Prince William has addressed the allegations of racism for the first time after his brother, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan Markle, alleged in an interview with American TV host Oprah Winfrey that a family member had raised concerns regarding their son’s skin tone.
William, second in the line of succession to the British throne, told a reporter on Thursday that they are “very much not a racist family.”
He also said that he has not spoken with his brother since the interview, which was aired on Sunday, March 7.
"No I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do," the Duke of Cambridge said.
In their first public appearance since the interview, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited a school in east London to carry out a morning engagement. The couple also spoke to teachers about the challenges they have faced during the pandemic.
Prince William's comments come after a rare statement issued by the Buckingham Palace on Tuesday to say that issues raised during the interview, particularly that of racism, are concerning. The Palace also noted that issues raised by Harry and Meghan will be addressed by the family privately. The statement also said the Queen was saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years had been for her grandson Harry and his wife Meghan.
Earlier, in the tell-all interview, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made shocking revelations ranging from misinformation being allowed to spread about her to Meghan’s thoughts of suicide. In the first half of the interview, Meghan spoke with Winfrey alone and described a royal life that began as a fairy tale but quickly turned into a nightmare.
In reference to Prince Williams and his wife Catherine, Harry told Oprah that there was a space between the brothers which he hoped the time would heal. He also said he loved his brother but they are on different paths.
"I love William to bits. He is my brother, we've been through hell together but we were on different paths. The relationship is space, at the moment. And, you know, time heals all things, hopefully," Harry told Oprah.
Harry and Meghan, who stepped away as working royals and moved to the US last year, are expecting their second child in the coming summer.
