Queen Elizabeth will, according to reports, be personally involved in a planned Palace investigation into which senior royal commented about Archie’s skin tone to Prince Harry and will “privately quiz” members of her family to discover the accused racist.
Harry and his American wife, Meghan, known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, claimed, in their blockbuster, no-holds-barred interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired in the United States Sunday night, that an unnamed member of the royal family questioned “how dark” her unborn child might be, and suggested that Archie, who goes by the name Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was denied the royal title of “prince” because he was not fully white.
In a later part of the interview, Harry seemed to say that the question was posed before Archie ever came into the picture — that the question “came in conversations before the couple were married and were about what their future children might look like.” Although Harry refused to name the “senior royal,” he reportedly told Oprah Winfrey, off-camera, that it was neither the Queen nor her husband, Prince Phillip.
At least one of the couple’s claims seems specious. Archie is barred from receiving the title of “prince” by letters patent issued by King George V in 1917, more than a century before his birth. That royal order limited titles of “prince” and “princess” just to the monarch’s children and grand-children, not her great-grandchildren, unless they were in the direct line of succession (in Queen Elizabeth’s case, that means her children, Prince Charles’ children, and Prince George, the eldest son of Prince William). Prince William’s children were eventually all given the right to use the title, but Archie was not because he is not a direct heir to the throne.
Archie has his own title, Earl of Dumbarton.
The claims that Harry and Meghan faced racist questions, though, do appear to be concerning to Queen Elizabeth who said, in her official response to the blockbuster interview, that the palace is prepared to undertake an investigation into which senior royal harbors such sentiments.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the monarch said in a statement Tuesday. “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.”
And, the British tabloid, The Sun, reports, the Queen plans to make that inquiry herself.
“Senior royals will be personally quizzed by the Queen over Meghan and Prince Harry’s damaging racism claims,” the outlet noted. “Harry is expected to be spoken to by the Queen alongside Prince Charles and Prince William. But every family member — including Kate [Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Williams wife] and Camilla [Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles’ wife] — is now expected to be drawn into the investigation.”
The palace also plans to investigate whether Meghan was denied help by palace human resources officials when she approached them about her declining mental state and struggle with suicidal thoughts. They are reportedly concerned that she was allegedly denied help and told that such a request was embarrassing to the monarchy, but also why she was directed to approach human resources and not other senior royals who have deep connections to mental health charities and have admitted receiving therapy.
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