Queen Elizabeth II has just broken her silence, following Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Duchess of Sussex suggested that her son Archie was denied his birthright of the title of prince by the palace and police protection due his mixed race.
“In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, so we (had) the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title,” Meghan was quoted as saying. “And, also, concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.” Harry added that racism was a “large part” of why he and his baby mama fled the UK.
The Guardian reported that under George V there had been established protocols back in 1917, that “the children and grandchildren of a sovereign have the automatic right to the title HRH and prince or princess”. His declaration reads:
“The grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of this realm.”
When little Archie was born, it was believed that Harry and Meghan decided that their son should be plain Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, because they wanted him to be “normal”. Meghan refutes that claim, saying, “It was not our decision to make.”
Is the prince title important to the parents? “If it meant he was going to be safe, then of course,” Meghan added. “All the grandeur surrounding this stuff is an attachment I don’t have. I’ve been a waitress, an actress, a princess, a duchess. I’m clear on who I am, independent of that stuff. The most important title I will ever have is ‘Mom’.”
Since this issue came to light, Buckingham Palace has released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the statement, released on 9th March, read. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
In the carefully worded statement, Her Majesty seems to be walking a delicate line between not challenging her grandson and his wife’s accusations, while suggesting that something may have been lost in translation in regards to the intent of the unnamed royal’s comment on the race issue.
Sources: The Guardian, E! News.
