Monday, March 8, 2021

Members of the British Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan made bold claims in an interview with Oprah Winfrey first broadcast on Sunday in the US, which over seventeen million people watched. They have made numerous accusations against the British Royal Family, including allegations of racism and denying Meghan help for her mental health. The interview, which the Sussexes were not being paid for and were not aware of any questions to be asked beforehand, took place at an unnamed “friend’s” house. It took place following the couple stepping down as senior members of the family last year.

The interview started with just Winfrey and Meghan, later bringing Harry into the interview also. Meghan began by stating that she went into the Royal Family initially “naïvely”, saying that she had not done research before entering the role. She also mentioned that the tabloid press in the UK had claimed that she had made Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge cry during her wedding over an argument about bridesmaid dresses. Meghan claimed that the opposite was true, and Catherine had made her cry over this. She alleged that “everyone in the [royal family] institution knew it was false”, but had not corrected it.

In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, we have in tandem the conversation of: he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.

Later in the interview, Meghan spoke about how hew son Archie would not be given a royal title, and said that this meant he would not be given security. The reasoning why he would not be given a title dates from letters written by George V in 1917, which states that only children and grandchildren of the sovereign will be given a royal title automatically; Archie was a great-grandchild when he was born. Meghan said that if it meant he would be kept safe, her son being given a royal title meant a lot to her.

The most significant allegation came when Meghan alleged that a member of the family had made a remark about her future child’s skin colour before he was born. Meghan; who was an actress before she entered the royal family; is American, mixed-race, and her mother is African American. In the interview, Meghan told Winfrey “In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, we have in tandem the conversation of: he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born”. It was later explained that this conversation had taken place between Harry and an unnamed member of the Royal Family; Winfrey later said that Harry had told her it was not Elizabeth II or Prince Philip who had made these remarks.

Meghan also spoke of her mental health during this time, stating to Winfrey that “I just didn’t want to be alive any more”. She also alleged that when asking “one of the most senior officials” in the Palace if she could receive help for her mental health, she was denied because the official said it would be bad for the Royal Family institution.

On Tuesday, two days after the interview first broadcast, the Palace responded to the claims made in the interview in a statement, saying the claims would be “taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately”. They also made a note that “some recollections may vary”. Earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declined to answer a question about whether the Royal Family was racist, but said “when it comes to matters to do with the Royal Family, the right thing for prime ministers to say is nothing”. UK Leader of the Opposition and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said the claims made in the interview should be taken “very, very seriously”.

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