Meghan and Harry: US slammed for 'soap opera' portrayal by MP

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Harry sparked outrage back in 2005 when he was pictured at a fancy dress party wearing a Nazi uniform complete with a swastika armband. The controversial incident, which happened when the prince was 20, was not mentioned during the explosive two-hour interview with US chatshow queen Ms Winfrey.

She seems remarkably ill-informed about the family she married into

Trevor Phillips

But Mr Phillips, a former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality and then the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said such a conversation would have been of genuine interest to the tens of millions of viewers who tuned in around the world.

In an email to former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore, Mr Phillips said: “A genuinely interesting question about race would have been to ask the couple whether they had discussed Harry’s own past behaviour and remarks.

“It would’ve been a big positive for them to talk candidly about how they got past that history, and possibly an injunction for people to be generous.

“That’s assuming that Meghan actually knows about his past life — she seems remarkably ill-informed about the family she married into, even though it is the most famous and widely reported clan in history.”

Meghan and Harry’s interview, which was broadcast in the US last Sunday and the UK 24 hours later, has plunged the monarchy into its biggest crisis since the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

But it was the couple’s accusation that one of the royals had made a racist comment which has dominated coverage and has the potential to cause lasting damage.

Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white, said while she was pregnant with Archie there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”

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Ms Winfrey was left open-mouthed when Meghan and Harry made the claim and there has been much speculation about which member of the royal family they were accusing of racism.

Neither she nor Harry said who had made the remark, although Winfrey later clarified that Harry had said it was not the queen or her 99-year-old husband Philip, who has been in hospital for three weeks while the crisis unfolds.

Harry said: “That conversation, I’m never going to share. But at the time, it was awkward. I was a bit shocked.”

In the statement from the queen, the palace said issues of race were concerning and would be treated very seriously, but pointedly stated “some recollections may vary”.

The Palace has said that it was a family matter that should be dealt with privately.

The Duke of Cambridge has defended the monarchy against accusations of racism made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, saying: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

William made the comment during his first public appearance since highly damaging claims of bigotry and a lack of support were levelled at the royal family by Harry and Meghan.

William also said he has yet to speak to his brother Harry about their disclosures, which drew a global television audience of nearly 50 million, but said he will.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured School21 in Stratford, east London, to mark the return of children to classes this week and the rollout to secondary schools of a mental health project Kate launched in primary schools in 2018.

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Journalists had been told by royal aides that the couple would not be answering questions, but at the end of the visit Sky News reporter Inzamam Rashid received a response from him.

The broadcaster asked whether there has been any communication between the brothers, whose relationship is known to have been troubled in the past.

William replied: “No, I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will do.”

With his wife by his side the Duke was asked: “Is the royal family a racist family, sir?”

The duke said: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

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