London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Royal family is 'very much not' racist, says Prince William

Royal family is 'very much not' racist, says Prince William

Duke of Cambridge defends monarchy after accusations from Harry and Meghan


The Duke of Cambridge has defended the monarchy against accusations of racism made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, saying: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

Prince William said he had not yet spoken to his brother since Harry and Meghan launched their attack on the family and institution in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast in the US on Sunday.

William’s statement is the first public personal comment by any member of the royal family since the allegations, and gives an insight into the hurt that members of the family are understood to feel over the matter.

The Queen’s aides issued a very brief official statement on her behalf on Tuesday.

William and the Duchess of Cambridge toured School 21 in Stratford, east London, on Thursday to mark the return of children to classes this week and the rollout to secondary schools of a mental health project that Kate launched in primary schools in 2018.

As William left, a reporter asked him: “Is the royal family a racist family, sir?”

The duke, with the duchess by his side, replied: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

Of Harry, he said: “I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will do.”

Meghan told Winfrey that when she was pregnant there were “concerns and conversations” about how dark their son Archie’s skin might be. The couple attributed the comments to an unnamed member of the royal family, said not to be the Queen or Philip. Harry said he felt “awkward” and “shocked”.

Meghan also suggested that Archie had been denied his birthright of the title of prince because he was mixed race. She described feeling suicidal and said she was denied help for her mental health when she sought it.

The Queen said in her statement she was “saddened” that her grandson and his wife had found life as working royals so challenging. She said the issues raised, “particularly that of race”, were “concerning”. “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously,” the statement added. The matter would be addressed “by the family privately”.

The interview will have done nothing to heal the rift between the brothers. Meghan accused Kate of having made her cry during a row over flower girl dresses before her wedding in May 2018. Kate had apologised and sent flowers, Meghan added.

Prince Harry on his wedding day in 2018, with Prince William, right, by his side.


Meghan said she was disclosing this to correct erroneous reports that it was she who had made Kate cry. “I am not sharing that piece about Kate to be disparaging about her,” she said, adding that Kate was “a good person”.

However, any attack on his wife will surely have angered William. Harry described their relationship as “space” at the moment, so it is not surprising that he and William have not yet spoken since the broadcast.

It is rare for a senior royal to speak of such intensely private matters during a public engagement, as William has done. The brothers’ relationship has been in difficulties since William reportedly advised Harry that he should “slow down” and not rush into things with the ex-Suits actor.

According to Finding Freedom, an unauthorised biography of the Sussexes, Harry was angered by what he perceived as his brother’s “snobbish” attitude towards Meghan.

The ITN journalist Tom Bradby, a friend of the brothers, and who interviewed the Sussexes during their southern Africa tour, has previously written that the fallout began at the time of the wedding. “Really damaging things were said and done,” he wrote.

When asked about William by Winfrey, Harry said: “The relationship is space at the moment.” He added: “And time heals all things, hopefully.”

“I love William to bits, he’s my brother, we’ve been through hell together, we have a shared experience, but we were on different paths.”

The brothers are due to come together to unveil a statue they had commissioned of their mother on 1 July, what would have been her 60th birthday. Amid the fallout from the interview, that prospect now looks far from certain.

The royal family dispute was raised in the House of Commons on Thursday when the Conservative MP Sir David Amess asked if time could be found for a debate on the role of the monarchy.

“During such a debate, I’d very much hope that the argument could be made that it is never wise for a family dispute to be aired in public with everyone getting damaged and hurt by the fallout,” Amess said. He added that any debate could celebrate the Queen’s reign as monarch for 70 years.

The Commons leader, Jacob Rees-Mogg, responded by saying: “Were we to have a debate to praise our sovereign lady, it would take up all the legislative time available in this house.” He then recited the first two verses of the national anthem.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×