So the Royal Family isn’t racist?

[Harrysfrostbittentodger]

That’s what I took from Harry’s recent interview. That they didn’t accuse the royal family of being racist in the Oprah interview?!

How are other people viewing this?

That is deliberate racism and they should fully own it, not find ways to excuse it. In terms of major, concrete decision making, we are not generally drawing upon the unconscious, especially within the context of group/committee structure. Call it what it is, I say, rather than fannying around providing excuses that are not supported by psychology.

You mean deliberate sexism, but men would just say it’s an unconscious bias… that’s the point.

Wonder if Oprah feels 'duped'? Will she have Harry and Meghan back on the show to give them a right old telling off ?

"I feel duped," Ms. Winfrey told Mr. Frey. "But more importantly, I feel that you betrayed millions of readers."

She added: "I sat on this stage back in September and I asked you, you know, lots of questions, and what you conveyed to me and, I think, to millions of other people was that that was all true."

In an extraordinary reversal of her defense of the author whose memoir she catapulted to the top of the best-seller lists, Oprah Winfrey rebuked James Frey, the author of "A Million Little Pieces," on her television show yesterday for lying about his past and portraying the book as a truthful account of his life.

You judge people by their actions, not necessarily their words. Harry has just accepted an award for fighting or standing up to racism within the Royal Family. By doing so, he has announced to world, without words, that he is saying the Royal Family are racist.

I really want to know (out of nosiness only) if Meghan knew he was going to backtrack. And how she feels about it.

Well, I'm cheered to see Omid Scobie having his arse handed to him on a Twitter plate this morning.

I wonder if he is going to be providing feedback to his employer and if Harry will be spending the night in the chicken coop!

I find listening to Harry that his stories start off believable and I don’t think he is lying but they feel over dramatic/ exaggerated, from peoples facial expressions, petty arguments, rumours. There’s more feelings than actual details. The racism account although given by Meghan originated from Harry. So Meghans account is filtered through Harry’s perception, bearing in mind a woman’s stare made him shiver. So for Meghan it was clear racism because Harry felt more than the details to back it up.

As a black mixed race woman I can’t stand what Harry said

as I have said his proximity to a woman of colour does not confer in him the right to dismiss racism as unconscious bias

for me it appears to stem from his lack of ability accept and denote his own previous behaviour as racist

no Harry you don’t get to do that

even after saying he was shocked by what was said.

if Meghan were to backtrack in the same way I would also be disappointed. Albeit in a different way.

So having caused epic offence on a global stage and dragged the royal family through the mud just as Prince Philip was dying they have come forward only now to confirm the comments were not racist!

Unbelievable.

It’s quite helpful when the words and actions don’t completely contradict each other.

But what if the comments were not racist? What if they were genuinely not? As Harry seems to confirm.

Talking about skin colour does NOT automatically mean racism.

You are hoping H&M don't backtrack because it sounds like you feel strongly that racism should be called out, and I do too, but only if it IS racism. It waters down the message and the cause entirely if racism is banded about without substance. It can be actively damaging to label conversations as racism if indeed they are not.

Thank you for sharing, what you say resonates with the other replies people have kindly shared.

Do you think this could become a serious problem for them both? He’s backtracking but she surely won’t be able to, or if she does then there is some enormous damage to undo?

It feels like this was the issue on which they built their greatest platform.

I agree by the way that Harry is trying to square his own poor behaviour in the past, and his blinkered views. It looks like he is wrestling with it now, the fact he is willing to be open and public about it is a good thing.

He should never speak FOR Meghan on this subject.

I don't understand why anyone would believe a word which comes out of Meghan Markle's mouth - and by extension, that of her dim husband. I got that impression of her very early on, long before Meghxit. Oprah Winfrey behaved very unprofessionally in that 'interview', failing to subject any of Meghan's very serious allegations to any kind of scrutiny. She just swallowed everything whole.

Two couples I know, both mixed race, have since said that their whole families happily discussed what their children might look like with no nastiness whatsoever. I'm dark haired and dark eyed, and my husband's fair with blue eyes, and we did the same. While I can imagine that this kind of conversation needs to be held in a context of trust and of knowing everyone very well, and that it might have been inadvisable in the context of H & M, in itself it doesn't necessarily have to be racist.

I'll probably get roasted alive for saying this, but once, being racist was something quite obvious and identifiable. Now, I fear everyone is suddently a racist because even quite innocent remarks - if sometimes a bit gauche and thoughtless - are interpreted as racism. I might have been racist myself on this basis! And I loathe actual racism with every cell in my body, and used to actively fight the NF in my student days. I remember when Benedict Cumberbatch was attacked on Twitter for saying there should be more film parts for 'coloured actors' rather than 'actors of colour'. That's just ridiculous, I think, and makes racists of us all.

If the comments were not racist then they shouldn’t be construed as such

but if that’s the case why did he in the OW interview say he was shocked by what was said

I am talking about it from the point of view that if racists comments were made he doesn’t get to qualify them as unconscious bias which ties into him dismissing his own actions and words as unconscious bias when they were racist

he

When that happens you can usually feel confident you are referring to or speaking about someone who is either deluded or a liar…

Or a deluded liar!

If the comments weren't racist then the moment there were headlines saying that that was how it had come across and when William was outright asked if the RF were racists they should have clarified. Michelle Obama was asked about it in an interview with Jenna Bush. Even Oprah said recently she couldn't believe they went there. Didn't they also put out a statement through Gayle King the next day saying it wasn't the Queen or Prince Phillip? By keeping silent the implication was that the accusation as stated on Oprah was correct. They could also have not accepted the award they got from the Kennedy's (I forget what its called) but they kept quiet. It is inexcusable now to say that wasn't what they meant and to blame the media for misinterpreting their words.

I think Harry and Meghan were keen to make their interview explosive and headline grabbing during Oprah. Unless they all confirm what was actually said, and by whom we will never be able to make the decision for ourselves whether it was racist or not.

Talking about skin tone generally is not racist per se. It seems they have decided it was not racist, I would be keen to hear Meghan's view

It was extremely damaging for the royal family to be branded racists.
I imagine it caused a great deal of anguish and hurt.

Lets see what Meghan says, I am afraid Harry's view does not carry much weight on this subject. I wonder why they left the accusation out there so long if they knew it was not racist?

It’s interesting though. At the time of the Oprah interview there were people who (and I was one of them) felt that he became a bit awkward when Meghan brought that up - although he certainly didn’t correct her.

Well, he wouldn’t, would he? That wouldn’t have gone down well!

I agree that talking about skin colour in and of itself is not racist

If both of them now say it wasn’t that absolutely they were wrong to allow it to be construed and reported as such

I say that as someone who likes Meghan

I don’t need to hear the details of what was said to ‘ make a decision on whether or not it was racist’ that’s not my experience to own.

Let’s be honest there is very rarely a consensus , just look at the different options regarding what happened with SH and NF at BP

i would agree supporter or not that if Meghan now states that what was said by the individual was not racist while allowing that narrative ti play out in the press she would wholly be in the wrong

For me there was no doubt as to what was implied, eg damaging to the person etc .

Still need Harry to own his own behaviour as racist which I has expected him to do
can’t learn from it until you accept it for what it was/is.

I wonder why they left the accusation out there so long if they knew it was not racist?

If TB hadn't brought it up last night it would STILL be out there. H and M would never have corrected it.

I thought I understood the nuance difference between unconscious bias and racism but like with anything context is key. A discussion on skin colour could be v racist. The way this was conveyed in the Oprah interview given the context of the questions, certainly seemed like an accusation on racism, so have to say I was surprised by Harry’s recent delineation of the two in the ITV interview. I guess if someone posts a horrific racial slur, that’s only unconscious bias until it’s pointed out to them? Then afterwards it is racism. That seemed to be what he was saying.

For what it’s worth I do believe there have been stories planted etc. and I totally agree with his comments on press intrusion. However did you notice whenever Tom pressed him on something he started to talk over him and became passive aggressive ie. is you taking cocaine as the then 3rd in line to the throne not a matter of public interest? It’s a v fine line on all these things.

However did you notice whenever Tom pressed him on something he started to talk over him and became passive aggressive ie. is you taking cocaine as the then 3rd in line to the throne not a matter of public interest?

Oh yes, he completely wanted to control the narrative (as H would say).