LONDON — Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, appeared in public for the first time during the Platinum Jubilee.
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According to the Associated Press, the couple, along with other members of the British royal family, attended a service on Friday at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to mark 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. The 96-year-old monarch, however, skipped the event, citing “some unease” at Thursday’s festivities, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
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Harry, 37, and 40-year-old Meghan, formerly known as Meghan Markle, have stepped down as senior royals and moved to Southern California in 2020, according to the Washington Post. The couple traveled to the UK with their 3-year-old son Archie and daughter Lilibet, who turns 1 on Saturday, for the four-day Jubilee, the newspaper reported.
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The visit, which marks the Queen and Lilibet’s first face-to-face meeting, comes more than a year after Harry and Meghan opened up about the hardships of royal life in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. In the two-hour interview, which aired on March 7, 2021, Meghan said that when she was pregnant with Archie, there were “concerns and conversations about how dark her skin was when she was born,” according to the report. PA.
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Winfrey, visibly shocked, first replied, “What?” before asking for clarification on who was having these conversations.
Meghan said the issue was raised with Harry, not her, but declined to say who was involved.
“I think it would be very detrimental to them,” Meghan said.
Harry later corroborated Meghan’s claim but said he would “never share” the conversation.
“But at the time it was awkward,” he said. “I was a bit shocked.”
Two days later, Buckingham Palace officials issued a statement on behalf of the Queen, saying the Royal Family was “saddened” by the revelations.
“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning,” the statement read. “While some memories may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family in private.”
The statement added: “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be very beloved members of the family.”
Harry’s brother, Prince William, responded to the allegations later that month, saying, “We really aren’t a racist family,” according to the AP.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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