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- The royal family has finally issued a response to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah interview.
- Buckingham Palace said the family was "saddened to learn" how hard things had been for the couple.
- It said the issues of racism will be "taken very serioussly and addressed by the family privately."
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The royal family has broken their silence following Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday.
Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of the Queen on Tuesday which read: "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan."
"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately," it continued.
-Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 9, 2021
"Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved family members," the statement concluded.
The statement comes two days after Markle and Harry's two-hour interview with Winfrey aired on CBS in the US, where it was watched by more than 17 million people. The interview aired on Monday night on ITV in the UK and had 11.3 million viewers.
Markle and Harry dropped a number of bombshells during the sit-down chat
The Duchess of Sussex revealed she had suicidal thoughts after joining the royal family but did not receive the support from the palace, despite "begging for help."
"I just didn't want to be alive anymore," she told Winfrey. "That was a clear and real and frightening and constant thought."
Both Markle and Harry also revealed that there were "concerns and conversations" about how dark Archie's skin would be before he was born.
The couple refused to name anyone involved in the discussions, although Winfrey later confirmed it was not the Queen or Prince Philip.
Buckingham Palace was said to be in 'crisis talks' following the interview
The BBC reported on Tuesday that "crisis meetings" involving senior royals took place after the interview. A royal source also told Reuters that the Queen wanted to take time more before the palace issued a response.
Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's royals correspondent, tweeted Tuesday morning that Prince Charles, Harry's father, was asked for his thoughts about the interview at an event Tuesday but only "smiled and didn't answer."
-Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) March 9, 2021
The royal family's response comes a week after Buckingham Palace announced it would investigate claims that Markle had bullied palace staff members.
Representatives for Buckingham Palace and Markle and Harry did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.
This is a developing story, refresh for more details.
