DOWNING Street has declined to distance itself from a UK Government minister’s claim that the Duke of Sussex was “blowing up his family” after revealing that Boris Johnson watched the explosive TV interview.
No 10 today continued to refuse to comment on the allegations of racism within the royal family made by Harry and Meghan, claims that have thrown the monarchy into crisis.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman was asked at least five times about Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith’s criticism of the couple but declined to distance Downing Street from the remarks.
Asked if Mr Johnson had watched the interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired in the UK on Monday night, the spokesman replied: “He did but you have the PM’s words from the press conference last night and I won’t be adding any further to what he said.”
So far, Joe Biden’s White House has praised the “courage” displayed by the couple in airing their struggles with mental health but Mr Johnson has declined to issue any detailed comment.
Hillary Clinton, the former US Secretary of State rallied to the Duchess’s defence, saying: “Their cruelty in going after Meghan was just outrageous and the fact she did not get more support, that the reaction was, you know, let’s just paper it over and pretend that it didn’t happen or it will go away, just keep your head down, well, you know, this young woman was not about to keep her head down, you know, this is 2021.”
Pressed on whether Lord Goldsmith, a long-time ally of the PM, was speaking for the Government when he made his remarks, Mr Johnson’s spokesman said: “All I can do is echo what the Prime Minister said in the press conference last night.”
Meghan, the first mixed race member of the modern monarchy, said an unnamed member of the royal family raised “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born” while she was pregnant with Archie.
ITV News’s royal editor, Chris Ship, said the couple “dropped bomb after heavy bomb on Buckingham Palace” in the interview with US chat show host Winfrey.
But Lord Goldsmith responded “not ‘Buckingham Palace,’ Harry’s family” and appeared to blame the duchess for the situation.
“Harry is blowing up his family,” the peer said. “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets,” he added.
The remarks were in stark contrast with those of the PM, who was uncharacteristically reticent at the Downing Street press conference on Monday when asked about the royal crisis.
“I have always had the highest admiration for the Queen and the unifying role that she plays in our country and across the Commonwealth,” he said.
But on “all other matters to do with the royal family, I have spent a long time now not commenting on royal family matters and I don’t intend to depart from that today”.
Sir Keir Starmer has said Meghan raised “really serious issues” of racism and mental health.
“It is a reminder that too many people experience racism in 21st century Britain. We have to take that very, very seriously,” added the Labour leader.
His colleague, Kate Green, the Shadow Education Secretary, told Sky News: “If there are allegations of racism, I would expect them to be treated by the palace with the utmost seriousness and fully investigated.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki praised Harry and Meghan’s courage when asked if the US President had watched the interview.
She told journalists: “For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health and tell their own personal story, that takes courage. That’s certainly something the President believes.”
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