Is This Really How Prince William Reacted To The Archie Skin Tone Controversy?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey was one of the most talked-about moments of the year. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat down with the former talk show host to reveal details about their life together following their exit from the royal family in early 2020 (via Marie Claire). The couple opened up about their struggles with mental health, their reasons for exiting the Firm, and touched on their new lives in California with their growing family. The interview was full of bombshells, including the moment when Meghan and Harry revealed to Oprah that a member of the royal family had made a racially insensitive comment about their son Archie's skin color. The pair refused to reveal which royal had made the comments, but confirmed that it wasn't Queen Elizabeth or her husband Prince Philip.

Page Six reports that a brand new book by author Christopher Andersen reveals that it was actually Harry's father, Prince Charles, who had made the comment. The book claims that the comments were made on the day that Harry and Meghan announced their engagement when a source heard Charles ask his wife Camilla, "I wonder what the children will look like?" Camilla reportedly responded, "Well, absolutely gorgeous, I'm certain." Then, Charles allegedly lowered his voice and said, "I mean, what do you think the children's complexion might be?"

Now, Andersen is revealing how Charles and his oldest son Prince William reacted to the controversy.

Us Weekly reports that Christopher Andersen, author of "Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan" is offering some insight into Prince Charles' alleged comments. "I was able to trace this back to a comment that was made by Prince Charles to [Duchess] Camilla on the day that the announcement of Harry and Meghan's engagement was made," he said. "And what he did was casually turn to her like any grandparent to be would do and say, 'I wonder what their children will look like, hair color, eye, color, complexion.' ... He did it fondly, but the problem is it was taken misconstrued, contorted over a period of time by the bureaucrats and the palace — and turned it into something that was quite nasty by the time it reached Harry's ear," Andersen said.

Once Harry got wind of the comments he reportedly confronted his father and his older brother Prince William, who allegedly told him that he was being "oversensitive" and "overreacting" to the situation. "That complicated what was already a very complicated situation," the author stated.

Following Harry's Oprah interview, it was William who spoke to the press about the racism allegations, telling reporters that the royal family "is very much not racist," during a school visit, per BBC. No matter what the situation, it appears that Harry was hurt by the comments.

Prince William's reaction to comments about Archie's skin color only solidified the rift between he and Prince Harry. Before Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey, the brothers were already on the outs after Markle's alleged bullying of palace staff members came to light and resulted in a "screaming match" between the brothers. "I am told by the person to whom William described this, that William physically went round to discover Harry on the Kensington campus and they had a face-to-face showdown," Robert Lacey, author of "Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult," told Page Six. "It ended with William saying, 'Well, I don't want you in my household anymore.'"

And it doesn't look like they will be reconciling anytime soon. In fact, William's lingering anger towards his brother was reportedly evident when he hosted a party in November 2021 to thank those involved in the sculpture of the late Princess Diana. "I've spoken to two people from that party and it was quite clear from things he said that his anger towards Harry remains," Lacey explained. "He remains unhappy about what his brother has done. There is no immediate possibility of any reconciliation. I mean, it's not wanted on either side. Too many bitter things have been said."

While royal family members will be joining Queen Elizabeth at Sandringham to celebrate the holidays, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be staying in California. "This is Her Majesty's first Christmas without her husband, so one would have hoped they would want to be with her," a source told Page Six. Yet despite their strained relationship, Prince William and Kate Middleton will still be sending Christmas gifts to Harry and Meghan's two children. Royal expert Katie Nicholl said when asked if they would be sending Archie and Lilibet presents, "Yes, of course. They give gifts to the whole family and that includes all their nieces and nephews" (per The U.S. Sun).

In fact, Kate has tried to remain a neutral party during the rift between her husband and his brother. When Lilibet was born, Harry reportedly texted his sister-in-law with the happy news. And according to reports, Kate tried to break the ice between Harry and William during Prince Philip's funeral. Nicholl told ET Online that when the two brothers were walking out of the service next to each other, Middleton "made a point of speaking to Harry," and "you can visibly see them relax." Nicholl added that Harry "just looked relieved to be included, because I think up until that point, he felt very much like he was getting the cold shoulder from most of his royal relatives."