Queen, Buckingham Palace address Harry and Meghan for 1st time since interview
Posted March 9, 2021 12:36 pm.
Last Updated March 9, 2021 3:08 pm.
Her Majesty the Queen and Buckingham Palace have broken their silence, publicly addressing troubling claims made by Harry and Meghan during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The pair alleged that Meghan had experienced racism and callous treatment during her time in the Royal Family.
In a release issued on Tuesday, the Queen says 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,” the statement continued. “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
The palace often tries to stay above controversy by remaining silent and riding out the storm, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charges were so damaging that the family had to respond.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s explosive TV interview divided people around the world on Monday, rocking an institution that is struggling to modernize with claims of racism and callousness toward a woman struggling with suicidal thoughts.
In it, Meghan revealed that the institution had “concerns” about the color of her unborn child’s skin prior to Archie’s birth.
Harry confirmed the conversation, saying: “I was a bit shocked.” He said he wouldn’t reveal who made the comment. Winfrey later said Harry told her the comment didn’t come from Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip, his grandparents.
RELATED: Royals absorb shock of revealing Harry, Meghan interview
Meghan also admitted that she dealt with suicidal thoughts and sought help, which was refused by the family.
“Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much-loved family members,” the statement concludes.
Harry said that the Royal Family refused to offer security and protection for Archie and Meghan – one breaking point that led to him and his wife isolating themselves from Buckingham Palace.
He also admitted to having a strained relationship with his father, Charles, as a result of the split, adding that there has been prolonged “space” between him and his brother, William.
Meghan admitted that she was naive at the start of her relationship with Harry and unprepared for the strictures of royal life.
The pair, known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, announced they were quitting royal duties last year, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’d be open to a constitutional debate about the role of the monarchy in Canada — just not now.
Trudeau told a news conference today he needs to focus on getting the country past the pandemic, rather than the latest controversy surrounding the British royal family.
“Our government has recognized systemic discrimination and has moved forward significantly to fight against it as it exists in all our institutions and all our systems,” said Trudeau on Tuesday.
“We need to be vigilant and we will continue that work. I won’t comment on what’s going on in the UK, but I will continue to endeavor to fight against racism and intolerance every single day in Canada.”
Both the NDP and Bloc Québécois leaders say the allegations are further proof the monarchy is no longer relevant to everyday Canadians and should be abolished.
“I don’t see that the benefit of the monarchy in Canadians’ lives,” Jagmeet Singh said.
“Now, even more so, with concerns about racism in the institution that were raised and pressures that were placed on Meghan Markle, just again highlight that exists at that institution and that is also horrible.”
The troubling details in the interview with Harry and Meghan could throw fuel on the fire for the growing belief that Canada should do away with its royal ties.
Asked about one of her MPPs tweeting a call to defund the royals in the wake of Sunday night’s interview, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath said she was caught off guard by the revelations in their conversation with Winfrey.
In the United States, sympathy for the couple poured in.
Tennis star Serena Williams, a friend who attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding, said on Twitter that the duchess’s words “illustrate the pain and cruelty she’s experienced.”
“The mental health consequences of systemic oppression and victimization are devastating, isolating, and all too often lethal,” Williams added.
With files from The Associated Press
