During their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world when they alleged that a member of the British royal family raised concerns about the color of their then-unborn son Archie’s skin. Although neither Markle nor Harry would reveal the identities of those involved in the conversations, with Markle having claimed that it would be “very damaging to them” if their identity was revealed, the couple was reportedly on the brink of sharing a name, according to new details in an updated edition of the biography Finding Freedom.
In the updated biography, viewed by Page Six, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand allege the royal couple, who notably retired as working royals in February of this year, considered “sharing this detail” during the interview. The idea was ultimately shut down by Markle, who allegedly told Winfrey, “I think it would be very damaging to them.” However, it was previously reported that Harry did tell Winfrey that “neither his grandmother nor his grandfather,” Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip, “were a part of those conversations.” The couple’s decision to refrain from exposing those involved in the discussions is likely a relief to the royals, who, according to a Buckingham Palace staffer, have had their reputations threatened by the unaddressed racism allegations. That source told Scobie and Durand that “there is a feeling that if it’s ignored, it will go away, but surely by now they should have learned that never happens?”
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Although the March sit down with Winfrey led to numerous bombshell moments, it was perhaps the revelation about discussions surrounding Archie’s skin color that was most shocking. Markle revealed that while she was still pregnant with Archie, she and Harry were told their son would not have a royal title and be entitled to security. It was around that same time, she said, that there were “also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.” Markle said she was not part of these conversations, but they were relayed to her through her husband, who later told Winfrey that he wasn’t “comfortable with sharing” further details on the conversations that took place. He did, however, state that “it was right at the beginning. What will the kids look like?”
According to Scobie and Durand, emotions within the royal family are still “raw” over the interview, though one source said, “where we are today versus where we were six months ago, versus where we were 12 months ago… there is actually progress. There are efforts on all sides.”
