William and Kate photographed in front of ‘healing hurt’ mural

The royal couple were visiting NHS workers in east London

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been pictured in front of street art that reads “healing hurt” as they visited an ambulance station in east London on Thursday.

The royal couple spoke with staff at Newham Ambulance station to talk about their experiences of working through one of the most challenging periods in the NHS’ history.

William and Kate were seen in front of a mural of a red heart mended with plasters beneath a gold crown before chatting with NHS workers about the mental health and wellbeing offered to staff at the station.

The royal family have faced significant scrutiny following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in which the pair made a series of allegations about the family.

They claimed that an unnamed royal – although not the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh – raised concerns about how dark their son Archie’s skin would be prior to his birth.

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Meghan admitted she had felt suicidal during her time at the palace and said she had been denied help and support from “the institution” when she asked for it.

She also alleged that her sister-in-law Kate made her cry in 2018, rather than the other way around, as was widely reported by the tabloids at the time.

Prince William and Kate Middleton in east London on 18 March 2021 (Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Kate was reported to be “mortified” and “saddened” by Meghan’s comments.

Penny Juror, biographer of both William and Harry, said William has been “very protective” of his wife since the interview.

“William is very protective of Kate and can get very angry,” she told People magazine. “For Meghan to name Kate in a negative light is worse than being attacked himself.”

During the interview with the TV talk-show host, Prince Harry said that his relationship with his brother, Prince William was characterised by “space”.

He said: “I love William to bits, he’s my brother, we’ve been through hell together, we have a shared experience, but we were on different paths.

“And time heals all things, hopefully,” he added.

Gayle King, a friend of Meghan and Harry, recently confirmed that the two brothers had spoken since the interview was televised, but that talks were “unproductive”.

The royal family issued a response following the interview saying: “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.

“While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”

And Prince William defended the royal family, saying they are “very much not a racist family” in response to a question about the allegations.