Amid the ongoing fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s bombshell CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month, the Duke of Sussex’s father Prince Charles is reportedly feeling “enormously let down” by the couple’s allegations of racism within the royal family. Sources close to the royal household tell PEOPLE that in light of the accusations, there have been rising tensions in the palace that have left many with “mixed emotions” and “anger.”
“The prince believes in diversity and his actions show that,” the source said. “He was the first person to highlight the Windrush generation [the first mass immigration from the Caribbean to the U.K. in the 1950s] and the contributions they made to British society. He has worked hard for the Muslim community. Of all the members of the royal family, he has taken this issue the most seriously.”
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The palace source adds how Harry and his brother, Prince William have invariably had a “complicated relationship” with their father for years now. “It’s not a straightforward father-son relationship,” the source continued. “He is their father and their boss, and they are beholden to him to fund their offices and lives.”
While an investigation has taken place and will likely bring in an outside firm to further review, sources in the palace allege there has been some “real stress” and “real trauma” for the staffers, who are revisiting the painful period. “These are real people and there is a human toll,” the source said, adding how it is all a “sad state of affairs” that has left Queen Elizabeth particularly stunned.
Reportedly concerned about how the claims of racism will affect their Commonwealth allies in which they view the Queen as their monarch and head of state, the source alleges she is “very worried” about how the nations she has “supported and loved” have perceived the news.
During the interview earlier this month on CBS with Winfrey, Harry claimed his father ceased communications with him, which included taking his telephone following the couple’s decision to step down as senior royal members. “I feel really let down because he’s been through something similar. He knows what pain is like,” Harry said. “And Archie’s his grandson. Of course, I will always love him, but there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened. And I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try and heal that relationship.”
If you missed the Oprah Winfrey interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, you can watch it on CBS, the CBS app, and stream it on Paramount+. For more with the former royals, stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest.
