London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Diane Abbott says Harry and Meghan's claims 'can only be described as racism'

Diane Abbott says Harry and Meghan's claims 'can only be described as racism'

Diane Abbott has said it was ‘clear’ Buckingham Palace aides ‘didn’t adjust well’ to Prince Harry marrying a mixed-race woman like Meghan Markle.

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.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×