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March 11 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince William on Thursday defended the royal family against accusations of racism that have been leveled against the crown by his younger brother and his wife Meghan Markle. The Duke of Cambridge, second in line to the British throne, was touring a school in East London Thursday when he was asked about the accusations made by Prince Harry and Markle in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired earlier this week.
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In the interview broadcast by CBS, Markle said some in the royal family had expressed "concerns" about the skin tone of their son Archie before he was born. The couple didn't say who raised the issue, but emphasized that it wasn't Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip.
Prince Harry also told Winfrey that racism played "a large part" in the couple's decision to step away from being active members of the royal family and move to North America, first to Canada before settling in California.
Thursday, William rejected the accusations of racism.
"We're very much not a racist family," he told reporters.
Prince William said he hasn't spoken to his brother since the interview, but said he plans to.
William is the first member of the royal family to speak publicly about the interview. Buckingham Palace said in a statement Tuesday that it's "concerned" about the issues raised by Prince Harry and Markle and is addressing them privately.
During the interview, Markle told Winfrey that she'd also struggled with suicidal impulses as an active member of the royal family following her marriage to Harry in 2018 because of an onslaught of negative coverage from the British press. She added that she was discouraged from seeking treatment and said the royal family failed to provide adequate security for her family.
