The royal family has broken its silence on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s explosive interview.
In a statement Tuesday, Buckingham Palace and Queen Elizabeth II said Harry, Markle and their son, Archie, will “always be much loved family members” — two days after the couple said they felt unsupported by the palace before they left their senior roles last year.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the statement says.
“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.”
During the highly publicized interview, which aired Sunday night on CBS, Markle told Oprah Winfrey she learned of concerns within the palace over “how dark” Archie’s skin might be before his birth in 2019.
Winfrey later shared on “CBS This Morning” that Harry said the Queen and Prince Philip were not “part of those conversations.”
Markle also asserted that palace officials didn’t step up to defend her amid intense media scrutiny, and claimed the royal institution denied her the chance to seek help as she battled suicidal thoughts.
“I went to the institution and said I needed to go somewhere to get help, said that I’ve never felt this way before ... and I was told that I couldn’t,” Markle said. “That it wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
Harry, meanwhile, said he felt “trapped” in the royal system.
The couple, who are expecting their second child, officially stepped away from their senior duties in March 2020 and have since moved to California.
Harry contends he didn’t blindside the Queen with the move.
“I never blindsided my grandmother,” he told Winfrey. “I have too much respect for her.”
Hours before the palace released its statement Tuesday, Harry’s father, Prince Charles, didn’t respond as he left a vaccination site in London and was asked about the interview.
Harry told Winfrey his father stopped taking his calls at one point, and contended their relationship needs work.
Markle, 39, and Harry, 36, have been married since 2018.
