Australia’s biggest radio duo have defended the Royal Family amid claims that a mystery member of the family allegedly made a ‘racist’ comment about the skin colour of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s son, Archie.
Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie ‘O’ Show on Wednesday, the pair agreed with Meghan’s father Thomas that someone in the Royal Family may have simply asked a ‘stupid question rather than being a total racist’.
‘That’s what I think,’ said Kyle. ‘Old people are different than younger people. Older people are more likely to say if it’s a mixed child.’
Speaking out: Jackie ‘O’ Henderson and Kyle Sandilands defended the Royal Family amid claims that a mystery member of the family allegedly made a ‘racist’ comment about the skin colour of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s son, Archie
Jackie chimed in: ‘They’ll say it and they won’t think it’s racist. They don’t realise that what they might have said could come across as racist.’
‘It’s a tough thing,’ Kyle continue. ‘Older people, they’re set in their ways.
‘I don’t think my grandparents are racist but I can even hear my grandparents, if I showed up with an Asian chick and said we’re pregnant, I can hear my grandparents saying, “Oh, do you reckon it’ll have the Asian eyes.” I can see that.’
He added: ‘That’s what older people are like. Different generations.’
‘Old people are different than younger people,’ Kyle said. ‘Older people are more likely to say if it’s a mixed child’
The bombshell claim about Archie’s skin colour was made during Meghan and Harry’s tell all interview with Oprah Winfrey this week.
Meghan, who is mixed race, was asked why she believed the Royal Family were trying to stop her unborn son being made a prince and prevent him from receiving official security.
She said: ‘All around this same time, we have in tandem the conversation of [Archie not being] given security, he’s not going to be given a title and also concerns and conversations as to how dark his skin might be when he’s born.
‘That was relayed to me from Harry from conversations that family had with him.’
Jackie chimed in: ‘They’ll say it and they won’t think it’s racist. They don’t realise that what they might have said could come across as racist’
Miss Winfrey remarked that Meghan and Harry must have had their own ‘suspicions’, asking flatly: ‘Do you think it’s because of his race?’
Meghan said she would answer ‘honestly’, before going on to claim there were ‘concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born’.
Reacting with horror, Miss Winfrey asked who said that. Meghan sighed and said there were ‘several’ conversations about it with Harry.
Guessing game: Meghan and Harry didn’t disclose who allegedly made the racist remark, but later insisted it wasn’t the Queen or Prince Philip. Pictured in September 2019
‘About how dark your baby is going to be?’ asked Miss Winfrey.
Meghan replied: ‘Potentially, and what that would mean or look like.’ When pushed to reveal that person’s identity, Meghan refused.
Significantly, she revealed that the question was asked during conversations ‘family had with him’.
Claims: Markle, who is mixed race, made her claims, which Harry backed up during the interview with Oprah which aired on Sunday in the US and Monday in the UK
When Harry joined the conversation, Miss Winfrey quickly took up the issue with him, saying Meghan had revealed there was a ‘conversation about Archie’s skin tone’.
He nodded, clearly uncomfortable, admitted that it was ‘awkward’ and he was ‘a bit shocked’, but said he did not want to discuss it further.
Miss Winfrey said on Monday she had been ‘shocked’ at the alleged comment regarding Archie’s skin tone, but although she had tried to ask Harry for more information, both on and off-camera, he had refused to divest more.
WHAT? Oprah, when she learned about the bombshell revelation regarding Archie, was visibly shocked
After the interview had aired in the U.S., Winfrey revealed that Harry had asked her to make clear it wasn’t the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh.
Palace insiders reacted with horror to the accusation, saying it was deeply unfair to throw around such a damaging claim, potentially libelling a number of senior royals who are unable to defend themselves.
It was also pointed out that there was no context to the alleged comment, which might shed more light on why it was said.
Shocked: Palace insiders reacted with horror to the accusation, saying it was deeply unfair to throw around such a damaging claim, potentially libelling a number of senior royals who can’t defend themselves. The Cambridges and the Sussexes are pictured on March 11, 2019