Meghan Markle's mom is preparing to speak out.
That's the word from Britain where the Mirror newspaper is reporting that the very private Doria Ragland is in negotiations to sit down with Oprah Winfrey to talk about her famous daughter and Meghan's experiences on her path to becoming a princess.
According to the Mirror, Doria — a yoga instructor and social worker — and Oprah recently met for six hours at the media mogul's Santa Barbara, California, home to discuss an interview, after which Doria was seen leaving laden with gifts.
"Oprah and Doria spent a long time chatting and they got on really well," an American TV source told the Mirror. "The most important and significant issue they spoke about was race and how badly some people had reacted to Meghan and Harry.
"What happened to Meghan and Harry was disgusting and they and all of their families were horrified. It's an issue close to both Doria and Oprah, who have both suffered racism," the source continued, adding, "If the interview happens it will be groundbreaking. It just needs the green light from Meghan, Prince Harry and the Palace."
Back in November 2016 after their relationship was made public, Harry had his communications secretary issue an extraordinary statement confirming that he was dating Meghan, urging the media to respect the actress and her family's privacy and denouncing the way they'd been treated so far.
"The past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public — the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments," the statement read in part.
"Some of it has been hidden from the public — the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life," it continued.
In Harry and Meghan's official engagement interview with the BBC in November 2017, she was asked how she felt about the attention on her ethnicity early on in their romance. "Of course it's disheartening," she said. "You know, it's a shame that that is the climate in this world, to focus that much on that, or that that would be discriminatory in that sense. But I think, you know, at the end of the day, I'm really just proud of who I am and where I come from, and we have never put any focus on that. We've just focused on who we are as a couple."
On May 4, Harry's communications secretary issued a lengthy statement sharing new details about the prince and Meghan's wedding day on May 19 — including the role her parents will play.
"Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are very much looking forward to welcoming Ms. Markle's parents to Windsor for the wedding. Mr. Thomas Markle and Ms. Doria Ragland will be arriving in the UK in the week of the wedding, allowing time for Prince Harry's family, including The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to spend time with them before the big day," the statement read.
"Both of the bride's parents will have important roles in the wedding. On the morning of the wedding, Ms. Ragland will travel with Ms. Markle by car to Windsor Castle. Mr. Markle will walk his daughter down the aisle of St George's Chapel. Ms. Markle is delighted to have her parents by her side on this important and happy occasion," the statement added.