US reaction: America’s fury at Royal family over Duchess of Sussex’s racism accusations

Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian at the Sussexes' wedding 

Credit: AFP

Amanda Gorman, the young black poet who stole the show at Joe Biden’s inauguration, said: "Meghan was the Crown’s greatest opportunity for change, regeneration, and reconciliation in a new era.

"They didn’t just maltreat her light — they missed out on it."

Much of the focus in the US was on the revelation that a senior royal discussed the Duke and Duchess’s son Archie and "how dark his skin might be when he’s born."

The interview sparked a wave of goodwill for the Duchess in particular, and was widely seen as disastrous for the palace.

Amanda GoRman backed the Duchess

Credit: AFP

It followed a concerted effort by US-based friends of the Duchess, ahead of the interview, to refute allegations that she bullied members of staff during her time as a royal.

Joe Biden’s White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield weighed in after the Duchess’s comments to Ms Winfrey that the palace had not "protected" her.

Ms Bedingfield "liked" a tweet repeating the Duchess’s words: "IN MY OLD JOB THERE WAS A UNION AND THEY WOULD PROTECT ME."

Ana Navarro, a co-host of The View, Americas top-rated daytime talk show, said: "Oof. There hasn’t been this much English tea spilled in America since the Boston Tea Party."

Her Majesty The Queen Oprah

— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) March 8, 2021

Civil rights activists said they were shocked and dismayed following the interview.

Bernice King, daughter of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr, said: "Royalty is not a shield from the devastation and despair of racism."

Meena Harris, niece of Vice President Kamala Harris, and a bestselling children’s author, declared it "Meghan Markle Appreciation Day".

Ms Harris wrote on Twitter: "She was suicidal and begged for help. Oprah bout to fight somebody her damn self."

The Duchess of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey: “I just didn't want to be alive any more. It was real and frightening. A constant thought."

Roxane Gay, the best-selling author of "Bad Feminist" said the Duchess had been "driven to suicidal ideation by colonial racism, royal indifference and the British press willing to carry royal water."

Abby Philip, a black CNN correspondent, said it was "heartbreaking" and Nina Parker, a prominent black TV entertainment correspondent, said: "You know why black women believe Meghan? Because we know exactly what micro aggressions look like. And how they slowly drive you insane."

Trish Regan, a former host on Fox News, said: "Good for them [the Sussexes] for getting the hell out of there."

On social media some of the anger at the palace boiled over.

There were calls to "finish what the American Revolution started" and "burn down" the Monarchy.

There was widespread praise in America for Ms Winfrey’s handling of the interview.

Jon Favreau, former President Barack Obama’s speechwriter, said: "No one can interview like that. Insanely talented."

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