LONDON (AP) – Racism. Bullying. Insensitivity.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s allegations of mistreatment by the British royal family are so serious that some observers say Buckingham Palace’s silence on the subject only added to the furor surrounding their TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.
While the palace often tries to stay above the controversy by keeping quiet and braving the storm, the charges of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are so damaging to the royal family that it will have to respond publicly, says royal biographer Angela Levin.
But that response is likely slowed by Queen Elizabeth II’s struggle to balance her sometimes conflicting roles as prince and grandmother, says Levin, author of “Harry, a Biography of a Prince.” Still, she says there is little doubt that the 94-year-old monarch will ultimately make her decision based on what’s best for the 1,000-year-old institution she has led since 1952.
“The queen has a motto: never complain, never explain,” Levin told The Associated Press. ‘And she has been committed to that for four decades. But I think in this climate and 2021, everything will go everywhere. There is so much social media that she really can’t say anything in this case. “
The Times of London reported on Tuesday that a palace declaration had been delayed because the queen wanted more time. The newspaper did not name a source for the information.
The interview, which aired Sunday night in the US and a day later in Britain, turned the royal family upside down and divided people around the world. While many say the allegations demonstrate the need for change in a palace that hasn’t kept pace with #MeToo and Black Lives Matter moves, others have criticized Harry and Meghan for dropping their bomb while Harry’s 99-year-old grandfather, Prince Philip remains in hospital in London after a heart procedure.
During the two-hour interview, Meghan described feeling so isolated and miserable in the royal family that she had been experiencing suicidal thoughts, but when she asked for mental health help from palace staff, she was told that she could not was an employee. She also said a member of the family had expressed “concerns” to Harry about the color of her unborn child’s skin.
Winfrey later said that Harry told her off-camera that the relative was not Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip, sparking a wave of speculation as to who it might be.
Harry also revealed the tensions the couple had endured, that their relationship with his father, Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and his brother, Prince William, had been severed, illuminating the depth of the family divisions that led the couple. brought back from royal duties and relocating to California last year.
Until now there has been silence from the palace about the interview.
“I think one of the biggest concerns is that you don’t want to put oil on the flames to make it worse,” Levin said.
Follow all stories about Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview at https://apnews.com/Prince Harry.