Oprah Winfrey has said the Duke of Sussex told her it was not the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh who made the racist comment about how dark their baby’s skin would be. It comes as Prince Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell did the rounds on TV this morning and criticised the couple for taking part in the interview with Oprah.
Speaking hours after the bombshell interview aired in the US, Winfrey said Harry had not told her which member of the royal family was involved in the conversation.
She told CBS This Morning: “He did not share the identity with me but he wanted to make sure I knew, and if I had an opportunity to share it, that it was not his grandmother or grandfather that were part of those conversations.
“He did not tell me who was a part of those conversations.”
The claim that there had been “concerns and conversations” before he was born about how dark Archie’s skin tone might be, was among a series of shocking revelations during Harry and Meghan’s candid interview, with the couple also suggesting the family were jealous of Meghan and revealing that she contemplated taking her own life while pregnant.
Appearing vulnerable at times, the duchess revealed that working for The Firm – as the royal family is sometimes known – ultimately left her feeling that ending her life was an option, and how she had not been protected by the monarchy.
Asked explicitly by Winfrey if she was thinking of self-harm and having suicidal thoughts at some stage, Meghan replied: “Yes. This was very, very clear.
“Very clear and very scary. I didn’t know who to turn to in that.”
Paul Burrell
In steps Paul Burrell this morning getting his face on a number of TV shows.
“Can I say how sad and disappointed I am to hear everything that’s been said in this interview?” he told host Lorraine Kelly.
“Because it reflects on the entire Royal Family and not just one member of it, and also the institution itself, of which Harry’s grandmother is head.”
On Steph’s packed Lunch he said says in the past things have been resolved behind closed doors, not in front of millions.
“70 countries watching that tonight get a distorted view of what palace life is like.”
— Steph’s Packed Lunch (@PackedLunchC4) March 8, 2021
Former butler to the royals @PaulBurrell_RVM says in the past things have been resolved behind closed doors, not in front of millions.#HarryandMeghanonOprah #MeghanAndHarry #PackedLunchC4 pic.twitter.com/cG9YqLkLR3
His comments surprised many, as there have been allegations he has cashed in on his royal connections for years.
Reactions
1.
Hahaha bit rich coming from Paul Burrell to say Harry and Meghan dont have to do any more interviews. Hes been banging on about Diana for over 20 years. #lorraine
— Kate (@k4ty_b) March 8, 2021
2.
Amazing to see Paul Burrell – who has made a career out of dishing dirt on the Royals – on @PackedLunchC4 seriously saying ‘these things should be done behind closed doors’. What a fucking worm #meghanharryoprah
— Tom Meehan (@tomjmeehan) March 8, 2021
3.
Say what you like about Paul Burrell, you have to admire his unwavering, unfaltering, unshakable, unhesitating, untiring, unswerving loyalty to making money off the death of Diana. #LooseWomen
— Colleen Hawkins (@Lady_Colleen) March 8, 2021
4.
Paul Burrell every time anyone mentions the Royal family. pic.twitter.com/fSSLY5JkBc
— @Thegmorrell (@TheGMorrell) March 8, 2021
5.
Paul Burrell trending. I’m reminded of Marina Hyde’s line: ‘I like to think of Paul as a rock in the Alcatraz sense, in that you honestly can’t escape him.’
— Jack Ainslie (@jack_ainslie) March 8, 2021
6.
Paul Burrell when the Royals get mentioned… pic.twitter.com/OjcUyBox1d
— Rich (@RCAV76) March 8, 2021
7.
Paul Burrell on ITV talking about how he is sad the Meghan issues had to be made public and aired … but he’s the first to do interviews about it …. and talk about Diana and her life … behave …
— Katharine Merry (@KatharineMerry) March 8, 2021
8.
Paul Burrell en route to any studio that will have him as their Royal commentator. pic.twitter.com/Qo8fNks2ut
— Stéphanie (@Stephsimone) March 8, 2021
9.
Paul Burrell saying Harry doesn’t need to do anymore interviews. That’s rich #lorraine
— Chris Doyle (@chris_doyle86) March 8, 2021
10.
Paul Burrell is like a cloud of toxic waste that drifts round the world, settling over Britain every so often.
— Red North (@RednorthUK) March 8, 2021
Related: Contrasting headlines about Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton goes viral