Buckingham Palace released a statement on the 9th of March 2021 in response to the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes' Oprah Winfrey Interview. The royal family in the statement said: " The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years has been for Harry and Meghan. 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 in private. Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved by family members."

The support for Harry and Meghan 

The Royal Family, in comparison to the day before the interview of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Winfrey Oprah aired, lost some populace sympathy and support. This has tilted most of the support towards the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It didn't help that Buckingham Palace took almost 48 hours to make a response betraying clues to what might be going on behind the palace gates. 

Some observers have gone so far as to state that the Royal family only deign to respond to protect Prince Andrew's current public mortification. This drop-in support has played a factor leading to all the contents of the released statement by the Royal family having been dissected with various interpreted meanings. For good measure, the general conclusion has been that the Palace claims not to be fully aware of the Sussexes' discontent with the usage of "the full extent". 

Also, " While some recollections may vary, " threw hints that a degree of skepticism over Harry and Meghan's version of the events. The former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull has once again called for Britain to become a republic after the Sussexes interview with Oprah Winfrey. Mr. Turnbull who met the couple during the final months of his prime ministership in 2018 told ABC that the situation "seems very sad". 

Furthermore, in an unseen clip from the interview published on Oprah Magazine's website, Meghan was asked if she should be expected to forfeit a degree of privacy after marrying into the royal family. She replied " I think everyone had a basic right to privacy. We are not talking about anything that anybody else wouldn't expect. No one's on Instagram or social media that would say, 'Because I shared this one picture that entitled you to have my entire camera roll. Go ahead and look through it.' No one would want that. So it's about boundaries. And it's about respect." 

Former U.S President Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patricia Ann Davis, defended Meghan Markle by saying that the dilemma for public figures is that people usually have "no idea what it's like to walk in their shoes, and they never will." Patricia Ann Davis who had been a subject of intense scrutiny during the eighties for publicly going against many of her Father's policies said: "For anyone who seeks to criticize Meghan and Harry for choosing to tell their truth, I would like to suggest that you have no idea what it feels like to be vilified publicly." Writing for the Daily Beast she claimed that in comparison to Harry and Meghan she " had it easier". "But my nightmare was newsstands and people on television and radio, not an entire world of nastiness as close as my computer screen. There is nowhere you can go to escape the opinions, the criticism, and the threats from hordes of people who you will never meet." 

Advocates for Mental Health praised Meghan for being open about her suicidal thoughts during the interview. She has said that she received little or no support and was told not to seek outside help to avoid it reflecting badly in the royal family. " I just didn't want to be alive anymore," she said. Jonny Benjamin, a mental health advocate, said to BBC, "To hear someone talk about their suicidal thoughts and feelings, I think it's so brave and so courageous."

 The Royal family sympathizers 

A royal expert referred to the Buckingham palace's response to the Sussexes interview with Oprah Winfrey as "dignified" and "skillful". Anyone who expected a line-by-line rebuttal was always going to be left in disappointment. The Queen has always had an intense dislike for any family conflict and sadness amongst the Royal Family. 

Penny Junor, an author of royal biographies, said that the tone of the palace's response conveyed " sorrow" rather than anger. She said: "I think this response is dignified. It is leaving Harry and Meghan some dignity and it is expressing that they will always be much-loved members of the family. It says that they are saddened to learn how challenging those years were for Meghan and Harry." 

In her opinion, the royal family is saying "we didn't appreciate quite how tough it was for you, you have raised an issue of race, which is worrying to us, and while some recollections may vary, we hear what you're saying and will look closely and address any failings we find. So they are saying we don't buy everything you've accused us of." 

The British tabloid press which had a year-long field with the couple and whom Prince Harry called racists has had its defenders speaking up against what they call an attack. In their defense, Ian Murray, executive of the Society of Editors writes in a statement "The U.K media is not bigoted and will not be swayed from its vital role if holding the rich and powerful to account." He also added that it is strange that the couple had a problem with the British Press for intrusion into private lives but opened up to the American media.

  Observers opinions 

Observers have stated that this recent trend of occurrences may have a long period of damaging impacts on the reputation of the royal family. A British outlet has described the interview as a "velvet-covered knife into the heart of the modern monarchy". The couple attracted their share of critics, with many referring to the interview as a self-serving assault that could weaken the royal monarchy. Zac Goldsmith, a conservative official wrote on Twitter, " Harry is blowing up his family. What Meghan wants, Meghan gets."