THE Queen would have been hurt by Meghan Markle’s comments about racism in the Royal Family after going “out of her way” to promote race relations, a royal expert has said.
The Duchess of Sussex alleged a senior member of the Firm had questioned what colour skin her first child may have during her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
She also suggested Archie wasn’t made a prince after “concerns and conversations” were raised about his complexion.
Meghan, 40, declined to reveal the identity of the racist royal as it would be too “damaging” for them.
Oprah later said it was not the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh – although it’s said the monarch would have found the comments upsetting nonetheless.
In the Daily Mail, royal biographer Robert Hardman writes: “Time and again over her 70 years on the throne — during which she has been a devoted Head of the Commonwealth — I have seen how the Queen has gone out of her way to promote inter-racial, multi-faith, cross-community cohesion.
“All of which will have made it particularly upsetting, in her tenth decade, to find her monarchy facing imprecise yet wounding charges of racism not from republicans or culture warriors — but from within her own family.”
Two days after Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview, the Queen revealed she was “saddened” by Meghan’s claims regarding race but insisted “some recollections may vary”.
The Palace said the Royal Family took the allegations “very seriously” and said the incendiary claims about the colour of Archie’s skin would be investigated and “addressed privately”.
Its statement read: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.
“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.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last week received the NAACP’s prestigious President’s Award for special achievement and distinguished public service.
The award, which commends those who fight racism and tackle inequalities, recognised their work through the Archewell Foundation, including their support in tackling the Covid pandemic and attention brought to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Previous recipients have included Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, LeBron James, and Rihanna.
Meghan said on stage: “It’s inspiring to think about the legacy of the Image Awards, which began shortly after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed into law.
“Today, we can continue that legacy by re-establishing federal voting protections in our country and fulfilling the work of civil rights giants, like the late John Lewis.”
