The Queen has responded to the bombshell allegations that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made during the tell-all Oprah interview which aired on CBS on Sunday night.
The Queen’s statement noted that “while some recollections may vary,” the family was “saddened” to learn about the extent of the challenges that the Sussexes faced in the last few years.
The Queen acknowledged that the racially charged comment about Archie’s skin color that a member of the royal family reportedly made was “concerning” but said it would be “addressed by the family privately.”
The statement added that despite the tensions between family members, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry “will always be much loved family members.”
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning,” the statement said. “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Royal watchers analyze the Queen’s response
Royal watcher Richard Fitzwillaims told the Daily Mail that the Queen’s comment that “some recollections may vary” was meant to communicate that the Palace did not agree with all that the Sussexes said and that other members of the Royal Family have different recollections of the events.
However, the statement shows that the Palace thinks it would be counter-productive to offer a rebuttal of the claims that the Sussexes made during the interview.
According to Express, royal commentator Victoria Murphy said the Queen’s comment that “issues raised, particularly that of race” will be “addressed by the family privately” was her way of making it clear that the Palace did not intend to engage in a public “race row” with the Sussexes.
Overall, the carefully considered response acknowledges that all families have their differences and that the best response was to take the Sussexes expression of their grievances with sympathy and focus on reconciliation and healing.
Palace is concerned the Sussexes could out the royal who commented about Archie’s skin color
The Queen’s statement was released following reports that the Palace was concerned that Markle and Harry could name the royal who expressed concern about Archie’s skin color.
The tone of the Queen’s response was reportedly guided by fears that if the Palace issued a denial of the race allegations before having all the facts, the Sussexes could react by outing the royal who offered the alleged racially charged comment during a conversation with Harry.
During the Oprah interview on Sunday, Markle said she was convinced that the royal who talked about her baby’s skin color thought it would be “a problem” if Archie was too dark.