The Queen and Prince Philip were not behind “concerns” about the colour of Archie’s skin, Oprah Winfrey says.
The talk show host said Prince Harry insisted that she should tell people his grandmother and grandfather were not involved.
In unaired clips from Sunday night’s show shown on CBS News, Prince Harry also said the Queen was suddenly too busy to meet him at Sandringham in January last year.
Harry also added that the UK press was “inherently corrupt or racist or biased” and that racism was “a large part” behind him deciding to leave the country.
The two-hour interview – Oprah With Meghan And Harry – on US television on Sunday night went further than many expected and has made headlines around the world.
New clips aired on breakfast television in America this morning as reaction to the dramatic interview continues – but Buckingham Palace have so far not commented.
Oprah Winfrey was interviewed on the show and said Harry had told her who made the comments, but that the couple did not want it to be shared.
Meghan said she would not reveal the source of the alleged comment as it would be too “damaging” for that person.
In one new clip, Harry describes an awkward conversation with the Queen in which she told him she was no longer able to invite the couple to Sandringham as planned.
The duke told Oprah it happened in 2020, a few days before they announced they were stepping aside as working royals.
He said he believed his grandmother’s advisers had persuaded her to change her mind.
What did they say?
The duchess claimed one member of the family had had “several conversations” with Harry about their child’s skin colour, and “what that would mean or look like”.
She also revealed she had suicidal thoughts, saying “I just didn’t want to be alive any more”, and denied reports she had made Kate cry ahead of her wedding, claiming “the reverse happened”.
Prince Harry admitted to a rift with his father and said Prince Charles stopped taking his calls for a while when the couple left for a new life in America.
The Duke of Sussex also claimed he had been “trapped” in the royal system – “like the rest of my family”.
During the interview the couple told Winfrey they were expecting a girl and spoke of their “fairytale” life in California.
What’s been the reaction so far?
In the UK, late editions of the newspapers featured headlines such as “Meg: I Felt Suicidal”, “They asked how dark Archie’s skin would be”, and “Meghan’s bombshell: Kate Made Me Cry!”.
American media also led with the story.
CNN’s headline was “Bombshells in royal interview”, Fox News referred to the revelations as “Spilling The Tea”, while the New York Times reported on Meghan’s suicidal feelings.
Social media users have so far been largely sympathetic towards the duke and duchess.
Sky’s royal correspondent, Rhiannon Mills, said the content of the interview made it impossible for Buckingham Palace not to comment and stick to the usual rule of “never complain, never explain”.
What have the couple’s friends said?
As the fallout continues, Meghan has received support from the likes of her friend and tennis star Serena Williams and US poet and activist Amanda Gorman.
Williams tweeted to say the duchess was her “selfless friend” who “teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble”.
Gorman, who became well known after a powerful performance at Joe Biden’s inauguration, said the royals had missed the “greatest opportunity for change” and “didn’t just maltreat her light”.
PLEASE SUPPORT US FOR JUST £2 A MONTH
