The Queen responds to Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview

The world's eyes sit on the cusp of potentially seeing a new era within the royal institution, or do they? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined Oprah Winfrey for a candid interview and spoke about Meghan's issues and how it had made her feel.

The main topic that has come to light is that of the abhorrent racism that Meghan and Prince Harry believe still lingers within the institution. With Meghan citing a conversation Prince Harry had with another Royal family member. In the discussion, a family member asked what shade of black Prince Harry expects his child to be when born, which sparked tremendous anger and controversy. One example would be that of Piers Morgan walking off Good Morning Britain's set when attempting to defend the Royal Family and overtly attack Meghan Markle. Piers argued that there is a difference between perception and experience and believed that Meghan's perception was wrong. However, Piers Morgan also has a personal issue with Meghan Markle, which proceeds to the interview.

The protocol in place for whom receives a title, established by George V, was made official in 1917. The protocol states that only the children and grandchildren will be afforded the title HRH, Prince or Princess. When young Archie was born, he was not a direct child or grandchild of the sovereign. He is, in fact, a great-grandchild. Which would mean the protocol would come into effect once Prince Charles becomes King.

So why is this not enough? Well, Meghan explains how an unnamed family member had told both her and Prince Harry. That Prince Charles expects to change the protocol, as he wishes to slim down the Monarchy.

So, is this just poor timing? Or something else entirely. As the world awaited a heartfelt response from the Queen, what the public did get, was a terse statement. That said, in these circumstances, knee jerk reactions can be catastrophic, so strategically, it makes sense even if one has nothing to hide. The Queen stated how she was shocked at how the couple had been feeling these past few years, also saying:

"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 privately".

When one analyses that statement alone, it paints a worrying picture. Effectively, the Queen is stating that the issue is just concerning, a slight worry maybe. The Queen is also quick to remove blame, noting recollections may vary, which ties in with Piers argument that the words said and the intention garnered very different motivations. One does not have to wonder why the Queen also chose to deal with the issue in house. Yes, you can argue that it is a family matter, but it is aired for all to see. The Queen then released a statement; well, this is not dealing in house. It denies the facts to everyone and then says we will continue this without telling you what happened and what will or will not happen. A move that would only occur if there is something to hide.

The main issue here is the conversation of what shade Archie Windsor could potentially be. That conversation only holds negative connotations. As in a world, when we are attempting to move past racism into a more accepting society. Merely asking such a question breeds credence that was always suspected.

One then has to ask about the timing, why now does Prince Charles look to slim down the Monarchy. Well, one could argue that the one-hundred-year-old patent had only just passed (2017). And so, to change the protocol now was the only option. As a reminder, the patent has been available for change for over three years.

If the Queen had changed the patent and updated protocol in 2017, then not a single person would have questioned it. However, it wasn't because the fact is Archie wasn't born until 2019. In the past, the Queen has gone against protocol on numerous occasions such as:

• Embracing Michelle Obama in 2009.
• She allowed Meghan Markle to stay at the Sandringham Estate for Christmas in 2017 before marriage.
• She engaged in drinks with the Royal Chef every Christmas.
• The Queen attended her former housekeepers funeral in 2019. The only previous funerals attended were that of Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. It is well known; The Queen does not attend funerals to not distract from the occasion.

• And she was breaking her own rule of 'never complain, never explain'. Offering statements alone is a contradiction to this protocol.

Without mentioning other breaks in protocols, you could say that if the Queen had decided to change the patent herself, this would unveil as an act of racism. The Queen is not privy to change, as can be seen even in her early years. So, why would The Queen not change George V patent from 1917 and instead choose to hand this over for Prince Charles to do? If Prince Charles makes the change, the Queen removes herself from the decision. Prince Charles can merely say he had always planned to slim down the Monarchy, and the timing was just unfortunate.

One thing is for sure, we have been here before, although not entirely the same. Princess Diana was intimately involved with Dodi Fayed. Posing the possibility of a multiracial grandchild if the relationship continued to progress.

Over time, opinions and views have attempted to shift to a more liberal viewpoint. With recent racial tensions in the USA and globally, you would expect that the Royal Family would champion inclusion and acceptance. Whatever you may think of Meghan's motives, like her, dislike her, it is very apparent that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should never have received this treatment. The skin tone of Archie Windsor should never have been a conversation. And when changing the one-hundred-year-old protocol that will affect the only multiracial relation in line, it should have been timed better if it was not racially motivated.

The fact is, it wasn't. And now the Royal Family are left with very embarrassing questions to answer.