Third in line to the English throne, Prince William became the first member of the royal family to speak out in public after the airing of his brother Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey.
On Thursday, the Duke of Cambridge responded directly to claims of alleged racism of the royal family after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that unnamed members of the royal family had conversations with Harry over how dark his son Archie‘s skin color would be.
In a response to a Sky News reporter asking, “Is the royal family a racist family?” William replied, “We are very much not a racist family.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were visiting a school in London on Thursday when they were stopped by reporters, Kate Middleton told them that she has not spoken to her brother-in-law since the interview with Oprah aired on Sunday in the U.S. and on Monday in the U.K.
“No, I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do,” William said regarding his brother.
Harry described his now strained relationship with his brother to Oprah, “The relationship is space at the moment and you know, time heals all things, hopefully.”
“I love William to bits. He’s my brother,” Harry also said. “We’ve been through hell together, and we have a shared experience but we were on different paths.”
William’s comments about the interview came two days after his father, Prince Charles ignored reporters asking about the interview. A few hours later, Queen Elizabeth issued a written response to Harry and Meghan’s interview.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the statement said. “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.
