It has been a controversial few days for the British Royal Family. As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah for an unusual interview, several explosive allegations were made. Since then, their allegations of racist biases within the Royal circle have gone viral, with thousands weighing in on the debate.
Meghan accused the Royal family of being cold and racist, contending that while she was pregnant with her first child, Prince Harry had faced discussion about "how dark his skin might be when he's born". She said that fear for their child, for whom no security was offered by the Royal family, and the growing scrutiny also had a damaging effect on her mental health, and she claimed going through suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant.
Since the interview was aired, the Palace has been under growing pressure to respond. At the same time, countless well known figures from across the globe have spoken out in support of the duo.
Against this backdrop, Buckingham Palace on Tuesday issued a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, stating that the family was 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," the statement added.
Interestingly enough this is not the only time in the last few weeks that the Palace has found itself releasing a statement in connection with the Duchess of Sussex. A few days before the interview with Oprah aired, a news report contended that Markle had "bullied" staff members when she was a working royal. Buckingham Palace moved swiftly to investigate the same, stating that it "does not and will not tolerate" bullying or harassment.
But even as the Palace announced that it would launch an investigation into the claims, stating that they were "very concerned", netizens cried foul.
"Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace did not investigate Prince Andrew's ties to a convicted sex trafficker and allegations of his own sexual abuse," tweeted one individual.
For the unitiated, Prince Andrew had been linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accused of having sexual relations with a minor. While the Duke of York has publicly and "categorically" denied the allegations, they continue to persist. In the context of this article, it is pertinent to mention that the Buckingham Palace has remained rather noncommittal about the accusations against him.
Palace spokespeople have repeatedly denied the allegations, and till date there has been no censure or official statement about conducting an investigation into the allegations. While Prince Andrew has faced widespread public criticism, and was eventually forced to give up royal duties, it must be mentioned here that he still holds his military titles.
