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Following Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, all eyes were on Buckingham Palace awaiting a response from the Queen. When the statement did come—a full two days later—it was short, sharp and avoided the opportunity to condemn racism publicly.
“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, directly from the Queen, reads. “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. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Though the royal family prioritised responding publicly and used the opportunity to say they would speak privately to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, four days later, Prince William revealed he still hadn’t talked to his brother. “Not yet, but I will,” was his curt response when asked by a journalist whether he’d called Prince Harry.
Now, Winfrey’s best friend and friend of the Sussexes, Gayle King has revealed Prince Charles and Prince William have spoken to Prince Harry, but that conversations “haven’t been productive.”
However, despite her revealing she was suicidally depressed during her time in the UK, no one in the family has reportedly spoken a word to Markle since the interview aired.
“Well, I’m not trying to break news, but I did actually call them to see how they were feeling, and it’s true, Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too,” King said on CBS This Morning on Tuesday. “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 continued, “And I think what is still upsetting to them is the palace keeps saying they want to work it out privately, but yet, they believe these false stories are coming out that are very disparaging against Meghan, still.”
She added that “no one in the royal family has talked to Meghan yet, at this particular time.”
“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,” King continued.
“And until you can acknowledge that, I think it’s going to be hard to move forward. But they both want to move forward with this and they both want healing in this family. At the end of the day, that is Harry’s family.”
During the couple’s interview with Winfrey, Markle said there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie Harrison’s] skin might be when he’s born.”
Though they did not identify who made the remarks, Winfrey later clarified it was not Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip. In the Queen’s statement, she said “recollections vary”, however King said Markle has “plenty of receipts”.
