U.K. Lawmaker Urges Buckingham Palace to Investigate Racism After Meghan Markle Interview

A U.K. lawmaker has urged Buckingham Palace to investigate racism in its ranks after Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, revealed that a member of the royal family had raised "concerns" about the skin color of her unborn baby.

In a sensational interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan opened up about her time as a working royal before she and husband Prince Harry stepped down and started a new life in California with their 1-year-old son Archie.

The duchess, who is biracial, revealed that while she was pregnant with Archie, there had been "concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born."

Harry confirmed the conversation, saying he was "a bit shocked." He declined to reveal who made the comment, but Winfrey later said that he had informed her that it wasn't his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

In the interview, Meghan also spoke of feeling so isolated as a royal that she contemplated suicide, and said she was denied help from palace officials when she sought mental health treatment.

Meghan and Harry said they ultimately split from the royal family due to a lack of understanding and support, particularly over what they described as racist media coverage.

The royal family has yet to respond to the interview, but it has prompted renewed debate about racism in the U.K. along with calls to abolish the monarchy.

Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Nadia Whittome took to Twitter to note that the palace had quickly announced it was investigating claims that Meghan had bullied staff after a report in a British newspaper ahead of the interview's airing.

"Now that Meghan has revealed comments about her child's skin colour, will they investigate racism in the Palace?" Whittome wrote.

Whittome told Newsweek that Meghan's treatment shows "the rules do not apply equally to all members of the royal family."

She said: "As a young Black woman, Meghan was treated as an outsider and subjected to racism in the press and the Palace, with constant criticism of her every action. The contrast to the way other members of the Royal Family are treated, including Prince Andrew, is stark.

"Buckingham Palace was quick to order an investigation into allegations of Meghan's bullying, but they have been completely silent on accusations of racism and denying mental health support. There needs to be a comprehensive, independent investigation into institutional racism in the Palace, but I have no faith that this will happen."

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson declined to comment on whether the racism allegation and the claim that the palace failed to support Meghan's mental health should be investigated by the palace when asked about it at a press conference on Monday.

But Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, told reporters on Monday that the allegations Meghan raised are "really serious."

"We'll have to see how the institution reacts to this," he said, but added that it's "bigger in a sense than just the royal family because that experience of racism... is too prevalent still in 21st century Britain."

Meanwhile, numerous female politicians in the U.K. have praised Meghan for opening up about her struggles.

Labour MP Diane Abbott, who is Black, told The Guardian that she hopes it will serve as a signal to Black and mixed race women that they should not suffer in silence.

"Nobody can take the sort of abuse that Meghan had to take and that I've had to take. And by dismissing it by saying: 'Oh, black women are strong,' that's denying our humanity."

MP Claudia Webbe, took to Twitter to condemn those who have been dismissive of Meghan's experiences.

"Does Britain care about racism or even suicide?" Webbe tweeted. "The extent of gaslighting and attempts to silence our pain as Black women is unforgivable."

Labour MP Apsana Begum referenced Piers Morgan, the Good Morning Britain host, who responded to the interview by calling it "self-serving nonsense" and saying he doesn't believe Meghan.

"It takes courage for anyone to talk openly about their suicidal thoughts," she tweeted. "It is shameful that @GMB allowed a presenter to shutdown Meghan Markle speaking about her experiences of it & roll out estranged family members on tv, it is abuse. It is horrific that this has to be said."

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.