Prince Harry and Meghan TV interview draws 17.1 million American TV viewers, CBS says

SOME 17.1 million Americans - one of the biggest TV events in the past year - watched Oprah Winfrey's bombshell television interview with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, broadcaster CBS said on Monday.

CBS said Sunday's two-hour interview, in which Harry and Meghan accused the royal family of racism and of failing to protect them from negative media coverage, was the most watched TV special outside the annual National Football League Super Bowl in a year.

The Super Bowl draws an audience of around 100 million and is the highest-rated TV event in the United States. Last year's Oscars telecast drew 23.6 million viewers.

Sunday's interview was the first given by the couple since they stepped back from the British royal family a year ago. Meghan spoke of feeling suicidal while Harry said his father, Prince Charles, had let him down.

The interview will be broadcast in Britain on Monday night. Buckingham Palace has yet to comment on their remarks.