Buckingham Palace released a statement, on Tuesday, saying that the allegations of racism made in Prince Harry and Meghan Markel’s interview with Oprah Winfrey were ‘concerning’ and will be addressed privately.
On behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, the comment in the statement said,
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the palace said. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
It is the first official statement coming from Royal Family after Meghan Markel’s interview was released. Meghan said in the interview that her son’s skin colour was being discussed by unidentified members of the Royal Family and played a role in making her pregnancy harder when she started to have suicidal thoughts.
The interview, conducted by Oprah Winfrey and which aired Sunday night in the U.S. and a day later in Britain, has divided people around the world. While many say the allegations demonstrate the need for change inside a palace that hasn’t kept pace with the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, others have criticised Harry and Meghan for dropping their bombshell while Harry’s 99-year-old grandfather, Prince Philip, remains hospitalized in London after a heart procedure
Anna Whitelock, a professor of history and director of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, said the palace’s brief message was an effort to quiet the controversy.
