
“No one benefits from that, but Oprah will get it out of them whether they like it or not.”
The interview is set to deliver the most explosive revelations since the Panorama confessions of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1995.
After being stripped of their royal roles, the couple had a dig at the Queen.
Her Majesty said they could not continue with “responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service”.
The pair hit back saying: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
Sources said there was deep unhappiness at their “hurtful jibe” especially as 99-year-old Prince Philip lay sick in his hospital bed.
Royal author Penny Junor said the couple’s response was “two fingers at the institution — the men and women that run it”.
She added: “It does draw a line. It’s hurtful but every divorce is hurtful. This is the decree absolute.
“I do think it’s very sad because we have now definitely lost Harry and Meghan —- two very popular people who bought something more special.
“Harry and Meghan are obviously very upset, but I’m not quite sure what they expected.”
Royal biographer Angela Levin said: “I think there’s been a lot of rumours that the Queen would do this.
“The Queen, as we know, is devoted to her duty and to her country. She loves her children and being a grandmother.
“But in the end her sense of duty is more important than grandchildren or children or great-grandchildren. She wants to keep them close as a family, but they cannot push their luck too far.”
The Sussexes’ decision to quit royal life indefinitely came a month before the March 31 deadline for a review of their new post-Megxit life.
Meghan was not involved in the talks with the Queen who spoke only to Harry directly via video call.
Harry also held “amicable” talks with other senior royals, including brother William and dad Charles, as early as January.
