Prince William has insisted the royal family are not racist.
The 38-year-old prince has spoken out for the first time following his brother Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they they claimed there were “concerns and conversations” about how “dark” their son Archie’s skin would be before he was born.
During a visit to a school in east London, he told reporters: “We are very much not a racist family.”
William admitted he hasn’t yet spoken to Harry since the interview aired earlier this week but he does intend do.
He said: “I haven’t spoken to him yet but I plan too.”
William’s comments come after a statement from Buckingham Palace said the royal family found the “issues raised” in Harry and Meghan’s interview to be “concerning” and promised to address them “privately”.
The statement 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. Whilst 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.”
Meghan, 39, claimed in the interview that there had been several “concerns and conversations” raised by an unnamed member of the royal family about her son’s skin tone before his birth.
She explained: “That was relayed to me from Harry. Those were conversations that family had with him.”
However, Meghan – who is currently expecting a second child, a baby girl, with Harry – insisted she wouldn’t reveal the identity of the individual.
She said: “That would be very damaging to them.”
Prince Harry then admitted to being “shocked” by the conversations, but again insisted he didn’t wish to name anybody.
He said: “That conversation, I am never going to share. At the time, it was awkward, I was a bit shocked.”
Oprah later clarified after the interview was broadcast that it was not the monarch herself, nor her husband Prince Philip, who had made the comments about Archie’s skin tone.
Oprah explained: “[Harry] did not share the identity with me but he wanted to make sure that I knew – and if I had the opportunity to share it – that it was not his grandmother, nor his grandfather that were part of those conversations.”
The 67-year-old star confirmed that Prince Harry, 36, also remained tight-lipped about the unnamed royal’s identity off camera.
She added: “He did not tell me who were part of those conversations. As you can see, I tried to get that answer on camera and off.”