In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan announced that they were stepping back as senior working royals. By the end of that year, they had moved to California with their young son, Archie.
Then, on 7 March 2021, the American network CBS broadcast a two-hour interview the couple had given to Oprah Winfrey. Around 17 million people in the United States watched it when it first aired, and it was shown around the world.
The interview contained several explosive claims. Meghan said that, before Archie was born, someone in the royal family had raised concerns about how dark his skin might be. The couple refused to say who.
Meghan also described feeling isolated and unsupported inside the institution. She said reports that she had made Kate cry before her wedding were the wrong way round, and that it was Kate who had made her cry, though she added that Kate had apologised.
Harry spoke about his family. He said his father, Prince Charles, had at one point stopped taking his calls, and that he felt let down by him. He also said the family had cut him off financially.
The interview caused a storm in Britain and beyond. For two days, the palace said nothing. Then, on 9 March, it released a short statement on behalf of the Queen. It said the whole family was saddened to learn how challenging the last few years had been for Harry and Meghan, and that the issues raised, particularly that of race, were concerning.
Then came the four words that became famous: some recollections may vary. The statement added that the matters would be taken very seriously and addressed by the family privately.
Days later, Prince William was asked by a reporter whether the royal family was racist. He replied that they were very much not a racist family.
The interview marked a turning point. It widened the rift between Harry and his family, a rift that would deepen with the Netflix series in 2022 and Harry’s memoir, Spare, in 2023. Years later, the four words from that statement are still quoted whenever the two sides tell different stories.