Prince Harry’s Stunning Denial in New Interviews
It was the moment that stunned the interviewer and audience alike.
More than half-way into his chat with Tom Bradby on ITV, Prince Harry denied the Sussexes’ most inflammatory complaint yet against the Royal Family. Their charge that there was a ‘Royal Racist’ in the family, who expressed concern that their son being ‘too brown’ might be a ‘problem’. In fact, Meghan first implied that the family were so concerned, she believed they refused their child a title and security.
Two years later and Harry is basically saying: Never mind.
Bradby: A couple of things, you talk about accountability, in the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism…
Harry: No, I didn’t.
Bradby: Well…
Harry: The British press said that.
Bradby: Right. I…
Harry: Did Meghan ever mention that they’re racist?
Bradby: She said there were troubling comments about Archie’s skin colour.
Harry: There was — there was concern about his skin colour.
Bradby: Right. Wouldn’t you describe that as essentially racist?
Harry: I wouldn’t, not having lived within that family.
WHAT???
Harry’s most direct and damaging complaint about the Royal Family, a complaint that has fuelled global news and media attacks for two years, conflict between friends — and even countries — never happened? According to Harry, it was just those dastardly scheming members of the “British Press” that inflamed the entire thing.
What did we all watch on Oprah?
Harry told Tom Bradby, that what they really meant, was that it was just “unconscious bias” which is “very different” and only if his family didn’t “learn and grow” would it move into actual racism. You know, the bad kind.
The look on Bradby’s face said it all.
Let’s go back two years, to exactly what Meghan told Oprah in that infamous and controversial interview. Here are the pertinent exchanges:
Meghan: But the idea of our son not being safe, and also the idea of the first member of colour in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be . . .
Oprah: You certainly must have had some conversations with Harry about it and have your own suspicions as to why they didn’t want to make Archie a prince. Why do you think that is? Do you think it’s because of his race?
Meghan: (Sighs)
Oprah: And I know that’s a loaded question, but . . .
Meghan: But I can give you an honest answer. In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time . . . so we have in tandem the conversation of ‘He won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.
Then this clear charge of racism:
Oprah: Because they were concerned that if he were too brown, that that would be a problem? Are you saying that?
Meghan: I wasn’t able to follow up with why, but that — if that’s the assumption you’re making, I think that feels like a pretty safe one.
Let’s be very clear. If you allege racist behaviour, you don’t need to hold up a sign that says “Racist”, or add, “That’s why they’re racist, Oprah!”
We get it.
Meghan implied that the Royal Family were concerned about having a bi-racial child in the family and withheld title and security because of his race.
Harry walked it back even further on American television, ironically using the very same explanation that many used to defend the Royal Family back in 2021. He told Anderson Cooper on CBS:
Harry: “Neither of us believed that comment was based in racism... you speak to the majority of mixed-race couples, the family would wonder, what the kids are gonna look like… the key word is curiosity.”
Curiosity? Err... no Harry, the key word you let fly for two years was RACISM!
For a man who has spent years complaining that his family didn’t correct allegedly false stories about him in the media, it also begs the question:
Why didn’t Harry and Meghan correct this incredibly damaging interpretation?
Meghan clearly understood at the time she was making a loaded, sensational charge of Racism, and just how destructive that could be to someone’s reputation.
Oprah: Whoo. And you’re not going to tell me who had the conversation?
Meghan: I think that would be very damaging to them.
In addition, the Sussexes had the wherewithal to immediately phone Oprah and have her clarify with Gayle King the morning after the interview, that the comment about their child’s skin colour was NOT made by Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip. (Clever enough not to accuse the boss of something so inflammatory without proof…)
Oprah to Gayle: Harry did not share the identity with me but wanted to make sure I knew, and if I had an opportunity to share it, that it was not his grandmother or grandfather.
Friends of Meghan were also deployed to speak up in 2021, actress Janina Gavankar told ITV that Harry and Meghan had ‘plenty of emails and texts’ to support their accusations.
Gayle King also had that talking point a few days later, saying, ‘I think Meghan has plenty of receipts, meaning she’s been keeping track of things.’
It’s beyond disingenuous for Harry to suggest now, that they didn’t call anyone a racist, imply racism, and, most importantly, that they weren’t aware what a damaging accusation was flying around the world’s media.
You could liken it to the work of an arsonist. Light a match and start a roaring, destructive fire, watch it burn through lives, reputations, and relationships. Then, as the fire dies down, claim you didn’t know anything about it.
To drive home just how damaging this was and the audience it reached, Newsweek’s royal correspondent pointed out on Twitter, that nearly 50 million people watched that exchange on Oprah, and many believed the story Harry and Meghan were telling.
In contrast, numbers for ITV’s Harry The Interview, came in about 4 million, a fraction of the audience.
Ironic that this is another thing Harry has complained about, loudly and repeatedly. That the allegedly false stories about his wife dominated the British front pages, but any corrections would be hidden inside the paper as a footnote.
Harry has done the exact same thing to his family. And once again, without a shred of accountability or taking responsibility.
He’s become the very thing he claims to hate.
It seems most likely now, that the story was never true to begin with, given that they both told a different version to Oprah, and, two years later, facing continued pressure to name a ‘royal racist’, they instead backtracked completely.
It’s hard to imagine what Harry and Meghan’s endgame is here. It’s hard to imagine how they move forward in any serious way, without perhaps disappearing from public life for a year.
Their reputation and credibility are in freefall. Even many of their supporters are wondering what they’ve been defending on their behalf these past two years.
And, given the level of betrayal, the damage they continue to cause with every new utterance, I doubt the Royal Family will be extending a lifeboat to save them, anytime soon.
Harry wanted out, and, with this mess, he’s well and truly on his own.