Gathering the facts. Queen Elizabeth II seemingly spoke to members of her family before publicly addressing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview.
While analyzing the statement that Buckingham Palace issued on Tuesday, March 9, on the monarch’s behalf, royal author Phil Dampier pointed to the line about how “some recollections may vary” in regard to the Suits alum’s allegation that one of her husband’s relatives had “concerns” about the color of their son Archie’s skin.
“The queen is really saying that Harry and Meghan might be giving their version of events or their interpretation of a conversation a couple of years ago, without going so far as to say they are lying, which they might not be,” Dampier told the Daily Mail on Tuesday. “Clearly she has spoken to the person who allegedly made the remark about Archie and they have given her their version of events.”
The journalist, who has been covering the royal family for decades, speculated that the queen, 94, “wants to keep the identity of the senior royal … a secret” to protect the individual.
“She knows that if it comes out that person will never be allowed to forget it, rightly or wrongly,” he added.
During her sit-down on Sunday, March 7, Meghan, 39, claimed that there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he was born” in May 2019. The former actress — who is expecting the couple’s second child, a daughter, this summer — said that she was not involved in the conversations but that Harry, 36, had “relayed” the message to her.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex both declined to name the family member who allegedly made the comment, with Harry saying, “I’m not comfortable with sharing that.”
The prince did, however, narrow down the person’s identity by saying off camera that it was not the queen or her husband, Prince Philip.
In its statement on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace said that the “whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan” and called their claims “concerning.” Referencing the pair’s step back from royal duties and their move to the U.S., the queen added, “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
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