In a new interview, Prince Harry offered a confusing perspective on one of the most explosive revelations of his and Meghan Markle’s meeting with Oprah Winfrey.
In the 2021 interview, Meghan said the royal family had “concerns and conversations” when she was pregnant with her son Archie about how dark her skin would be – a claim that was widely understood and reported as a accusation of racism and caused a global scandal. .
In an interview broadcast on British television on Sunday, Prince Harry denied that was the implication. When ITV’s Tom Bradby remarked that the Duke of Sussex “accused members of your family of racism” in his interview with Winfrey, Harry hit back.
“No, I didn’t. The British press said so,” said Harry. “Did Meghan ever say they were racist?”
Bradby mentioned Meghan’s revelation that “there were shocking comments about the color of Archie’s skin”.
“There was concern about the color of his skin,” Harry replied.
“Right. Wouldn’t you describe him as inherently racist?” Bradby followed.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Harry said. “He didn’t live in that family.”
“The difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two are different,” he continued. “But once it’s been acknowledged or pointed out to you, as an individual or as an institution, that you have an unconscious bias, you have the opportunity to learn and grow from it to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Otherwise, unconscious prejudice would fall into the category of racism.”
The Sussexes declined to name the royals involved in the conversations about Archie’s skin, although the couple clarified after the interview that the comments were not made by Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip.
Prince William responded to the claims by saying the royal family was “not a very racist family”, while Buckingham Palace released a statement after the interview saying “the issues raised, particularly race, are of concern” and would be “addressed”. . of the family in particular”.
Amid continued backlash at the time, royal sources told the media that the palace was considering appointing a diversity tsar as part of an effort to modernize the monarchy.
Jane Barlow – PA Images via Getty Images
While Harry defended his family in Sunday’s interview, he also called out the royal establishment for missing the opportunity for change, noting that no diversity czar has materialized.
“Everything they said would happen didn’t happen. I’ve always been open to wanting to help them understand their role in this, and especially when you’re a monarchy, you have a responsibility, and rightly so, people hold you to a higher standard than others,” he said. .
He pointed to a recent racist incident as “a prime example of an institutional environment.” In December, a royal nurse who served as lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth for decades, Lady Susan Hussey, apologized and resigned after she was recalled for asking him in repeatedly the founder of the Black Ngozi Fulani charity where he had “really come from” during a palace. reception.
However, later in the interview, Harry defended Lady Hussey and insisted he meant no harm.
“All I’ve asked for over the last…few years is a little accountability [from the monarchy]’, he said. “And I’m very happy that Ngozi Fulani was invited to the palace to stay with Lady Susan Hussey to make it up, because Meghan and I adore Susan Hussey.
“And I know what he meant too – he never meant any harm, but the response from the British media and people online to the stories they wrote was appalling. The response was absolutely horrible.”
Harry gave a series of interviews as part of a media blitz to promote his new memoir, ‘Spare’, which accidentally went on sale in Spain just days before its official release date of January 10.
More bombshells from Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ memoir:
- Harry calls William his “beloved brother and archenemesis” in the book.
- The Duke of Sussex says William and Kate encouraged him to wear a Nazi uniform to an “indigenous and colonial” party in 2005.
- Harry says William physically assaulted him in 2019 during an argument about Meghan.
- Harry says he is still undecided if he will attend King Charles’ coronation in May.
