What Michelle Obama Has Said About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Since stepping down as working members of the British royal family in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have often found themselves compared to former presidential couple Barack and Michelle Obama, from their multi-million-dollar content creation deals with streaming services to the publication of history-making memoirs.

The Obamas' first contact with the couple came through Prince Harry, who spent regular time in the U.S. from 2015 when he left the British armed forces and even before that. Harry and Michelle bonded over their dedication to supporting military families and veterans, resulting in the royal hosting his 2016 Invictus Games in Florida, where the then-first lady delivered an opening address.

While in office, the Obamas also forged strong bonds with Queen Elizabeth II, who they met in an official capacity on a number of occasions. In celebration of the queen's Platinum Jubilee, Michelle praised the monarch's "shining example of dignity, service and grace."

Given their strong links to the queen and diplomatically with the British state, when tensions arose between the royals and Harry and Meghan, the Obamas found themselves being asked for their reactions. These were not forthcoming until Michelle offered her considered response in an interview with Today, following the broadcast of the couple's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, which has been widely shared online as their Netflix docuseries airs.

Here, Newsweek looks at a number of comments Michelle Obama has made in public about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Invictus Games Interview, May 2016: 'If you haven't already fallen in love with him...see him with his nephew!"

Ahead of the 2016 Invictus Games held in Orlando, Florida, Prince Harry and the Obamas engaged in some friendly competition, recording comedic videos telling each other to "bring it" at the event. For his video, Harry even roped in his grandmother the queen to have a starring role.

To promote the games, Harry and Michelle took part in an exclusive joint interview for ABC, with Robin Roberts asking about the couple's previous meeting in London where the president and first lady had dinner with Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton at Kensington Palace, where little Prince George made a star appearance.

"Was he really in the bathrobe?" Roberts asked, showing photos of George meeting the president in his pyjamas.

"The most precious thing, if you haven't already fallen in love with him," Michelle said of Harry, "was to see him with his nephew. Because, all through out he [George] was like: 'Uncle Harry, why are you so quiet?' And I was like: 'You [Harry] are not quiet...he didn't understand what was wrong with you!'"

To this Harry said he was on his "best behaviour" at the time.

Engagement Wishes, November 2017

Prince Harry met Meghan Markle the same year that the Invictus Games were held in the U.S. and the couple announced their engagement in November 2017.

As the sitting president and first lady, the Obamas sent the couple their good wishes through a tweet sent from Barack Obama's official Twitter account.

"Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together," it read.

Advice on Public Service, December 2018: "Don't be in a hurry"

In December 2018, Michelle Obama gave an interview to Good Housekeeping magazine following her exit from the White House in which she was asked what advice she would give Meghan Markle who had married Harry in May of that same year.

"Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt that she'd have a life like this, and the pressure you feel—from yourself and from others—can sometimes feel like a lot," she said.

"So my biggest piece of advice would be to take some time and don't be in a hurry to do anything. I spent the first few months in the White House mainly worrying about my daughters, making sure they were off to a good start at school and making new friends before I launched into any more ambitious work. I think it's okay—it's good, even—to do that."

She continued: "What I'd say is that there's so much opportunity to do good with a platform like that—and I think Meghan can maximise her impact for others, as well her own happiness, if she's doing something that resonates with her personally."

Interview for Vogue Magazine, August 2019

In 2019, Meghan Markle guest-edited British Vogue's September issue which quickly became the best-selling issue of the magazine to date under the overseeing eye of her friend and editor Edward Enninful.

Though she did not feature on the magazine's cover, Meghan's creative fingerprint featured across the pages of the issue including an interview she conducted with Michelle Obama.

Michelle discussed her views on motherhood, her foundation and opportunities for women in society. Discussing the joy of listening to the sound her children would make when they slept as babies, Obama offered new mom Meghan some sage advice.

"Don't get me wrong, early parenthood is exhausting. I'm sure you know a thing or two about that these days," she said. "But there is something so magical about having a baby in the house. Time expands and contracts; each moment holds its own little eternity. I'm so excited for you and Harry to experience that, Meghan. Savour it all."

Obama Foundation, September 2019: "My friend, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex"

In 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their final official royal visit representing the monarchy, though they and the world did not know that yet.

During this difficult tour of South Africa, in which Meghan gave her heartfelt interview thanking a TV anchor for asking if she was "ok" despite negative press coverage, the duchess paid a visit to members of the Obama Foundation, the charity set up by the presidential couple to undertake their philanthropic work.

In an Instagram post after the meeting (at which the Obamas were not present), Michelle called the duchess her "friend" and thanked her for her work.

"Thank you to my friend, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex @sussexroyal, a thoughtful leader who is breaking the mold and making our world better for it," she said.

"Whether meeting with our @ObamaFoundation Leaders or helping girls around the world seek the education they deserve, she is an inspiration to so many."

Diplomatic 'Diss' After Oprah Interview, March 2021

Following the broadcast of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in which the couple discussed the racism faced by the duchess in Britain as well as from an unnamed member of the royal family, Michelle Obama was asked to give her view on the polarizing situation.

Speaking to the Today show, the former first lady spoke of the difficulties of dedicating yourself to public service which was interpreted by some online commenters as a diplomatic "diss." Obama also spoke of her hope for a familial reconciliation.

"Public service, it's a bright, sharp, hot spotlight and most people don't understand it nor should they," Obama told Jenna Bush Hager.

"The thing that I always keep in mind is that none of this is about us, in public service, it's about the people that we serve. I always try to push the light back out and focus it on the folks that we're actually here to serve."

She then added: "The thing that I hope for and the thing that I think about, is that this first and foremost is a family and I pray for forgiveness and healing for them so they can use this as a teachable moment for us all."

Newsweek approached representatives of Barack and Michelle Obama for comment.

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