What in the ever-loving racist shit: Meghan Markle has revealed there were concerns from the royal family over “how dark” her mixed-race child with Prince Harry would be.
Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in one of the biggest interviews of the year, Meghan said there were conversations in the lead-up to Archie’s birth as to whether he would be given a title.
However, there were also conversations about how dark her baby would be and “what that would mean and look like”.
“In those months when I was pregnant all around the same time, we had in tandem the conversation he wouldn’t be given security, wouldn’t be given a title and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” Meghan said.
Oprah was silent for a few moments.
“What?” she finally said. “And who is having that conversation with you?
Meghan said those conversations happened between Harry and a member (or members) of the royal family, but wouldn’t say who.
“It would be very damaging to them,” she said.
When Oprah asked if there were concerns Archie would be “too brown” and that would be a problem, Meghan replied: “If that is the assumption you are making, that is a pretty safe one.”
Oprah was like WHUT #OprahMeghanHarry pic.twitter.com/AfjBqN7Ryc
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 8, 2021
When Harry joined the interview later on, Oprah asked him to elaborate on the conversations around Archie’s skin tone.
“That conversation I am never going to share,” Harry said.
He said that although it was awkward, he was not comfortable sharing who raised the question, and how it was worded.
However, he did say that it was “at the very beginning,” when there were “some real obvious signs even before we got married that this was going to be hard”.
Elsewhere in the interview, Meghan said her time as a senior member of the royal family was “almost unsurvivable” and that she contemplated suicide.
“I just didn’t want to be alive any more,” she said.
“And that was a very real and clear and frightening and constant thought.”
She said a particularly painful memory was of an official event during her lowest point. Harry had said, “I don’t think you should go to this event,” and Meghan replied that she didn’t think she could be left alone. She said Harry was holding her hand tightly during the event, at London’s Royal Albert Hall, but every time the lights went down she was “weeping”.
https://twitter.com/helenrsullivan/status/1368743570979495937
Royalty is not a shield from the devastation and despair of racism. #MeghanMarkle
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 8, 2021
Meghan said she went to “one of the most senior people” in the royal household for help, but was told it would be a “bad look”. So she went to the human resources department (yes, the same one currently investigating ‘bullying’ claims agains Meghan), and was told “there is nothing we can do for you, because you are not a paid member of the institution.”
Finally, she went to one of Princess Diana‘s best friends for help.
“It takes so much courage to admit that you need help,” Meghan said. “To admit how dark of a place you’re in.”
FYI – this interview is airing at about 1am, UK time. And with these revelations, the royal family and palace aides are in for a gruelling few days at least.
In happier news, after this part of the interview, Harry joined Meghan to confirm together that they’re having a baby girl. Bless.
Here’s how to watch the interview when it airs in Australia tonight.
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