Prince William denies royals are a “racist family” after Meghan Markle interview

Prince William addressed allegations of racism within the royal family on Thursday (March 11) following Meghan Markle’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the conversation, which aired earlier this week on CBS, the Duchess of Sussex said there were “concerns” and “conversations” within the family about “how dark” her son’s skin would be.

Responding to the claims during a trip to a London school, Prince William told reporters that the royals are “very much not a racist family.” He also added that he has not spoken to his brother, Prince Harry, since the interview aired but said that he would.

William is the first member of the royal family to directly deny the allegations. On Tuesday (March 9), Buckingham Palace issued a response to the entire interview on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.

“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,” the statement read. “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.”

Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah has sparked conversations about the royal family worldwide. British TV personality Piers Morgan quit his hosting role on “Good Morning Britain” this week after facing backlash for his disparaging remarks about Meghan’s mental health, which he was confronted about by the show’s weatherman, Alex Beresford.

On Twitter, Alex said Piers’ departure from the show “wasn’t the conclusion [he] was hoping for.”

“I hoped we could reach a place of understanding,” he wrote. “It’s sad that we weren’t able to get there, but challenging his opinion was not an outrage. On this occasion, we have to agree to disagree.”

“I didn’t want him to quit, but I did want him to listen,” he added.