Prince Harry says he was ‘naïve’ and ‘probably bigoted’ before he met Meghan Markle

(Image credit: Fabian Strauch/dpa/Alamy Live News/Future)

published 8 January 2023

In his first US television interview to promote his upcoming memoir Spare, set for release on January 10, Prince Harry admitted that he was "naïve" and "probably bigoted" before he met Meghan Markle in 2016.

Talking about the tabloid frenzy that has surrounded his relationship with Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has shared that he was once "naïve" and "had no idea the British press were so bigoted."
He also admitted that he "was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan."
In other royal news, Meghan Markle asked Princess Diana for “clarity and guidance” when visiting her grave in 2017, Prince Harry has revealed.

Prince Harry's first US television interview is set to air this evening (8 January) and the preview promises some bombshell revelations. Appearing on the US programme 60 minutes, he spoke about how he believes his perspective has changed since meeting, dating, and marrying Meghan Markle.

In he preview Harry can be heard saying, "What Meghan had to go through was similar, in some part, to what Kate [Middleton] and what Camilla went through - very different circumstances.

"But then you add in the race element, which was what the press, British press, jumped on straight away."

Harry admits he had not realised that Meghan's race would be an issue when announcing their relationship. He said, "I went into this incredibly naïve. I had no idea the British press were so bigoted. Hell, I was probably bigoted, before the relationship with Meghan."

Looking for confirmation of the surprising statement, the interviewer asked, "You think you were bigoted before the relationship with Meghan?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. "Put it this way - I didn't see what I now see."

Prince Harry recently discussed the racism Meghan faced after their relationship was made public in 2016 in the couple's Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.

Prince Harry tells @andersoncooper, "I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan." See the interview, Sunday on 60 Minutes. https://t.co/5XclKEFFVY pic.twitter.com/ALdU3golBBJanuary 5, 2023

In an interview for the show, Prince Harry recounted the Daily Mail headline "Harry's girl is (almost) straight outta Compton," which the publication ran alongside the breaking story of their relationship.

"I was like, whoa," Harry said. "The direction from the palace was, 'Don't say anything.' But what people need to understand is, as far as a lot of the family were concerned, everything that she was being put through, they had been put through as well."

Meghan, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, said in her own interview for the Netflix show, "Well, firstly, I'm not from Compton, I've never lived in Compton. So it's factually incorrect. But why do you have to make a dig at Compton?"

In March 2023, Prince Harry appeared in London's High Court for legal proceedings against Associated Newspapers Limited. He is one of 7 high-profile individuals who allege the Daily Mail publisher of phone hacking and other invasions of privacy.

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.