Palace in turmoil over Meghan’s racism claims in Oprah interview

The Queen has refused to sign off on a prepared statement that officials had hoped would de-escalate tensions.

Meghan Markle and the Queen in 2018. Picture: AFP

Buckingham Palace was thrown into turmoil yesterday as it struggled to deal with the fallout from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s dramatic allegations of racism in their US interview.

The couple made a string of claims including that Meghan had felt suicidal but her pleas for help were ignored by courtiers.

The duchess also claimed that an unnamed member of the royal family voiced concerns about the colour of their unborn baby’s skin.

Last night the Queen refused to sign off on a prepared statement that officials had hoped would de-escalate tensions by highlighting the family’s love and concern for the couple. She was believed to want more time to consider her response.

In the two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast in the US on CBS on Sunday and shown in Britain on ITV last night, the couple claimed:

- The duchess contemplated suicide and was concerned for her “mental welfare”, but officials did not help because it would not have been “good for the institution”.

- Members of the family did not want Archie, their son, to be a prince.

- The Prince of Wales cut off Harry financially and stopped taking his calls.

- The couple are expecting a girl.

- The Duchess of Cambridge made Meghan cry before her wedding.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their interview with Oprah Winfrey. Picture: CBS

In the interview Meghan told Winfrey that while she was pregnant with Archie there had been “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born”.

Winfrey later told CBS, which broadcast the interview, that off camera Harry had stressed that “neither his grandmother nor grandfather was part of that conversation”. The disclosure has prompted speculation over which royal may have made the comments.

The prime minister refused to be dragged into the row. Asked whether he believed the royal family was racist, Boris Johnson told a Downing Street press conference: “I really think that when it comes to matters to do with the royal family, the right thing for prime ministers to say is nothing and nothing is the thing that I propose to say today.”

He added: “I have always had the highest admiration for the Queen and the unifying role that she plays.”

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said: “Meghan Markle is a private citizen and so is Harry at this point. For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health and tell their own personal story, that takes courage. That’s certainly something the president believes.”

Hillary Clinton, who was the first female presidential nominee for a large US political party, said she found the interview “heart-rending”, adding that young women “should not be forced into a mould that is no longer relevant, not only for them, but for our society”.

However, Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park claimed that Harry was “blowing up his family” with the Winfrey interview. The minister for Pacific and the environment tweeted: “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets.”

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said that the allegations must be taken seriously. During a visit to a school in Dagenham, east London, he said: “It is really sad to see the family in turmoil like this. The issues that Meghan has raised of racism and mental health are serious issues.”

Wes Streeting, the shadow schools minister, told Times Radio that the allegation of racism “needs to be investigated” by Buckingham Palace.

Prince Charles and wife Camilla. Picture: Getty Images

Additional clips were played on CBS yesterday in which Harry made further allegations, including that racism was a “large part” of why he and Meghan had left the country. In one he said he was suddenly told that he was no longer invited to spend time with the Queen at Sandringham after they returned from Canada in January last year because she was “too busy”.

The interview was watched by an estimated 17.1 million Americans, according to the data firm Nielsen. The Super Bowl drew 96 million viewers.

Last week The Times reported that the duchess faced a bullying complaint from one of her closest advisers during her time at Kensington Palace. The October 2018 complaint claimed that she drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third member of staff.

Buckingham Palace announced it would carry out a review of the bullying allegations. Neither the Palace nor any senior royal has commented on the allegations made in the interview.

A spokesman for the couple called the Times reports “a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation”.

The Times