Portrait of Prince William in Peterborough, England, on 16 July 2020.
Ciorstaidh Wigglesworth – Amar WPA | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – Prince William has made his first remarks from the explosive interview given by his brother Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, claiming that the royal family is not racist.
“We’re very much not a racist family,” William, Duke of Cambridge, said after a question from Sky News Thursday about the interview, which first began in the U.S. on Sunday night. Inside, Harry and Meghan had made racist allegations inside the palace, and said they felt unsupported by the rest of the royal family.
When asked if he had yet spoken to his brother, William replied: “I have not spoken to him yet but I expect.”
The comments, made when he visited an east London school on Thursday, come after Oprah Winfrey interviewed Harry and Meghan. The couple, who now live in the U.S., said a member of the royal family had questioned what skin tone their baby might have at the time.
Meghan, the first member of a mixed race of the British royal family today, would not reveal who made the idea, saying, “I think that would be very detrimental to them.”
Winfrey clarified again that the idea was not made by the queen or Prince Philip.
In the two-hour interview, which was watched by millions of spectators on both sides of the Atlantic, other damaging claims included that the palace had not supported Meghan when she she experienced mental health issues that left her feeling suicidal.
The Sussexes spoke about the pressures of royal life and also said they had been asked to leave the UK, and step back from their careers as work royals early last year, out of hostility from the British tabloid media who said the palace failed to protect them from.
The interview, which was broadcast on Monday night in Britain, has sparked emergency talks among senior members of the royal family. Later on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of the queen stating that the family would deal with the matter in private.
“The whole family is saddened to learn just how challenging the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the queen said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The issues raised, particularly racial issues, are worrying. While some memories may be different, they are genuinely taken care of and the family treats them in private, “she said.