‘We’re not racist’: William speaks after Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge put on a united front on Thursday, as they stepped out for the first time since the Sussexes bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Prince William and Catherine were visiting a school in Stratford, London, to mark the rollout to secondary schools of a mental health project, Mentally Healthy Schools, the duchess launched in primary schools in 2018.

During the official engagement, the Duke of Cambridge was forced to address allegations of racism after a reporter questioned the prince on the controversial matter. “We are very much not a racist family,” William told the reporter.

He was also asked if had spoken to Harry since the Oprah interview, to which William replied, “No, I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal)

Breaking: Prince William has become the first member of the royal family to publicly address the race row sparked by Harry and Meghan’s interview. He says he hasn ‘t spoken to his brother yet but will do and royals very much not a racist family. pic.twitter.com/WPtjexzARN

— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) March 11, 2021

Harry and Meghan didn’t hold back during the 90-minute interview, which aired in the US on Sunday night, with talk of jealousy, a lack of support from the royal family, and even relationship breakdowns. However, one of the most shocking revelations concerned the couple’s son Archie and his mixed race. During the sit-down, Meghan said there were palace “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born”.

Later in the interview, Oprah pressed Harry for more information, asking him who was behind the comment. “That conversation I’m never going to share,” he said. “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.

“[Harry] did not share the identity with me but he wanted to make sure that I knew and if I had an opportunity to share it that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather who were a part of those conversations,” Oprah said on CBS This Morning Monday morning (local time).

William is the second family member to speak out following Harry and Meghan’s interview. On Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth II released a statement saying the issues raised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be dealt with privately. However, the Queen made a point to note in her statement that recollections of what transpired “may vary”.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” she said in a statement.

“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.”