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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
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Charlie Jones

Meghan Markle left 'exposed' by Prince Harry after he backtracked on her racism claim

Meghan Markle was left "exposed" by Prince Harry when he backtracked on claims the two made of racism with the royal family, an expert has claimed.

Harry and wife Meghan sent shockwaves through the royal world when they told Oprah Winfrey of their disgust at “concerns and conversations about how dark" their son Archie's "skin might be when he's born”, that they claimed were had during their time in The Firm.

However, Prince Harry then claimed he did not label the royal family racist, in a later solo interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby.

The royals were left to defend serious allegations of racism after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tell-all interview with US chat show queen Oprah in March 2021.

In the wake of the bombshell, the late Queen released an unprecedented statement via Buckingham Palace saying: “Recollections may vary”, while Prince William when confronted sternly said: “We are very much not a racist family”.

The Royal couple speaks to Oprah in a now notorious interview (Harpo Productions)

Now royal expert and former royal correspondent, Gordon Rayner, writes in The Telegraph that Prince Harry may have left his wife exposed.

Mr Rayner, speculating on Meghan's recent "vanishing act" during which the Duchess has been uncharacteristically absent from the spotlight, remarks how the couple have been "stung by the backlash in the US to their behaviour over the past year."

And cutting satirical comedy South Park eviscerated the pair, dedicating an entire episode to the Worldwide Privacy Tour'.

As well as this,. Mr Rayner writes: "Prince Harry’s decision to row back from his wife’s allegations of royal racism – originally made in the couple’s infamous Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021 – by failing to repeat them in his book have also left Meghan exposed."

The royal expert said the backtracking has left Meghan exposed (ITV)

In a 90 minute interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby, Harry said the royal family were not guilty of racism but of “unconscious bias”.

During the interview Bradby said to Harry: "In the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism", the Duke snapped back: saying "no I didn't", adding "the British press said that".

In a further snipe at his family, Harry denied he'd “describe that as essentially racist”, retorting: “I wouldn’t, not having lived within that family.”

The Duke once again refused to name the individual concerned, saying: "The difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different.

Prince Harry sat down for an interview with Tom Bradby for ITV (ITV)

"But once it's been acknowledged, or pointed out to you as an individual, or as an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you therefore have an opportunity to learn and grow from that in order so that you are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

"Otherwise unconscious bias then moves into the category of racism."

Mr Rayner speculates that Meghan may be avoiding the limelight in order to "avoid further trouble and wait for the memories to fade. That, surely, is part of the reason for her absence from the Coronation."

The racism bombshell came from a 2021 interview the royal pair did with Oprah (HARPO PRODUCTIONS/AFP via Getty)

This comes after the news broke that Meghan Markle will not be attending the King's coronation next month.

This year she has performed a "vanishing act" with her absence from the spotlight raising questions in the UK and abroad.

A royal expert has said Prince Harry's wife has merely taken a step back to "plan, parent and regroup" and is already eying her next move.

On September 19 last year Meghan joined the Royal Family at the state funeral of the Queen at Westminster Abbey (Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)
Meghan wiped away a tear (Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)

The Duchess of Sussex has been notably absent from events this year, including Prince Harry's promotional tour for his memoir, Spare.

On Wednesday it was confirmed she would not be at the King's Coronation next month with reports suggesting she will stay in California to look after Archie and Lilibet.

The Coronation will fall on the same day as Archie's fourth birthday.

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