The Labour MP was asked about Harry and Meghan’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey while speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning.

She discussed allegations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that a member of the Royal family had raised ‘concerns and conversations’ about how dark their son Archie’s skin might be before he was born.

Abbott said: ‘I thought I was the most extremely distasteful thing for somebody to say. First of all it’s stupid, there’s no way Meghan and Harry will know what colour their baby will be.

‘But also to be worrying about quite how dark the child will be could only be described as racism.’

Abbott then went on to say that Buckingham Palace needed to ‘think hard about some of the attitudes of the courtiers, aides and advisers’ as it was clear ‘they didn’t adjust well to having a mixed race woman marry into the Royal Family’.

Prince Harry and Meghan said a family member had been concerned about the colour of Archie’s skin

Abbott said the allegations ‘could only be described as racism’

She added: ‘Meghan and Harry made a point of saying that largely the actual members of the Royal Family were very welcoming. In particular the Queen has been very supportive up to this day.

‘But it does seem that it was a relative who made those ridiculous queries, worrying how dark the child was going to be.’

Abbott noted that she didn’t believe the comments were made by Prince Charles, as he is ‘very open to multiculturalism and diversity’. She urged the royals to undergo some ‘very serious reflection’.

She went on: ‘They also need to reflect, have they learnt anything over the 25 years since what happened to Princess Diana. It doesn’t seem as if they have.’

Buckingham Palace put out a statement in response to the interview today

Harry and Meghan told Oprah off-camera that the comments about Archie’s skin colour were not made by the Queen or Prince Philip.

The couple have decided not to identify the family member publicly. Harry said during the interview: ‘That conversation, I am never going to share. At the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked.’

Today Buckingham Palace said the issues of race raised in Harry and Meghan were ‘concerning’. A statement released on behalf of the Queen on Tuesday afternoon read: ‘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. 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.’