Prince William has become the first member of the royal family to address the allegations made against them during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Oprah interview.
“We are very much not a racist family,” Prince William said responding to a question from Sky News during a visit to an East London school today, which marked the Duke of Cambridge’s first public appearance since the claims were made by his brother and sister-in-law, Variety reports.
The Sky News reported asked Prince William if he has spoken to his brother, to which he said, “I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will do.”
Prince William has said his family is not racist and he has not yet spoken to his brother since Harry and Meghan's explosive interview.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 11, 2021
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During the Oprah interview, Prince Harry was asked about the state of the brothers’ relationship, which Prince Harry characterized as “space.” The siblings were always extremely close, but relations have soured in recent years, attributed to the intense media scrutiny Prince Harry and Markle faced while being members of the royal family. This ultimately led them to move to the United States and step down from being royals.
Earlier this week, we reported a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth that was issued by Buckingham Palace:
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. 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. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Markle’s allegations against the royal family raised “concerns” during her pregnancy with how dark her son Archie’s skin might be. This triggered a nationwide debate on the royals, race, and the role of the media in perpetuating xenophobia.