“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the statement reads.
“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.”
The statement adds: “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
The Sussexes do not plan to comment on the Tuesday statement, a spokesperson told CNN.
Buckingham Palace’s response comes more than 36 hours after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a series of damning accusations in their first sit-down interview since stepping back from life as senior royals and moving to the US last year.
The interview plunged the royal household into a crisis. Some of the claims — including the allegations of racism and Meghan’s admission that she felt suicidal during her first pregnancy — have the potential to deeply impact the royal family’s reputation and have left a cloud of suspicion over some of its members.
The family waited to respond until the interview had aired in the UK, to allow viewers in the country to watch it first, a royal source told CNN.
The source added that it was important for Buckingham Palace to carefully consider their response before issuing the statement.
During the interview Harry and Meghan cited a lack of support over invasive press coverage and the royal institution’s decision not to give their son Archie a title — and with it his eligibility for protection — as the basis for their decision to relocate from the UK.
The royal source told CNN that at the heart of a matter was a family, which should be given the opportunity to address these issues privately.
The source also suggested that a conversation between the royal family and Meghan and Harry should have taken place privately to address the issues raised by the couple instead of in a broadcast interview.
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