The long-anticipated Oprah interview where former talk show host sat down with former senior members of the royal family, Meghan and Harry, aired on CBS last night. If you were watching, you know that there was pretty much one shocking piece of information after another. Even Oprah called the revelations “shocking.”

If you missed the interview, no worries. Consider this your cheat sheet of the most surprising things we learned about the royal family.

Let’s start by saying that there are a lot of things we didn’t know about the royal family. As Meghan says at the beginning of the interview, the perception of royal life is quite a bit different than the reality.

1. When Harry and Meghan Got Married

   It turns out that the happy couple decided to get married before the pomp and circumstance of the royal wedding. They actually got married in a private ceremony 3 days before the wedding. They exchanged vows in their backyard in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

2. Meghan Was Having Suicidal Thoughts

   She revealed to Oprah that she told Harry she shouldn’t be left alone and that the thoughts she was having late at night scared her. She explained, “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore and that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought.”

3. Learning to Curtsey

   Meghan wasn’t worried about meeting Harry’s grandmother for the first time until he asked her if she knew how to curtsey. She was completely caught off guard thinking the curtseying for the Queen was only something that was done in public not in private gatherings. She was wrong. She learned in just a few minutes while practicing with Harry and Fergie.

4. Meghan Thought She Would Be Protected

   Meghan was told and believed that she would be protected as a member of the royal family. She was shocked when she realized that was a lie and that the institution wasn’t stopping the press from lying about her.

5. Meghan Felt Trapped

   Meghan revealed that her life was very restricted. She would go months without even leaving her home. Then, when she would ask permission to have lunch with friends, she would be told no. When she asked to seek help because she was struggling with her mental health, she was told no.

6. Meghan Never Made Kate Cry

   The story goes that Meghan made Kate cry in a spat over flower girl dresses. It turns out that the story is actually the complete opposite and that Kate is the one who made Meghan cry. Meghan followed up by saying that Kate apologized and that her sister-in-law is a good person.

7. Harry Has Been Cut Off Financially

   Harry explained that his family completely cut him off. He is grateful that his mom left him money, and that made it possible for them to break free from the royal family.

8. Harry Had a Falling Out with His Father

   At one point, Harry told Oprah that his father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls. He did not clarify why exactly his father stopped talking to him, but he did say that he is once again taking his calls. The rift hasn’t entirely healed though.

9. Harry and Meghan’s 2nd Child Is a Girl

   Harry and Meghan both seemed overjoyed to announce that Archie is going to have a sister. They do not plan to have any more children after their daughter is born sometime this summer.

10. Harry Wouldn’t Have Left If It Weren’t for Meghan

    Harry revealed that he was trapped as a senior member of the royal family but he didn’t realize it until he met Meghan. He also shared that his father and his brother are trapped as well but they can’t leave.

11. At Least One Royal Is Racist

    Meghan and Harry shared that there were awkward conversations with an unnamed member or members of the royal family about what color skin their children would have since Meghan is mixed-race. Harry specified to Oprah that these conversations did not happen with the Queen or Prince Philip, but he would not reveal who was involved.

12. Meghan and Harry Didn’t Have a Plan

    Meghan and Harry didn’t know Harry was going to get cut off by his family when he stepped down as a senior royal. They did not have a plan about how to support themselves financially. During the coronavirus lockdown, a friend suggested talking to streaming services, and the Netflix and Spotify deals were eventually secured.

13. Meghan Wasn’t Prepared for Royal Life

    Meghan said that she has never researched her husband. She only knows that he tells her, you know, like in a normal relationship. She didn’t research the royal family or what is expected when you’re a member of the royal family either.

14. The Royal Family Is Scared of the Tabloids

    Harry explained that when a member of the royal family is open with the tabloids, there is an “invisible contract” that they will be portrayed in a positive light. Meghan explained that there is even a Christmas party hosted by the royals for the tabloids

15. Meghan Wasn’t Bucking Tradition

    Many people noticed the tradition that after a prince or princess if born, the royal parents will pose for a photo pretty much right away. Both Princess Diana and Kate Middleton did this. Meghan did not. She told Oprah that she wasn’t asked to pose for a photo. Also, since the royal family decided that Archie wouldn’t be given the title of a prince, it wasn’t bucking tradition to skip the photo op.