Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge observes social distancing as he meets paramedic staff of the England Ambulance Service Trust at the Ambulance Station in King's Lynn, Norfolk on June 16, 2020. (Photo by Victoria Jones / POOL / AFP)
Cover Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (Image: Victoria Jones/POOL/AFP)

The Duke of Cambridge is the first senior royal to break his silence since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's controversial Oprah Winfrey interview aired

“Is the royal family a racist family, sir?”

“We’re very much not a racist family,” was Prince William’s firm reply. It was the first statement made by a British royal family member since the explosive TV interview by his brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle with Oprah Winfrey.

Prince William also told the same reporter who asked the earlier question that he hasn’t yet spoken to his brother “but would do so”.

The topic of racism has hit the British royal family since the interview aired as Markle accused a senior royal, without naming names, of expressing concern over “how dark” their firstborn son Archie’s skin might be. Later on, Prince Harry told Oprah that it wasn’t Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip who had made the remark.

(Related: Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's Oprah Interview: Everything You Need To Know)

Buckingham Palace issued a response stating that the issues were “concerning” and would be “addressed by the family privately”. However, the statement also added that “some recollections may vary”.

Over the course of the past few days, several reports have emerged about the validity of Markle’s claims during the interview. These claims range from Archie not getting a royal title at birth (a 1917 letter patent issued by George V explains this), Markle not getting any lessons on “how to be royal” when she joined the family to also getting her passport seized —it has been reported that she took multiple overseas trips throughout her years in the UK. The Queen is the only royal family member who doesn’t require a passport when travelling abroad.

Prince William's comments came during his first public engagement with his wife Kate Middleton on Thursday, their first appearance since the interview was broadcast.

During the interview, Prince Harry told Oprah of his relationship with his brother: "The relationship is 'space' at the moment. And time heals all things, hopefully."