Images

Updated 11 Mar, 2021

Prince William said on Thursday that Britain’s royals were not racist after Meghan, wife of his younger brother Harry, said one unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their son Archie’s skin might be.

The revelation emerged during an explosive tell-all interview Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, gave to Oprah Winfrey which was aired on Sunday, plunging the British monarchy into its biggest crisis since the 1997 death of Princess Diana, William and Harry’s mother.

On a visit to a school in east London, William said he had not talked to Harry since the interview was broadcast just over three days ago.

“I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do,” William, 38, said.

Asked by a reporter if the royal family was racist, William said: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

In the two-hour show, Meghan also said the royals had ignored her pleas for help while she felt suicidal, while Harry said his father, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, had let him down and that he had felt trapped.

On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, the princes’ grandmother, in which she said the family were saddened by how challenging the couple had found the last few years.

The statement added the issues of race were concerning and would be treated very seriously, but pointedly stated “some recollections may vary”.

The Palace have said that it was a family matter that should be dealt with privately.

During the interview, Harry laid bare how distant he had come from the other members of his family, saying his father had stopped taking his calls at one point, and saying there was “space” in his relationship with William.

“Much will continue to be said about that ... as I said before, you know, I love William to bits, he’s my brother, we’ve been through hell together and we have a shared experience,” he said. “But we’re on different paths.”

The interview was watched by 12.4 million viewers in Britain and 17.1 million in the United States.

It has proved divisive among the British public: some believe it showed how outdated and intolerant the institution was, while others decried it as a self-serving assault that neither Elizabeth nor her family deserved.

Comments

M. Emad Mar 11, 2021 05:55pm
Britain's Royal Family one of the most instantly and widely recognized, respected institutions in the world.
Recommend
Taimur Mar 11, 2021 05:59pm
He is lying. He and his gold digger wife are hardcore racists.
Recommend
LgbtqX Mar 11, 2021 05:59pm
Of course not, we supposed to believe it.
Recommend
Ga Mar 11, 2021 06:24pm
The black choir at the wedding is a good testament that the immeditate Royals are not racist. However, cannot say the same of other members and British aristocrats.
Recommend
truth Mar 11, 2021 06:36pm
Indeed there was masala added by her but many things were true
Recommend
Imran Mar 11, 2021 06:43pm
And yet the Royal Family buried the story of Victoria and Abdul and refused to apologize for all the atrocity's the Empire committed in India, Africa etc.
Recommend
NYS Mar 11, 2021 06:56pm
Since then a long family debate
Recommend
Vijay Mar 11, 2021 08:10pm
The British royal family cannot live without dramas to attract everyone's attention. They are sucking hardworking tax payers money while contributing nothing to the British coffers. If they do real work like everyone then they don’t need to sell their dirty royal stories to TV and live off that
Recommend
Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Mar 11, 2021 08:15pm
If this is not racism, then what is racism?
Recommend
Vijay Mar 11, 2021 08:25pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Bingo.
Recommend
Vijay Mar 11, 2021 08:28pm
@Taimur How so give an example.
Recommend
Javed Mar 11, 2021 08:30pm
They are not racist, they just want to remain white.
Recommend
Teddy Mar 11, 2021 08:48pm
British royal family is guile to the core.
Recommend
Zeeshan Ahmed Mar 11, 2021 08:49pm
It is a stretch to call the royal family racist, but there are still undertones of certain values from the mentality of the colonial era that are controversial with today's generation.
Recommend
oldhabibian Mar 11, 2021 08:54pm
"No, we are not racists. Just conceited. And that is a royal right! Freedom of expression should apply to royals too." William.
Recommend
Ifti Malik Mar 11, 2021 10:16pm
@Ga not only that. Do you remember how Prince Charles so kindly offered to give away the bride (this same liar Meghan ) after she didn't invite her real father to the wedding? And how warmly the whole family welcomed her mother Doria? Was that racism then ?
Recommend
Gt Mar 11, 2021 10:25pm
There is no doubt about racism alleged by Markel in this country but there may be some faults with her too.
Recommend
Captain Mar 11, 2021 10:33pm
Th issue is not big as it has been inflated as such. Should have been resolved thru conversations
Recommend
A shah Mar 11, 2021 10:40pm
Ok if you say so
Recommend
Expat (usa) Mar 11, 2021 10:54pm
@M. Emad - When are you going to spare us ?
Recommend
Abdur Rahim Mar 11, 2021 10:58pm
Play the good old race card again Megan..
Recommend
Expat (usa) Mar 11, 2021 11:03pm
British Royals , House of Windsor is epitome of arrogance and creator of institutionalized class system. A mixed race American Meghan was treated as an intruder. British tabloids too contributed to Mehgan 's mental breakdown.
Recommend
Fik Mar 11, 2021 11:37pm
Dianna II
Recommend
TIM Mar 12, 2021 12:04am
You know why no one will listen to him? Because he is (1) Royal, (2) white and (3) male. The very fact that Meghan is part of the Royal Family and was accepted as such, given titles, etc, proves that they accepted her. There are traces of racism in every family but that does not make the whole insitution racist. Also: why would Meghan open up to another black woman who makes billions off such interviews? Simple: this is the final phase of her gold digging.
Recommend
kautiliya Mar 12, 2021 12:40am
Brish Crown should be dumped as a Head of Commonwealth for once and all.
Recommend
F Nawaz Mar 12, 2021 01:15am
The knight in shining armor rescuing the prince from his cruel kingdom. The stuff of fairytales!
Recommend
Gfg Mar 12, 2021 02:02am
White supremacists
Recommend
Rami Mar 12, 2021 02:24am
They are Royals, who do charities, plus are tolerant, but like to marry within their circles!
Recommend
Umer Khawaja Mar 12, 2021 02:30am
Talk the talk but do you walk the walk?
Recommend
ahsan7979 Mar 12, 2021 03:41am
@Taimur Aren't you as well?
Recommend
ROYAL CREST Mar 12, 2021 03:53am
Two people discussed skin color of Archie were William and Kate. It is from the get go that Kate did not like competition. Meghan is an American and she has the American Hollywood liberal attitude which will not fly in a very conservative Buckingham Palace. They should have given Meghan proper coaching and counseling and onboarding prior to the wedding. Regardless, the British Monarchy that enslaved millions from many parts of the world, including Asia, Africa and Middle East still think they are a notch above the rest. So there is truth in the interview but some of it is self inflicted.
Recommend
Tariq Mar 12, 2021 04:04am
There are problems in each families and there are some casual conversations between brothers. You should support your wife in all weathers but keep a balance with your family. Even though you have problems and cannot live anymore with them , you are not supposed to go out and defames them. This is not a manhood. You are no more a kid, grow up Harry.
Recommend
tarik Mar 12, 2021 04:18am
You are bigoted racist.
Recommend
Ali Mehdi Mar 12, 2021 05:16am
We are all racist in some way. We all have some prejudice. Though it’s not good it remains a part of small world that we all claim to share on equal basis. The feeling of not getting the throne or trying to get a larger share of the empire has always been the main reason for split in the families. Royals are no exception.
Recommend
Shahid Tanvir Mar 12, 2021 06:29am
Racism is natural, specially when you bring someone of different race inside your family.
Recommend
Taj Ahmad - Pakistan Mar 12, 2021 08:19am
I want to see royal family United again with respect and love to eachothers and I see Harry and Meghan will rejoin royal family again and once for all.
Recommend
Gopal Patel Mar 12, 2021 09:02am
You haven't denied that some one from your family was worried about skin color of Archie.
Recommend
White Noise Mar 12, 2021 10:56am
He obviously has not paid attention to the statements made by his grand dad in the past. Royals are a 'white brand' and they will do anything to protect it.
Recommend
Bye_Bye Mar 12, 2021 10:57am
Now after Brexit the Britishers need real freedom from Queen /Kingdom.
Recommend
Tariq Mar 12, 2021 11:05am
First diana and now megan. who is going to believe these statements. We can assume that in close door secrets remain buried.
Recommend
Selected PM Mar 12, 2021 01:14pm
Yes! You are not racist but you don't like dark skin people.
Recommend
Selected PM Mar 12, 2021 01:19pm
@M. Emad, It is time for them to go! Enough of king and queen stories supported by the common British people!
Recommend
Zak Mar 13, 2021 12:25am
Ok, now listen up! Leave Harry and Megan, alone and not to forget Archie. End of story.
Recommend