In an interview given by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle to Oprah Winfrey on the American channel CBS, the couple accused the royal family of racism, causing an uproar across the Channel.
Words to which Prince William reacted on Thursday, denying outright what his brother accuses him of.
Prince William assured on Thursday that the British royal family were "not racist", after his brother Harry reported conversations within the family about the skin color of Archie, the son he had with Meghan, a Métis American.
"We are not a racist family at all," Prince William said when visiting a school in east London.
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Harry and Meghan explained their estrangement from the royal family and their exile in California in a resounding interview broadcast in the United States on Sunday.
The 39-year-old former actress and her 36-year-old husband, sixth in succession to the throne, have argued untenable media pressure, racism and the lack of support from the royal family to justify their withdrawal from the throne. monarchy.
A lively debate in the United States
Above all, leaving Oprah Winfrey speechless, Harry and Meghan reported conversations from an unnamed member of the royal family about what skin color their now 22-month-old son Archie would have before his birth.
The accusations have reignited a heated debate in the UK, fueled by the Black Lives Matter protests last year.
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Elizabeth II reacted Tuesday evening by saying "saddened to learn how difficult the last few years have been" for the couple, via a statement from Buckingham Palace.
The Queen said she takes accusations of racism made by Meghan, a Métis American, and Harry "very seriously".
But she vowed to treat them "in private" and stressed that "memories may vary," appearing to show that she doesn't take these statements at face value.