Prince Harry Makes First Public Appearance Since Oprah Winfrey Interview

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been laying low since their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired, but the ginger royal emerged from their new home to go on a solo bike ride through Montecito on Friday, forgoing a helmet but tailed by a small security detail.

One of the major revelations from the interview was the fact that when they stepped down from being senior royals, Harry, Meghan, and their children would not receive the standard royal security. In fact, the Firm never intended to make Archie a prince and never planned on providing security for their children. Considering the number of death threats that the couple has received, this was deeply concerning. “This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy, where I’m going, hold on a second … he needs to be safe,” Markle explained to Oprah. “We have created this monster machine (of clickbait and tabloids), you’ve allowed this to happen, which means we need to be safe.”

“While I was pregnant, they wanted to change the convention, for Archie. Why?” she said. “There’s no explanation.” The Sussexes were completely cut off financially at the beginning of 2021, and were largely kept afloat due to the money that they’ve made through partnership deals with Netflix and Spotify. “I just needed enough money to pay for security to keep my family safe,” Harry explained.

Paying for security for the soon-to-be family of four is no small feat. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the level of security that they would require could cost around $4,600 per day, when “24/7 staffing with a two-person residential security team, a two-person individual security team for each, and advance guards to prep and prepare for arrival and movements in the case of any travel” are all taken into account.

Harry also revealed that the money that Princess Diana left him after her death has helped the family as well. “I’ve got what my mom left me, and without that, we would not have been able to do this,” Harry told Oprah, adding: “What my mum would think of this? I think she saw it coming. And I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process.”