'Palace taking Harry, Meghan's race issues very seriously'

MUMBAI: After senior members of the British Royal family held crisis meetings, the Buckingham Palace said the issues, including that of racism", raised by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle during their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey were "concerning" and "taken very seriously", the media reported.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the Palace said: "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 statement was issued a day after the interview was aired in the UK on iTV on Monday night, just 24 hours after it was broadcast in the US on Sunday.

The crisis meetings took place on Monday after the Palace had been under growing pressure to respond to the interview during which Meghan accused the Royal family of being cold and racist, especially towards her and their son Archie, which pushed the couple away, the BBC reported.

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Meghan said the fear for their child, for whom no security was offered by the Royal family, and the growing scrutiny also had a damaging effect on her mental health, and she claimed going through suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant.

She also spoke at length about the issue of Archie's skin colour, saying that there were "concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born".

Meanwhile, Prince Harry in the interview said he realised how he had been "trapped" all along just like the "rest of his family".

The Duke of Sussex also said that he felt "let down" by his father Prince Charles, adding that the Prince of Wales had stopped taking calls after the couple informed the Palace of stepping back as active members of the Royal family, before they had made the formal announcement in January 2020.

The interview was watched by an average of 11.1 million people in the UK, the BBC said.

While Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not comment although the Downing Street confirmed that he had watched the interview, opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said that Meghan's allegations about racism and a lack of mental health support should be taken "very seriously".

Members of the Royal family are yet to make a comment.

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