‘It did bother me’: Prince Albert of Monaco responds to Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview

‘I can understand the pressure that they were under,’ says Prince Albert II of Monaco

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak to Oprah Winfrey (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)

Prince Albert II of Monaco has criticised the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

In the interview, which aired earlier this month, Harry and Meghan made a series of shocking claims about their life in the royal family, including that Meghan was denied support after revealing she was experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Additionally, Meghan alleged that a member of the royal family made a remark about the skin colour of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor.

In a statement responding to the interview, Buckingham Palace said that “the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning”, adding: “while some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately”.

Now, speaking to BBC World News, Prince Albert II of Monaco described the couple’s “public display of dissatisfaction” with the monarchy as inappropriate.

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“It did bother me a little bit,” he said of the interview. “I can understand where they’re coming from in a certain way, but I think it wasn’t the appropriate forum to be able to have these kinds of discussions.”

He did show some sympathy of their unique position, adding: “It’s very difficult to be in someone’s place. I can understand the pressure that they were under.”

But ultimately, the Prince concluded that he believes that the couple should have spoken to the royal family about their concerns privately.

“These types of conversations should be held within the intimate quarters of the family,” he said, adding that “it doesn’t really have to be laid out in the public sphere like that”.

He went on to speak about Harry specifically and his departure from the royal family, and said: “It’s a difficult world out there, and I hope that he can have the judgment and wisdom to make the right choices.”

You can contact the following organisations for support with your mental health in the UK: Mind, NHS, Samaritans. In the US, Mental Health America has useful resources.