London – Prince William on Thursday became the first British king to directly defend his family against accusations of racism by his sister-in-law Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and her husband, Prince Harry in interview with Oprah Winfrey. William told reporters that royalty “is not a racist family”.
Commenting during a visit to a school in East London, Prince William added that he had not spoken to his brother Harry since the interview, but said he would.
POOL / REUTERS
In the bombshell interview – which aired Sunday in the United States and Monday in the United Kingdom – Meghan said she felt so isolated in the royal family that she faced serious mental health problems, even thinking about suicide. She and Harry also said that an unidentified family member expressed concern about the skin color of their unborn child.
Buckingham Palace issued its first response to the interview on Tuesday, with a 61-word statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
“The whole family is sad to hear how challenging the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the statement said. “The issues raised, particularly those of race, are worrisome. Although some memories may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be taken care of by the family in particular. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be very dear family members.”
But before the interview aired, the royal family released a statement saying they were investigating allegations of bullying done by Meghan’s team against her during her time as royalty.
The Oprah interview sparked a fierce debate around the world about the royal family and race, and Dawn Butler, a member of the British Parliament in London, told CBS News’ Holly Williams on Wednesday that the royal family existed “encased in a bubble of whiteness. “
“It is a well-established racist trope against black women to call them aggressors or to irritate them,” said Butler. “What Meghan faced is what black women face every day in the workplace.”
In response to the barrage of negative stories about Meghan in the UK tabloids, Butler said the royal family needed to account for the racism that took place under his supervision.
“When an institution encounters another institution, such as the sensationalist press, and they decide to expand this racist trope, it is a problem. This is structural racism, and this is what we need to come to terms with in this country, and this is what we need to dismantle. institution around the royal family has to deal with the fact that they were complicit in amplifying a racist trope against a black woman, “said Butler.