‘Not unhelpful’: Queen, Charles back William’s denial that royal family is ‘racist’

The Queen and Prince Charles reportedly back William’s intervention over Harry and Meghan’s claims of royal racism.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge visits School 21 in Stratford on March 11, 2021 in London. Picture: Justin Tallis/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Queen and Prince Charles have reportedly backed Prince William’s intervention over Harry and Meghan’s bombshell claims earlier this week, with one royal aide telling UK media William’s response “was not unhelpful.”

William broke his silence overnight (AEDT) in the wake of the royal racism grenade lobbed by Harry and Meghan in their interview with Oprah Winfrey, telling reporters: “We are very much not a racist family’’.

Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, the official homes of the Queen and the Prince of Wales, were both reported to support William’s response, with a senior aide at Buckingham Palace telling the Telegraph UK: “The Duke responded in a very sensible and appropriate way.”

Another royal source told the newspaper William’s comments were “not unhelpful,” as they were “quite a natural response, straight from the horse’s mouth”.

William spoke as he and wife Kate attended a school in East London to promote a children’s mental health scheme, an event that had been in the royal diary for many weeks.

When a reporter asked: “Is the Royal Family a racist family?” William replied: “We are very much not a racist family”.

The fact that he responded at all was significant: for the most part, royals don’t answer shouted questions from the press pack when they are on official engagements, as they prefer the attention to be focused on the subject of the engagement. But William had been warned to expect questions about the crisis and told to make up his own decision about answering.

Tellingly, he also made it clear he had not spoken to Harry, even though four days have passed since their explosive interview was broadcast on CBS.

Asked if he had spoken to his brother since the interview. William said: “No, I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do”.

The bonds between Harry and William have been strained for some time, and Harry’s participation in the Oprah interview has added to the brothers’ estrangement.

The revelation that a family member spoke to Harry about the skin tone of any children he may have with Meghan, has been countered by Buckingham Palace, who said that recollections of the conversation varied.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on a school visit. William revealed he is yet to speak to his brother after the bombshell Oprah interview. Picture: Justin Tallis/WPA Pool/Getty Images

William is said to be furious at Meghan’s claims Kate made her cry, and may be also bewildered over why she also claimed Archie was denied a royal title.

Meghan suggested it was because he was bi-racial, when it was established protocol going back more than a century.

In other excerpts from the interview which were aired on US television, Meghan claimed that while the British tabloids had been rude about Kate, it was much worse for her because she had faced racial criticism.

Harry, who said he loved his brother but they were on different paths, claimed William was trapped in the institution of the royal family. Harry said he felt “deep compassion” that William and his father Prince Charles couldn’t escape from royal life.

Harry was also bitter that he had been cut off from royal funds – a decision believed to have been made by Charles, William and the Queen — and that he had to resort to using the inheritance of his mother, Princess Diana.

Charles has yet to comment on the controversy but was filmed on Tuesday touring a Nigerian Christian church in London whose pastors are promoting a drive to vaccinate more black people against the coronavirus.