When will the Queen respond to Meghan and Harry's interview? Pressure mounts on royal family to address racism claims
Crisis talks with senior members of the royal family are said to have taken place after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
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Hide AdThe interview was aired on CBS in the US on Sunday night (7 March) before airing on ITV in the UK on Monday evening (8 March).
However, the palace continues to remain silent following the interview, in which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke about topics including mental health, racism, the media and members of the royal family.
Palace officials reportedly had a statement prepared which highlighted the family’s love and concern for Harry and Meghan, but this is said to have not been signed off by the Queen.
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Hide AdThe Times reported that the Queen wanted more time to be able to consider her response to the couple’s interview with Winfrey.
However, White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, praised Harry and Meghan’s courage when asked if US President Joe Biden had watched the interview.
Meghan is originally from Los Angeles and the couple moved to California after leaving the UK at the beginning of last year.
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Hide AdMs Psaki told journalists: “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.”
What was discussed in the interview?
Among various topics of conversation during the interview, Meghan revealed to Winfrey that there were “several conversations” within the family, which were relayed back to her by Harry, about their son Archie’s skin tone and "how dark his skin might be when he was born".
Winfrey asked if her son being "too brown" would be a problem, to which Meghan said: "If that is the assumption you are making, that is a pretty safe one".
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Hide AdHowever, the couple both refused to say who said that, with Meghan saying "I think that would be very damaging to them” and Harry adding: "That conversation, I am never going to share."
Megan also spoke about her mental health during the interview, telling Winfrey that at the height of the crisis with the monarchy, she had thought about taking her own life.
She said that she found life within the Royal Family so difficult that at times she "didn't want to be alive anymore".
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Hide AdWhen asked by Winfrey if she had had suicidal thoughts, Meghan said: "Yes. This was very, very clear. Very clear and very scary. I didn't know who to turn to in that."
Prince Harry later joined his wife and Winfrey, where he discussed his relationship with the rest of the family.
Although he said his relationship with his grandmother, the Queen, was “really good”, with the two of them speaking often, he revealed that his father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls when he announced he wanted to step back.
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Hide AdHarry said he feels "really let down" by his father and that although he will always love him, "there's a lot of hurt that's happened".
In regards to his brother, Prince William, Harry said they were on "different paths".
Prince Harry also revealed that his family had cut him off financially and in order to be able to pay for security for him, his wife and child, the couple sought deals with both Netflix and Spotify.
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Hide AdHarry also said that he felt “trapped” within the system before he left with his wife and son and moved to California, adding that “my father and my brother, they are trapped. They don’t get to leave. And I have huge compassion for that.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call the Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK.