Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview is the latest chapter in the monarchy’s fight to survive

It was the “what!” that was heard around the world.

It had just enough genuine astonishment to mirror our own quiet, breathless shock, and just enough cunning theatricality to make the moment land, hard.

And there was a pause. A nice, long pause. That always helps, too.

Oprah Winfrey has been a master of her interviewing craft for decades so sitting down with the disaffected Sussexes for a tell-all about life beyond the royal fish-bowl was always going to be as easy as brunch for her.

Add to this, the accepted trust held between celebrities and the warm Southern Californian vibe of a couple of neighbours meeting up for a heart-felt chat at a staggeringly gorgeous home, and the result was a guaranteed smash.