Two days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Charles on Tuesday became the first member of the British royal family to face questions from reporters. Charles, who Harry accused of briefly stopping taking his calls, stepped out Tuesday to visit an NHS vaccination center in London, marking the first public outing a royal has made since the Sunday interview.
Appearing at the vaccination center in an effort to combat vaccine hesitancy in the U.K., Charles fielded a reporter who asked, “Sir, can I ask what did you think of the interview?” Charles, however, continued walking and refrained from addressing the interview at all. According to The Sun‘s royal correspondent Matt Wilkinson, “Prince Charles refused to be drawn on the race row” and “was described at the scene as nervously chuckling.”
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While Charles refrained from providing any indication regarding his thoughts on the interview, he is reportedly in a “state of despair,” according to “a friend” who spoke to Vanity Fair. Although Buckingham Palace has not yet released a statement on the interview, the outlet reported that “the various households will be locked in crisis meetings for most of Monday as they work out the next steps,” as the royal household as a whole is reportedly “shocked by the severity of the allegations,” which has “left them looking as though they represent the worst,” according to royal author Sarah Gristwood.
Among those allegations were several made against Charles, including Harry alleging that his father stopped taking his calls when he decided to take “matters into my own hands” after he began to voice concerns about the way that the press was treating Markle and how they were not being supported by The Firm. Harry told Oprah that before his and Markle’s announcement they would be stepping back as working royals, he had had three conversations with the Queen and two conversations with his father “before he stopped taking my calls.” He said Charles asked him to instead “put this all in writing what your plan is.” While Harry later clarified that his father is now taking his calls, he said “there’s a lot to work through” in their relationship and he feels “really let down because he’s been through something similar.”
At this time, Buckingham Palace has not addressed the interview. The full interview is available to stream on CBS.com and the CBS app. Stay tuned to PopCulture for the latest updates on the royal family.
