Former Australian leader: Oprah interview strengthened argument to cut ties with monarchy

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, the duchess of Sussex, strengthened the argument for cutting ties with the U.K. monarchy.

“It’s clearly an unhappy family, or at least Meghan and Harry are unhappy. It seems very sad,” Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp., according to The Associated Press.

Turnbull, who met with Harry and Meghan in 2018 before being replaced, added that “after the end of the queen’s reign, that is the time for us to say: OK, we’ve passed that watershed.”

“Do we really want to have whoever happens to be … the king or queen of the U.K. automatically our head of state?” Turnbull asked.

The comments come as the United Kingdom and the rest of the world weigh in on the interview, which aired Sunday night on CBS News in the U.S.

During the interview, Meghan admitted to having suicidal thoughts amid aggressive media scrutiny of the couple’s marriage in 2018. She also said there were conversations about “how dark” their son Archie’s skin color might be while she was pregnant.

 

Australia is a member of the British Commonwealth, and recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as its formal head of state, CBS News noted. While the U.K. does not formally rule over Australia, the two have maintain a close cooperation since Australia gained its independence. 

Turnbull has previously advocated for selecting an Australian citizen as head of state, according to CBS.