Prince William has said the royals are “very much not a racist family” in his first comments after accusations by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Duke of Cambridge also said he had not yet spoken to his brother but would do so.
Meghan and Prince Harry said a royal had expressed concern over “how dark” their son Archie’s skin might be.
Buckingham Palace previously said the claim was “concerning” but it would be addressed privately.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said “recollections may vary” but that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would “always be much loved family members”.
During a visit to a school in Stratford, east London, on March 11, Prince William was asked by a reporter: “Is the Royal Family a racist family, sir?”
The prince replied: “We’re very much not a racist family.”
Asked whether he had spoken to Prince Harry since the Oprah interview, the Duke of Cambridge said: “No, I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.”
Prince William’s visit is not the first appearance by a senior royal since the interview aired – Prince Charles carried out an engagement earlier this week.
In the TV interview, Meghan told Oprah there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he was born”.
Both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle refused to say who made the comment – but Harry later clarified to Oprah that it was not the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh.
During the interview Prince Harry also said it hurt him that his family never spoke out about the “colonial undertones” of news headlines and articles.
Asked by Oprah if the couple left the UK because of racism from the tabloid media, Prince Harry replied: “It was a large part of it.”
In the interview, Prince Harry also spoke about his relationship with his family – especially with his father, the Prince of Wales, and brother Prince William.
At one point after stepping back as senior royals, Prince Harry said Prince Charles “stopped taking my calls”.
And of William, Prince Harry said: “The relationship is ‘space’ at the moment. And time heals all things, hopefully.”
Buckingham Palace issued a response to the interview earlier this week following crisis meetings involving senior royals.
Figures from CBS suggest that nearly 50 million people around the world have watched Oprah’s interview with the couple.
The fallout from the interview has also seen broadcaster Piers Morgan leave his role as host of Good Morning Britain, after his comments about Meghan Markle attracted 41,000 complaints.
They will gather with the Queen – who is head of the Commonwealth – the
Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William and Kate Middleton in
the central London cathedral.
It will be the first time Prince Harry and Meghan have appeared with other
members of the Royal Family since announcing their intention to “step
back” as senior royals in January.
After the service, they are expected to return to their current base in
Canada, where their son, Archie, has remained during the UK trip.
The couple are to begin their new life of personal independence, pursuing
private commercial deals and charity projects.
Prince Harry and Meghan will retain use of Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor, and
aides have said they will be in the UK regularly.
They will still attend some royal events but these will not be classed as
official duties.
The new arrangements will be reviewed next year.
Prince Harry and Meghan have conducted a farewell tour of the UK with
several appearances including the Endeavour Fund Awards and a military musical
festival at the Royal Albert Hall.
Meghan Markle made a surprise visit to a school in Dagenham, east
London, to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry joined Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton to visit a
new motor racing museum at the Silverstone Circuit.
In stepping down as working royals, Prince Harry will relinquish his role as
Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.
However, the duke will remain president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and Meghan will still be the Trust’s vice-president.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a
legal warning to the media after photographs of the duchess in Canada were
published in newspapers and on websites.
According to lawyers, the photos of Meghan Markle walking her dogs and
carrying her son were taken by photographers hiding in bushes and spying on
her.
They say the duchess did not consent and accuse the photographers of
harassment.
Prince Harry and Meghan say that they are prepared to take legal action.
They are believed to be alarmed by paparazzi activity near their current
base on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Lawyers say there have also been attempts to photograph inside the couple’s
home using long-range lenses and they accuse the paparazzi of being camped
outside the property.
Under laws in British Columbia, Meghan Markle may have grounds for a legal
case if she can prove her privacy has been violated, although freedom of the
press and expression is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms.
This comes after Queen Elizabeth II agreed to Prince Harry and Meghan’s wish
to step back from being full-time royals, to become financially independent and
to split their time between the UK and Canada.
On January 20, Meghan Markle was pictured carrying the couple’s
eight-month-old son Archie in a baby sling, while walking her two dogs, Guy and
Oz, in Horth Hill Regional Park on Vancouver Island.
Prince Harry arrived back in Canada on January 21 after attending the
UK-Africa Investment Summit in London on January 20.
The Duke of Sussex had been apart from Meghan and their son for more than 10
days, after she flew back to Canada earlier this month.
On January 18, it was announced that from the spring, Prince Harry and his
wife will no longer be full-time working royals.
They will stop using their HRH titles, no longer carry out royal duties or
military appointments and no longer formally represent the Queen.
Prince Harry has long had an uneasy relationship with the media, having
grown up aware of the impact the intense media interest had on the life of his
late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris while
being pursued by paparazzi on motorbikes.
He has often compared Meghan’s experiences of the press with those of his late mother.
Queen Elizabeth II has agreed a “period of
transition” in which Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will spend time in
Canada and the UK.
The Queen said she was “entirely supportive” of their desire for a
new role but “would have preferred” them to remain full-time working
royals.
She expected final decisions to be made in the coming days, she said.
Senior royals have been in talks about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s role
after they said they wanted to “step back”.
In a statement, Queen Elizabeth said the talks at Sandringham, which also
involved the Prince Charles Wales and Prince William, had been “very
constructive”.
She said: “My family and I are
entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a
young family.
“Although we would have preferred
them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and
understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while
remaining a valued part of my family.”
The Queen said it had been agreed there would be “a period of
transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK”
after Harry and Meghan “made clear that they do not want to be reliant on
public funds in their new lives”.
She said: “These are complex
matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I
have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”
The urgent talks were convened after the Sussexes surprised the rest of the
Royal Family on January 8 with a statement expressing their desire to
“step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family”.
Prince Harry and Meghan also said they wanted a “progressive new
role” within the institution, where they would be financially independent
and divide their time between the UK and North America.
Meanwhile, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau told Global News there had been
“no discussions” about the details of the royal couple’s move,
including on the issues of security and any potential impact on Canada’s
taxpayers.
Although no other family member was consulted about the timing of the
announcement, Prince Harry and Meghan said it came after “many months of
reflection and internal discussions”.
Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke of the difficulties of royal life
and media attention in recent months, with the duke saying he feared his wife
would fall victim to “the same powerful forces” that led to his
mother’s death.
The talks about their future took place as Prince Harry and Prince William
issued a joint statement denying “false claims” that their
relationship had been damaged by “bullying” on the part of the older
brother.
They said that the “inflammatory language” in the claims was “offensive” and “potentially harmful”, given their support for mental health causes.
Queen Elizabeth II has summoned senior royals
to Sandringham on January 13 for face-to-face talks to discuss the future roles
of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
According to local reports, Prince Harry,
Prince William and Prince Charles will all attend, while Meghan is expected
join the discussion over the phone from Canada.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex say they plan to step back as senior members
of the Royal Family.
There is no suggestion a conclusion will be reached at the meeting.
Prince Harry and Meghan also said they plan to split their time between the
UK and North America, while “continuing to honor our duty to the Queen,
the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.
There are likely to be tax implications to any decision to base themselves outside the UK.
The meeting at the Queen’s estate in Norfolk – being described as the
‘Sandringham summit’ – will be the first time the monarch has come face-to-face
with Prince Harry since the Sussexes’ announcement, which was posted on their
official Instagram account.
The Royal Family was said to be “hurt” at the couple’s statement.
It is understood the Queen was not consulted in advance of their decision.
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, William and Harry are expected to review
a range of possibilities for the Sussexes, taking into account plans outlined
by the couple.
If a deal is agreed in the coming days, there is a general understanding
that it will take some time to implement.
Prince Charles is currently in Oman, after travelling overnight to attend the first of three days of official condolences following the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said.
Meghan Markle’s father will not attend her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, as it is reported he is due to have heart surgery.
Thomas Markle had told TMZ he would not go amid a row over paparazzi photographs; then that he would; then that he could not, due to a planned heart procedure.
Kensington Palace declined to comment.
Meghan Markle’s estranged half-sister, Samantha, said he had faced an “unbelievable stress”.
Speaking to Australia’s Sunrise morning TV program from Orlando, Florida, Samantha Markle said she was not sure if Thomas Markle would be travelling to Windsor.
She said: “He sent me a message that he was undergoing heart surgery.
Thomas Markle became embroiled in controversy at the weekend, following reports that he staged paparazzi photographs of himself in the run-up to the wedding.
The pictures showed Thomas Markle – apparently unaware he was being photographed – in a series of wedding-related activities, including being measured for a wedding suit.
Samantha Markle, who has not spoken to her famous sibling in three years – and will not be attending the wedding – told Good Morning Britain the photographs had been done with “good intention” and not for money.
She previously admitted the pictures had been her idea, in order to portray a positive image.
On May 14, Thomas Markle reportedly told TMZ that he would not attend the wedding.
TMZ later reported that Meghan Markle’s father had and wanted to attend – although he might not be able to because of health concerns.
In a third report, TMZ said that the health issues and planned surgery would prevent him from attending after all.
Thomas Markle had been due to meet Prince Harry for the first time this week, as well as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, before walking his daughter down the aisle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Prince Harry’s future wife, Meghan Markle, will not be known as Princess Meghan when she ties the knot with him in May 2018.
By the standards of British royal protocol, the American actress lacks “royal blood”.
That means that she cannot call herself Princess Meghan.
The arcane rules mean that Meghan Markle will be compelled to follow the example of her future sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, she automatically became Her Royal Highness, Princess William of Wales. The overwhelming likelihood is that Meghan Markle will in turn become HRH Princess Harry of Wales.
Kate Middleton was not of royal blood, and what applies to her will also apply in the case of Meghan Markle.
Royal blood meant that Queen Elizabeth’s late sister Margaret was entitled to call herself Princess Margaret. Likewise the Queen’s daughter is Princess Anne and her granddaughters are Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Royal blood made them princesses in their own right.
Sarah Ferguson was never Princess Sarah and Sophie Rhys-Jones – the wife of Prince Edward – is not Princess Sophie.
The rules also meant that Lady Diana Spencer was never officially Princess Diana. She was the Princess of Wales and, after her divorce from Prince Charles, she was Diana, Princess of Wales.
From the point of view of Buckingham Palace, handy titles or “handles” are required for the members of the family who occupy prestigious but somewhat peripheral roles to the main business of monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth’s first cousins are, respectively, the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, and when her disgraced uncle abandoned the throne to marry an American divorcee in 1936, he became the Duke of Windsor.
Such ducal titles are frequently bestowed upon marriage precisely because they give the new entrant to the family a grand-sounding title without making them princesses or princes in their own right.
In 1986, when Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson, the Queen made him Duke of York, thus she became the Duchess of York – a title she continues to hold despite her divorce.
Similarly, when Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones, he became the Earl of Wessex and his new wife the Countess of Wessex.
It could be that the Queen makes the same kind of move in the cases of Kate and Meghan, and dusts off a long-defunct royal dukedom – Sussex (the favorite for Harry and Meghan), Albany and Clarence are among the vacant ones.
However, as with many things connected to British royal protocol, there is always an exception to the rule – Queen Elizabeth’s husband Philip married into the royal family, and yet he is a prince.
When Philip married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947, the then British King, George VI, created him “Duke of Edinburgh”.
He only became Prince Philip in February 1957 when the Queen “accorded him the style and title of a Prince of the United Kingdom”.
The Queen could also make both Kate and Meghan princesses in their own right – but such are the rigid traditions surrounding this issue that Britain’s first Princess Meghan is likely to be some time away.
Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle will marry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in May 2018, Kensington Palace has announced.
The Royal Family will pay for the wedding, including the service, music, flowers and reception – the date will be announced later.
Meghan Markle, 36, a Protestant, will be baptized into the Church of England and confirmed before the wedding.
A spokesman for Prince Harry said the pair would make sure the wedding “reflects who they are as a couple”.
Jason Knauf said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “leading the planning process for all aspects of the wedding” and were working through ideas on how members of the public could “feel part of the celebrations”.
“This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters of the bride and groom,” he added.
Jason Knauf described Windsor as a “very special place” for the couple, saying they had spent time there together since meeting in July 2016.
He also revealed that Meghan Markle intends to become a British citizen and will work towards it in the coming years.
St George’s Chapel was the venue for a service of prayer and dedication after Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, married the Duchess of Cornwall at the Windsor Guildhall in 2005.
It was also chosen for the wedding of Prince Harry’s cousin, Peter Phillips, and Autumn Kelly in 2008, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 1999.
Prince Harry, 33, who is fifth in line to the UK’s throne, and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on November 27.
Jason Knauf said it was “an incredibly happy day” for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and they were “overwhelmed by support from the UK and around the world”.
Prince Harry has announced he is to marry girlfriend Meghan Markle.
The fifth in line to the UK’s throne will marry Meghan Markle in spring 2018.
The couple, who have been dating since the summer of 2016, smiled as they posed for photographs outside Kensington Palace in London, where they will live.
Prince Harry said it had been a romantic proposal, while Meghan Markle said she was “so very happy, thank you”.
Asked by a reporter when he knew Meghan Markle “was the one”, Prince Harry said: “The very first time we met.”
Kensington Palace said Meghan Markle’s engagement ring was designed by Prince Harry and features two diamonds which belonged to his late mother Princess Diana.
At the center of the ring is a diamond from Botswana, a country the couple has spent time together over the last year and a half. The band is made from gold.
Prince Harry, 33, and Meghan Markle, 36, made their first public appearance as a couple in September at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games, a sporting event set up by the prince for injured, wounded and sick soldiers.
Their married home will be Prince Harry’s current residence, Nottingham Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace – where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, also have an apartment.
Prince Harry and his girlfriend Meghan Markle made their first appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto.
It is the first time they have appeared holding hands in public.
Image source Wikimedia
Meghan Markle is an American actress who has been dating Prince Harry for over a year.
She revealed in an interview that she and the Prince are madly in love, and there are rumors that the fifth in line to the throne might have popped the question already.
The couple arrived hand-in-hand to cheer on players from Australia and New Zealand in wheelchair tennis.
Meghan Markle was casually dressed in white shirt and blue ripped jeans.
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