During the interview aired by
U.S. television network CBS on March 7, Meghan
said one unnamed member of the royal family had
asked how dark their son Archie's skin might be
when he was born, while Harry said his father,
heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, had let him
down and that he had felt trapped.
At an engagement last Thursday, Prince William
said he had not yet spoken to his brother but
intended to do so, telling reporters: "We're
very much not a racist family."
Gayle King, the co-host of CBS This Morning,
said she had spoken to Harry and Meghan at the
weekend and that a conversation between the
brothers had taken place.
"It's true, Harry has talked to his brother and
he has talked to his father too, and the word I
was given was that those conversations were not
productive, but they are glad that they have at
least started a conversation," she said.
William's office Kensington Palace had no
comment on King's remarks.
Harry and Meghan's interview plunged the British
monarchy into its biggest crisis since the death
of William and Harry's mother Princess Diana in
1997.
'HEARTBREAKING'
It came after Buckingham Palace said it was
investigating allegations of bullying made
against Meghan by aides before she and Harry
gave up their royal roles to move to California
last year.
"I think what is still upsetting to them is that
the palace keeps saying they want to work it out
privately yet they've all these false stories
coming out that are very disparaging against
Meghan," King said.
"I think it's frustrating for them to see that
it's a racial conversation about the royal
family when all they wanted all along was for
the royals to intervene and tell the press to
stop with the unfair, inaccurate, false stories
that definitely have a racial slant."
[to top of second column]
|
Queen Elizabeth, 94, has said
the royals were saddened by the challenging
experiences of her grandson Harry and his wife.
"The issues raised, particularly that of race,
are concerning. Whilst some recollections may
vary, they are taken very seriously and will be
addressed by the family privately," Buckingham
Palace said in a March 9 statement.
Earlier, former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama
said Meghan's recollections about a remark made
about the possible colour of her son's skin were
heartbreaking and she hoped Meghan's experiences
would be a lesson for the world.
Obama told NBC News: "I feel like that was
heartbreaking to hear, that she felt like she
was in her own family - her own family thought
differently of her."
"As I said before, race isn't a new construct in
this world for people of colour, and so it
wasn't a complete surprise to hear her feelings
and to have them articulated," she said.
"I think the thing that I hope for, and the
thing I think about, is that this, first and
foremost, is a family. I pray for forgiveness
and healing for them so that they can use this
as a teachable moment for us all."
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Editing by
William Maclean and Janet Lawrence)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content
|