Queen ‘saddened’ as palace responds
THE Queen is “saddened” to hear the full extent of the challenges faced by the Sussexes and the issues raised around race are “concerning”, Buckingham Palace has said in response to the shocking Oprah interview.
The palace said while “some recollections may vary” they are taken “very seriously”, but would be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will “always be much loved family members”, the statement said.
The monarchy was left in crisis after Harry and Meghan, right, delivered their dramatic revelations on primetime TV.
The Sussexes laid bare their brief lives as a working royal couple, alleging a member of the family – not the Queen or Duke of Edinburgh – made a racist comment about their son, and how the duchess had suicidal thoughts but her approaches to the monarchy for help were turned down.
The statement on behalf of the Queen said: “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.”
Pressure had been mounting on the palace to respond to accusations of racism in the royal family following the explosive interview.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the allegations made by the duchess must be taken seriously.
He said: “Nobody, but nobody, should be prejudiced (against) because of the colour of their skin or because of their mental health issues.”
Harry also said it “hurts” that none of his relatives spoke out in support of Meghan following the racism he said she faced in the media.
More than 11 million viewers watched the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview on ITV.
The broadcaster snapped up the rights to the programme in a deal reported to have cost around £1 million.
The CBS primetime special with Oprah Winfrey aired first on Sunday in the US, where it reached an estimated 17.1 million viewers.
Oprah With Meghan And Harry had an average audience of 11.1 million and 54% share between 9pm and 11pm.
“This was ITV’s biggest peak audience since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final and the biggest on any channel (outside Government, pandemic-related announcements) since the Strictly Come Dancing final on BBC One in December,” ITV said.