Oprah Winfrey unintentionally interrupted Meghan Markle’s speech at the grand opening of the Godmothers bookstore in Montecito last weekend, as she quietly searched for her front-row seat.
According to a Daily Mail report, journalist and author Elizabeth Holmes captured the moment on video as Winfrey walked in front of her camera while Markle was delivering her remarks. Holmes shared the clip on Instagram, where Meghan was seen standing on a small stage, discussing the sense of safety that bookstores provide.
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Oprah entered discreetly, having just left the green room where she was preparing for her own segment of the event. “Meghan had just started speaking, and I was focused on filming when Oprah quietly slipped in,” Holmes said on Instagram. “I didn’t realize it was her until she was right in front of me. So surreal.”
Holmes, author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, posted the video with the caption: “A little wave from Oprah! (This was the second day of the @godmothersbooks opening weekend festivities.)”
Meghan and Prince Harry attended the event with “friends and family,” including the bookstore’s co-owners, literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and cosmetics entrepreneur Victoria Jackson.
According to Town & Country, the royal couple arrived in a “darkened Range Rover” and warmly greeted other attendees at the event. Meghan, 43, dressed in a Ralph Lauren ensemble, was heard shouting “Woo!” in excitement after brief remarks by Walsh and Jackson.
Photos from the event also show Meghan embracing Oprah, who famously interviewed the couple in their 2021 tell-all broadcast. Other images feature Harry and Meghan posing outside the bookstore with its founders.
Prince Harry, 39, played a crucial role in naming the bookstore. At his own book party in Beverly Hills, he referred to Oprah, Victoria, and Jennifer as his “fairy godmothers,” a moniker that helped inspire the name “Godmothers.”
Prominently displayed at the store are copies of Harry’s memoir, Spare, alongside Meghan’s children’s book, The Bench.
Oprah’s 2021 interview with Harry and Meghan, which aired soon after their decision to step back from royal duties, created a sensation and deepened Oprah’s public support of the couple. The TV mogul, who attended their 2018 wedding, said at the time, “I support them 1,000 percent” regarding their departure from royal life.
Walsh shared a lighthearted moment with Prince Harry during the event, joking about learning from people of different ages: “Once he turns 40, I’ll have to find new people in their 30s!”
On Saturday, Meghan attended Oprah’s book club session at Godmothers, where she kept it simple but elegant and donned a sleeveless, a collared jumpsuit by Canadian brand Club Monaco. She further accessorized her look with a £5,000 Cartier Love bracelet, Princess Diana’s Cartier Tank Française watch, and Jimmy Choo sandals.
Town & Country also reported that Meghan expressed gratitude to Walsh and Jackson for creating the bookstore, saying it provided a space where people could “feel seen through the pages” and feel less alone.
Both Meghan and Oprah left the event early, with the Duchess saying she needed to “make dinner for the kids.” Speaking about the bookstore, Walsh later said on Instagram: “People come in and say, ‘I don’t know why, but this makes me feel like crying,’ and I know why—it’s the love and intention we’ve put into everything. It feels like a home away from home.”
