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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Russell Myers

Prince Harry says he and Meghan did NOT accuse royals of racism in Oprah interview

Prince Harry has sensationally claimed he did not label the royal family racist after previously telling the world a senior royal questioned the colour of his unborn son’s skin.

Harry and wife Meghan sent shockwaves through the British monarchy when they spoke of their disgust at “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born”.

The royals were left to defend serious allegations of racism after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tell-all interview with US chat show queen Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

In the wake of the bombshell, the late Queen released an unprecedented statement via Buckingham Palace saying: “Recollections may vary”, while Prince William when confronted sternly said: “We are very much not a racist family”.

Harry insists he and Meghan didn't accuse the royals of racism in the interview (Harpo Productions/ITV)

Addressing the storm for the first time during a 90 minute interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby, Harry said the royal family were not guilty of racism but of “unconscious bias”.

During the interview Bradby said to Harry: "In the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism", the Duke snapped back: saying "no I didn't", adding "the British press said that".

In a further snipe at his family, Harry denied he'd “describe that as essentially racist”, retorting: “I wouldn’t, not having lived within that family.”

Harry said it was the British press who accused the royal family of racism (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The Duke once again refused to name the individual concerned, saying:

"The difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different.

"But once it's been acknowledged, or pointed out to you as an individual, or as an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you therefore have an opportunity to learn and grow from that in order so that you are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

"Otherwise unconscious bias then moves into the category of racism."

He said he wouldn't describe the comments allegedly made about Archie as racist (PA)

After days of allegations against the royals after copies of his long awaited memoir Spare went on sale in Spain last week, ahead of its global released tomorrow (TUES), Harry also and Meghan backed the late Queen’s former aide Lady Susan Hussey, after she was embroiled in a race row last month, saying “we think she’s great”.

In other explosive comments, Harry told how he:

  • HOPED the ‘Fab Four’ of him and Meghan, William and Kate would have brought him closer to his brother, but blamed the Prince and Princess of Wales for creating “a barrier”.

  • WANTS his father Charles and brother Prince William read his memoir, suggesting any response would “be private”,

  • FURIOUSLY denied being “scathing” about his “wicked stepmother” Camila, despite suggesting she “began to play the long game. A campaign aimed at marriage, and eventually the Crown”,

  • LOVES his family but admitted “I don't recognize them, as much as they probably don't recognize me,

  • SLAMMED the royals for not responding to his war of words, saying: “Silence only allows the abuser to abuse,

  • BLASTED Jeremy Clarkson as being “horrific…hurtful and cruel” for saying writing a column saying he hates Meghan on a “cellular level” and revealed he

  • MAY return to the royal fold with Meghan to help the King across the Commonwealth.

Harry makes a number of bombshell revelations in Spare (Penguin Random House)

After accusing brother William of bullying him out of The Firm and accusing Kate of being cold with his new wife, Harry revealed the Prince and Princess of Wales did not get on with the former television actress “almost from the get go”.

Despite revealing William and Kate being fans of Meghan’s show Suits, Harry claimed “a lot of my family” were guilty of reading press articles about her being “American actress, divorced, biracial” and formed a bad opinion from the start.

Harry said William and Kate didn't get on with Meghan 'almost from the get go' (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

He said: “I don’t think they were ever expecting me to get with someone like Meghan who had, you know, a very successful career”.

Despite his railings against the family across numerous broadcast interviews and his 557 page memoir, Harry has made a sensational offer to return to help the monarchy, saying: “If my father asks us for support across the Commonwealth then that is certainly an open discussion.”

He also told how he may even come to the King’s coronation in May, saying: “There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open.

“The ball is in their court.”

Harry also spoke about his mother's death (Getty Images)

As Harry emotionally told how it “still hurts” after he was handed disturbing pictures of his mother Princess Diana lay dying in a smashed car inside a Paris tunnel, with paparazzi photographers in the reflection of the car not helping her, he told how he still loves the family he left behind.

He said: “I love my father. I love my brother. I love my family. I will always do.

“Nothing of what I've done in this book or otherwise has ever been to, uh, any intention to harm them or hurt them.”

King Charles arrives to attend a morning church service at Castle Rising Church in Norfolk (PA)

Despite the string of allegations about the royal family made by Harry in his book, the King smiled and stopped to chat to well-wishers as he arrived for a service at Castle Rising Church in Norfolk yesterday morning.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are due to return to work this week, while Kate will today (TUES) celebrate her 41st birthday at home with her family.

In a statement ITV said there were no restrictions placed on the subject matter to be covered in the interview and Prince Harry was not given prior notice of the questions put to him.

The interview took place in California on December 20.

Despite Harry being paid a reported $20million for his memoirs he received no payment from ITV.

Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace did not comment.

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