‘Saddened’: Queen Elizabeth vows royal family will address Harry-Meghan racism claims

British monarch breaks her silence on the bombshell Oprah broadcast amid pressure for a response from Buckingham Palace

Royal family will address issues privately, and ‘Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members’, statement adds

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Britain’s Queen Elizabeth attends a ceremony to mark her official birthday at Windsor Castle in June 2020. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:21am, 10 Mar 2021Updated: 4:23pm, 10 Mar 2021

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday responded to explosive racism claims from her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, voicing deep concern and sympathising with their troubles with royal life.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” she said in a statement.

“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. 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.”

A man poses with a copy of the The Sun, with an article on the Oprah interview on the front page, at a newspaper stand in London on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Buckingham Palace has come under mounting pressure to respond to the claims made in an Oprah Winfrey interview first broadcast on Sunday in the US, followed by a broadcast in Britain on Monday. More than 49.1 million people around the world tuned in, according to US television network CBS on Tuesday.