One of Queen Elizabeth II’s closest former aides has revealed she was left completely shocked by claims made by Meghan Markle, admitting she was “dumbfounded” by one of the most explosive chapters in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal fallout.
Ailsa Anderson, who spent almost 13 years working as the late monarch’s press secretary, reflected on the controversy in a new documentary aired in the UK examining Prince Harry and Ms Markle’s standing in the US.
The Channel 5 program, Harry & Meghan: Has America Had Enough?, explores how public opinion towards the couple has evolved since they stepped back from royal duties and relocated to North America.
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During the show, which is set to air this weekend, attention turns to Harry and Meghan’s bombshell 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, which sent shockwaves through the royal family and dominated global headlines.
Among the most controversial was the Duchess of Sussex’s allegation that concerns had been raised about the colour of her baby’s skin.
“So we had in tandem the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he is born,” Ms Markle told Oprah at the time.
Reacting to Ms Markle’s claims, Ms Anderson said she struggled to reconcile the claims with her own experience working for Queen Elizabeth II. .
“This was not the monarch I recognised. I worked for the late Queen for almost 13 years. I have never ever heard any utterings, in private or in public, of anything of a racial nature, ever. Absolutely ever,” she said, according to Mirror.
“So I was dumbfounded… I really was.”
Buckingham Palace released a statement in the wake of the interview, with the Queen saying “some recollections may vary” in response to suggestions of racism.
The former royal secretary also took issue with claims later made by Ms Markle in a behind the scenes of her Netflix documentary, where the Duchess suggested she was given “strict instructions”about the colours she could wear while carrying out royal duties.
“When those queries and doubts start creeping in, the public start doubting everything else you are talking about. It’s a gradual erosion of her credibility,” Ms Anderson said in response to those claims.
But Ms Anderson is confident the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can bounce back from public backlash they have received over the years.
“I don’t think it’s too late for them. I mean, who would have thought President Trump was going to be president again?” she said.
“The world is a very forgiving place. They haven’t murdered anyone. If they can’t find a place in America, where can they find a place?”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source thenightly.com.au ’
