In her correspondence, the Duchess of Sussex allegedly shared concerns about unconscious bias in the royal family, The Telegraph reported Friday
Meghan Markle sent a letter expressing her concerns over unconscious bias within the royal family to her father-in-law King Charles, according to a new report.
The letter was reportedly sent soon after Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that unveiled allegations that there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born,” reports The Telegraph.
Meghan’s correspondence was allegedly sent in response to a letter she received from King Charles, who was then known as the Prince of Wales, in which he expressed his sadness over tension within the family. Charles is believed to be the only senior royal to have made contact with Meghan following the Oprah interview, according to the report.
Several new details emerged in The Telegraph report including that the letters name the member of the family who allegedly made the remarks about Archie’s skin, and that Meghan and King Charles agree the comment was said with no malice intended.
Meghan allegedly also told Charles that she didn’t intend to accuse the royal family member of racism, but instead wanted to discuss unconscious bias, the outlet reports.
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The Duchess, 41, reportedly thanked the King for his letter and while the tone of the exchange was “warm,” the family tension remains.
A representative for the Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE in a statement that speculation that Meghan was not attending King Charles’ coronation over the matter was “ridiculous.”
“The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. We encourage tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating,” a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE.
Prince Harry, 38, recently addressed the couple’s Oprah interview and during it, gave more insight into their collective thoughts about unconscious bias.
Promoting his book Spare in an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby that aired in January, the Duke of Sussex was asked about the couple’s sit-down with Oprah.
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During the revealing chat, Meghan claimed that there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born.”
Following the Oprah interview, Harry’s brother Prince William was asked point-blank by a reporter to comment on the claims, to which he replied: “We are very much not a racist family.”
In the interview, Bradby pressed the topic, telling Harry: “In the Oprah interview, you accuse members of your family of racism…”
“No,” the Duke of Sussex interjected. “The British press said that, right? Did Meghan ever mention ‘they’re racists’?”
Bradby replied: “She said there were troubling comments about Archie’s skin color. Wouldn’t you describe that as essentially racist?”
Harry said he wouldn’t describe the incident as racist, “not having lived within that family.”
Related:King Charles’ Coronation Program Includes a Family Photo Featuring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
“The difference between racism and unconscious bias… the two things are different,” Harry continued.
“Once it’s been acknowledged or pointed out to you as an individual, otherwise an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you, therefore, have an opportunity to learn and grow from that… otherwise, unconscious bias then moves into the category of racism,” he said.
News that Prince Harry would attend King Charles‘ coronation without Meghan laid bare the complex feelings between the couple and the royal family.
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Buckingham Palace announced last week that the Duchess of Sussex will stay back in California with the couple’s children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet while Prince Harry supports his father at the May 6 crowning ceremony in London. King Charles is said to be “pleased” his son will be there, but the wider reconciliation so many have hoped for within the family hasn’t happened.
“At this point, it’s become so personal,” a close friend tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story. “Maybe what they wanted wasn’t achieved, but at the end of the day, he’s going there to support his dad.”
“Meghan wants to be there to support her father-in-law, but at the same time, the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support,” the friend adds. “There’s always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?”
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