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A long-awaited statement from Queen Elizabeth II issued Tuesday was conciliatory to her grandson and her mixed-race spouse, following her explosive interview with American chat show host Oprah Winfrey.
FILE: The queen’s statement said the accusation of racism was “concerning” and “would be taken very seriously” but added that “the family would address it in private.” Image: AFP
LONDON – The British royal family has begun a fight against claims of racism made by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, indicating that the couple’s comments will not go unanswered as the country splits into partisan camps.
A long-awaited statement from Queen Elizabeth II issued Tuesday was conciliatory to her grandson and her mixed-race spouse, following her explosive interview with American chat show host Oprah Winfrey.
READ: Queen ‘saddened’, takes claims of racism ‘seriously’ after Harry-Meghan interview
But he also stressed that “some memories may vary,” as Buckingham Palace promised to investigate the couple’s claim that an unidentified royal had asked how dark their unborn son Archie’s skin would be. .
The dispute is being observed around the world, in the United States, where the couple now live, and throughout the multiracial Commonwealth, which is led by the queen, drawing Britain’s most famous family into a debate about racism. and the country’s colonial past.
The UK government refuses to get involved in the biggest family crisis since the public collapse of Harry’s parents’ marriage, apart from praising the stewardship of the country by Elizabeth and the 54-nation Commonwealth.
But Downing Street has deliberately refused to repudiate the comments of Deputy Foreign Minister Zac Goldsmith, a close ally of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who accused former Army Captain Harry of “blowing up his family.”
Chief Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg denied there were any broader ramifications for the 94-year-old queen, who has reigned over Britain and 15 Commonwealth kingdoms, including Australia and Canada, since 1952.
“She has done her duty. I think she is loved in all her realms for that,” Rees-Mogg said.
“And I don’t think interviews with chat show hosts in the United States make a big difference to that.”
Constitutional expert Robert Hazell of University College London also said royalty was likely to weather the storm.
“It would only become a crisis for the institution if opinion polls begin to show that it has significantly reduced support for the monarchy,” he told AFP.
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan offer a glimpse of new life from a ‘fairy tale’
50 MILLION VISITORS
However, Australia’s former pro-Republican Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the allegations should pave the way for his country to hold another referendum on the abolition of the monarchy.
“The bottom line is that in Australia scandals, personalities, royal family dramas are not really the problem,” he told British ITV, which broadcast Winfrey’s interview on Monday to an audience of more than 11 million.
“The problem is that the head of state of Australia should be an Australian citizen chosen by the Australians, not the king or queen of the United Kingdom.”
US network CBS, which first aired Winfrey’s interview on Sunday, said about 50 million people had watched around the world, and the number would rise as more territories broadcast it.
Winfrey said the racist comment came neither from the queen nor from her husband, Prince Philip, 99, who is in the hospital with a heart condition.
The queen’s statement said the accusation of racism was “concerning” and “would be taken very seriously”, but added that “the family will address it in private.”
The Daily Telegraph The newspaper said that by noting that people’s memories may diverge, the palace’s statement suggested that the person behind the comment on Archie’s skin tone could have been identified.
He said the public was unlikely to know more, as “it was expected to be His Majesty’s last word on the matter.”
But Sun The newspaper said the queen will investigate further through “private conversations” with royals, including Harry’s father, Prince Charles, his eldest son and heir, and Harry’s older brother William.
TOO LITTLE AND TOO LATE
Former royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the 61-word statement was “the bare minimum” at a time when the royal family finds itself in a “huge hole.”
“In my opinion, it was too little and it was too late,” he told BBC radio.
Charles has yet to comment, but on Tuesday he was filmed touring a Nigerian Christian church in London whose pastors are promoting a campaign to vaccinate more black people against the coronavirus.
One of Meghan’s complaints was that she had suicidal thoughts during her time in Britain, but received no support, sparking a new debate about the royal family’s ability to connect with ordinary people.
It was later reported that she complained about criticism from former CNN host Piers Morgan about her mental health issues to her employers, ITV, prompting him to resign as the channel’s flagship breakfast show host after refuse to apologize.
A defiant Morgan said Wednesday: “I don’t believe almost anything that comes out of his mouth.”
A YouGov poll of 4,656 people after the interview broadcast in Britain indicated that almost a third (32%) felt the couple was treated unfairly, the same proportion as those who thought otherwise.
Opinions diverged based on party affiliation and age, reflecting the fissures that have opened in Britain since the 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
Younger people and supporters of the Labor opposition were more favorable to Harry and Meghan. Older respondents and conservatives sided with the royal family.
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