Sussexes deny claims they’ve ‘reignited a rift’ with the Queen

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have hit back at claims they’re unhappy with the Queen’s response to Meghan’s bombshell racism claim, The Telegraph reports.

An updated version of the book Finding Freedom suggested Harry and Meghan were “not impressed” with the way the palace handled the racism allegations the couple made during their infamous Oprah Winfrey tell-all chat, which aired back in March. The book alluded to the fact that there was a rift between the couple and the monarch.

The couple’s lawyer have since said the claims are false, and threatened legal action against any organisation that suggested they had “reignited a rift” with the Queen.

In the Oprah interview, Meghan famously claimed a member of the royal family asked what colour skin the couple’s unborn baby would be. Later in the chat, the talk show host pressed Prince Harry for more information, asking him who was behind the comment. “That conversation I’m never going to share,” he said at the time. “It was awkward. I was a bit shocked.”

Oprah later revealed that Harry told her it was neither the Queen nor Prince Philip who asked the questions about Archie’s skin colour.

Following Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen.

“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 read.

“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.”

“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members.”

In the tell-all chat, the couple openly discussed everything with Oprah, from jealously to a lack of support from the royal family, and even relationship breakdowns between members.

More recently, Harry spoke to American actor Dax Shepard in mid-May on the Armchair Expert podcast, where he accused his father of inflicting “genetic pain” on him, and blaming the Queen and Philip for enforcing a cycle of poor parenting decisions in the royal family.

However, at the time, a royal source told the Mail on Sunday that the Queen had taken Harry’s latest comments personally. “The Queen is deeply upset by what Harry has said, in particular his comments about Charles’ parenting and suggestions that his father knows no better because of how he was brought up,” the royal source said. “It has been a very upsetting time.”