The Queen Says She’s “Saddened” By Meghan Markle’s Struggles

Queen Elizabeth II and Buckingham Palace have responded to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. In a short, concise statement, Buckingham Palace said that the royal family was “saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging” life was for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The queen added that the “issued raised, particularly that of race,” — that Archie’s skin color was a topic of conversation — “are concerning,” and that the family will be meeting privately to address Markle’s claims.

Still, the queen also tersely interjected a weighty few words into her statement: “some recollections may vary.” With any statement from the Palace, what they don’t say is just as important as the words they do. They didn’t explain whose recollections varied from Markle and Prince Harry’s allegations, nor did they give any indication as to the nature of the differences in those suppositions.

The family’s response may seem delayed, but due to the time difference, the interview wasn’t broadcast in the UK until Monday evening. The royal family was also celebrating Commonwealth Day, which honors the countries that are still part of England's dominion, and a pre-scheduled primetime television address from the queen was aired on Sunday.

The queen ended by affirming that “Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved family members.” You can read the full statement below.