In an interview with Jenna Bush Hager on NBC’s “Today” program, Obama he spoke of his thoughts about Meghan’s experiences with the family.
“Race is not a new construction in this world for people of color. So it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear their feelings and articulate them,” Obama said during Tuesday’s interview.
In Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired in the United States on March 7, she some in detail of the racist attitudes he encountered, not only from the UK press but also from the royal family.
In particular, she said there were “concerns and conversations” about the color of her baby’s skin, Archie, and “what that would mean.” Both Meghan and Prince Harry also said their mental health was suffering at the time, but their concerns were dismissed. She felt so unsupportive, she said, that she even had suicidal thoughts during pregnancy.
“What I hope and what I think is that this is mostly a family,” Obama said.
“And I ask for forgiveness and healing for them, so that they can use this as an educational moment for all of us.”
In a statement after Oprah’s interview, Queen Elizabeth II called the allegations of racism “worrying” and said “the family would treat them in private.” Apart from that, Prince William has declared that the royals are “It’s hardly a racist family.”
