"She was not going to be rushed into saying anything."
Published on October 9, 2022 @ 02:35PM
When Meghan Markle and
Prince Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey dropped last year, the entire royal family was shook — most of all,
Queen Elizabeth. But despite the harmful allegations — including racism — made by the couple, the Queen wasn't in a rush to release an official statement.
More than 24-hours went by with nothing said, and according to a new book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown
written by royal expert Valentine Low, there was a reason behind the wait. Per Low, the Queen wanted to take her time in coming up with a response to avoid saying anything in haste, and even took a night to "sleep on it."
“There had been so many
allegations made by the couple—about racism, about security, about Meghan’s mental health—that it was hard to know where to start," wrote Low. He continued, "The private secretaries and communications secretaries had long debates about how to deal with the issue, especially what one of them awkwardly called ‘the R word.'" By 2 p.m. the day after the interview aired in the United States, staffers had a statement ready, but the Palace still chose to stay quiet.
Getty
“And then precisely nothing happened,” Low explained. “The Palace stayed completely silent because the Queen decided that she wanted to sleep on it. She was not going to be rushed into saying anything precipitate. It was a reminder that, while the courtiers might do all the groundwork, the final decisions are made by the royal family.”
The next day, as many royal followers remember, Buckingham Palace responded with four carefully-crafted sentences just before 5:30 p.m.
In full, 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. 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."
Following the interview, and subsequent statement, Harry's dad Charles laughed off the claims made by his son, while his older brother William denied the allegations outright, telling reporters that the royals "are not a racist family."
- Oprah Winfrey spoke to Gayle King about her interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
- She told King she didn't plan for the interview to contain "bombshells."
- Winfrey also wouldn't speculate on the potential for Prince Harry and Prince William to reconcile.
LoadingSomething is loading.
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.
Oprah Winfrey reflected on her 2021 interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a new interview with Gayle King.
Following Queen Elizabeth II's death on Thursday, Harry and Markle have been unexpectedly reunited with the royal family. The couple appeared alongside the new Prince and Princess of Wales on Saturday, marking the first time Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle have been united publicly in years.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's relationship with Harry's family has been strained since they stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and their March 2021 interview with Winfrey only distanced them further from the monarchy.
Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle on Saturday. Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesIn the 2021 interview, the couple said members of the royal family made racist remarks about Archie, the firm disregarded Markle's mental-health issues, Kate Middleton made Markle cry during the week of her wedding, and Charles cut the couple off financially following their step back.
The duke and duchess' revelations have largely been characterized as "bombshells," but Winfrey told King for CBS Mornings on Monday that she didn't intend to glean shocking information from the couple.
"I was as surprised by the bombshell as everybody else," Winfrey said. "I was doing an interview to offer them a platform, to tell their story about why they left."
Winfrey went on to say that she was surprised by some of the information Harry and Markle shared with her, but added that she "didn't set out to do a bombshell interview."
King went on to ask Winfrey if she thinks Prince Harry and Prince William can reconcile in light of the Queen's death. Winfrey responded, "I do not get into people's family matters."
"Everybody who has experienced some challenges in their families with in-laws or brothers or sisters knows how difficult some of those situations can be, and I'm sure that, you know, for the royal family it's no different," she said. "Nobody consults me about their family business, so I try to stay out of people's family business."
Winfrey's comments to King are noticeably different from those she made to Extra's Jenn Lahmers at the Toronto Film Festival when Lahmers asked her if there is potential for the Queen's death to unite the royal family.
Oprah Winfrey previously said death can bring families together. Arturo Holmes / Staff / Chris Jackson / Staff / Getty Images"Well, this is what I think, I think in all families — you know, my father passed recently, this summer, and when all families come together for a common ceremony, the ritual of, you know, burying your dead, there's an opportunity for peacemaking," Winfrey told Lahmers. "And hopefully, there will be that."
It's unclear where Harry and Markle stand with the royal family, but they have had positive interactions since the Queen's death in addition to the walkabout at Windsor Castle.
King Charles III extended his love to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in his first speech to the public after becoming king, and Harry "honored" his father as the new monarch in the statement he released about his grandmother's death on Monday.