Harry and Meghan interview with Oprah: Prince William rejects claim that royal family is racist

Prince William says the royal family is not racist and that he plans to speak to his brother as he and Kate returned to their royal duties for the first time since Harry and Meghan’s interview.

“We are not a racist family,” he said after a question from Sky News while visiting a school in East London with his wife.

When asked if he had spoken to his brother, William replied, “I haven’t talked to him yet, but I will.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were returning to their royal duties for the first time since Oprah’s explosive interview of Harry and Meghan aired, visiting a Stratford school during the launch of a children’s mental health program on Thursday.

The couple wore face masks while riding in a Range Rover driven by protection officers to School21 after it reopened following the easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

William’s comments come days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview, in which they made a series of explosive claims about the royal family, including that an anonymous royal discussed what color the skin of Archie before he was born.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement after Oprah’s talk that it told it all: “The whole family is saddened to learn how challenging the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan.”

“The issues raised, particularly race, are troubling. While some memories may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed in private by the family.

“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be very dear family members.”

Harry told Oprah that he was “part of the system” with royalty, but believed that William and his father, Prince Charles, were “trapped”.

“My father and brother are trapped. They can’t leave,” Harry said. “And I have great compassion for that.

“My brother can’t leave that system, but I did.”

When asked if William wanted to leave, the Duke of Sussex replied: “I don’t know, I can’t speak for him, but with that relationship and that control and the fear of the UK tabloids, it’s a toxic environment.”

“But I will always be there for him, I will always be there for my family.

“I have tried to make them see what has happened.”

The Duke of Sussex said he believed his father had “made peace” with the situation, but he and Meghan couldn’t, and the Duchess of Sussex said race and social media made it “different” for them.

Oprah asked about the siblings’ relationship. “Like I said before, I love William to pieces,” Harry replied. “We have been through hell together and we have a shared experience, but we go our separate ways.

“The relationship is ‘space’ right now. And time heals all things, hopefully.”

Meghan also claimed that Kate had left her crying over the flower girl dresses before her wedding.

Meghan had previously been reported to have left Kate in tears, but the Duchess of Sussex said in her interview that the fact that “the opposite” happened and the institution’s failure to correct the story was “a turning point.”

Meghan said she had forgiven Kate after the Duchess of Cambridge apologized, though the Times claimed Monday that the 39-year-old closed the door in her sister-in-law’s face when she visited her with flowers.