Following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, observers eagerly awaited the response from the royal family, curious about how “The Firm” would react. While the official response came from the late Queen Elizabeth II, royal author Valentine Low reveals in his book Courtiers that Prince William and Kate Middleton played a significant role in shaping the statement behind the scenes.
According to excerpts published in The Times, Will and Kate collaborated with Palace officials to devise a strategic plan for addressing the “incendiary allegations” made by Harry and Meghan during the interview. One of the key claims was that an unnamed member of the royal family had raised concerns about the skin color of their unborn son, Archie, during Meghan’s pregnancy.
The royal family’s statement, which addressed the issues raised and expressed concern, included the line: “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.” It is now revealed that Will and Kate played a pivotal role in ensuring the inclusion of the phrase “some recollections may vary.”
An insider shared with Low that the statement initially had a more lenient tone, but Will and Kate were dissatisfied and strongly advocated for a more assertive response. They wanted the statement to make it clear that the royal family did not agree with Harry and Meghan’s version of events.
“They wanted it toughened up a bit,” the royal insider revealed. “They were both of one mind that we needed something that said that the institution did not accept a lot of what had been said.”
Will was insistent that the Palace convey that the allegations “do not stand,” while Kate passionately fought to ensure the inclusion of the “recollections may vary” line in the final draft. According to Low, Kate emphasized the importance of considering how history would judge the statement, suggesting that without that phrase, everything Harry and Meghan had said would be perceived as true.
