LONDON (AP) – Racism. Intimidation. Insensitivity.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s accusations of ill-treatment by the British royal house are so serious that some observers say Buckingham Palace’s silence on the issue has only intensified in the anger surrounding their TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.
While the palace often tries to stay above controversy, keeping quiet and escaping the storm, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s accusations are so damaging to the royal family that they will have to answer publicly, says royal biographer Angela Levin.
But that response is likely delayed by Queen Elizabeth II’s struggle to balance her sometimes conflicting roles as monarch and grandmother, says Levin, author of “Harry, a Biography of a Prince.” However, she says there is little doubt that the 94-year-old monarch will eventually make the decision based on what is best for the 1,000-year-old institution he has led since 1952.
“The queen has a motto: never complain, never explain,” Levin told The Associated Press. “It simply came to our notice then. But I think that in this climate and in 2021, everything goes everywhere. There are so many social networks that, in this case, she really can’t help but say nothing. “
The Times of London reported on Tuesday that the palace statement had been postponed because the queen wanted more time. The newspaper did not mention a source for information.
The interview, which aired Sunday night in the United States and a day later in the United Kingdom, shook the royal family and divided people around the world. While many say the allegations demonstrate the need for change inside a palace that did not keep up with the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, others criticized Harry and Meghan for dropping the bomb while Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, 99 years old. , remains hospitalized in London after heart surgery.
During the two-hour interview, Meghan described that she felt so isolated and miserable in the royal family that she had suicidal thoughts, however, when she asked for mental health help from the palace’s human resources staff, she was told she was not employed. . She also said that a family member expressed “concerns” to Harry about the color of her unborn baby’s skin.
Winfrey later said that Harry told him outside the room that the family member was not Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip, causing a lot of speculation about who he might be.
Harry also revealed that the stress the couple endured severed relations with his father, Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and his brother, Prince William, illuminating the depths of family divisions that led the couple to move away from royal duties. to move to California last year.
So far there has been silence in the palace about the interview.
“I think one of the major concerns is that you don’t want to throw oil on the flames to make it even worse,” Levin said.
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