It took two days, but here’s the royal decree: In response to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s eviscerating interview with Oprah Winfrey about why they stepped down as senior members of the royal family, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth to confirm that, yes, they know all of the bombshells that were dropped. “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,†the statement reads. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved family members.†This has been the only official comment offered by the royal family, unless you count Prince Charles’s blatant photo op with Black health-care workers from earlier today. How subtle!
Among the numerous headline-generating revelations from Markle and Harry’s prime-time interview, Markle revealed that Buckingham Palace denied her mental health help when she became suicidal while several months pregnant with Archie. “I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help and said that I’ve never felt this way before, and I need to go somewhere,†she recalled. “And I was told that I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.†Markle also said that a certain royal family member had “concerns†about how dark Archie’s skin color would be, and that Buckingham Palace “weren’t willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband†from the racist and defamatory British tabloids. Can somebody check and ensure The Crown’s writers haven’t had a collective stroke yet?