Prince Harry Says Racism Was "A Large Part" of Why They Left the UK

In an unreleased clip from Oprah's heartbreaking interview (opens in new tab) with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Prince Harry said that racism was a "large part" of why he and Meghan Markle left the UK and set up home abroad—first in Canada, then in the United States. When Oprah asked if the couple left the UK because of the country's racism towards Meghan, Harry replied: "It was a large part of it."

Harry went on to tell a story about a conversation he had at a private London dinner for Sentebale supporters that he attended in January 2020. (It was there that Harry spoke candidly about his reasons for leaving the royal family, insisting, "The U.K. is my home and a place that I love. That will never change.") A person at that dinner, Harry said, told him that "the UK is bigoted."

"I completely disagree," Harry said he told the guest. (For context, Harry said, the person he was speaking to was involved with the British press.) The press, Harry said, was bigoted—not the country.

"No," the guest told him. "The UK is bigoted."

Harry went on to say that "if the source of information is completely corrupt—or racist," that trickles down into the hearts and minds of the population of the UK. He maintained that the UK, his home, was not a racist nation—but that the tabloid media was spreading racism throughout the country.