‘It wasn’t a complete surprise’ — Michelle Obama speaks on Meghan’s racism claims

Michelle Obama, former US first lady, says it “wasn’t a complete surprise” to hear Meghan Markle’s claims of racism within the UK royal family.

The Duchess of Sussex had recently provoked widespread criticism after she claimed that a member of the royal family contemplated on not naming Archie, her son, a prince over his skin colour.

Meghan, who is married to Prince Harry, had brought the revelation to light during an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“When I was pregnant… we have in tandem the conversation of ‘he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” she had said.

But in an interview with Jenna Bush Hager on NBC’s ‘Today’ show, the ex-first lady said she “was not surprised” by the couple’s recollections about remarks made about the possible colour of her unborn son’s skin.

She also hoped that it would be “a teachable moment for us all” while also praying “for forgiveness and healing” for the royals.

“This, first and foremost, is a family. I pray for forgiveness for them so that they can use this as teachable moment for us all,” Michelle said.

“Race isn’t a new construct in this world for people of colour, and so it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear her feelings and to hear them articulated.”

In the now-viral interview, Meghan had failed to mention the royal who had the conversation about Archie’s skin colour with Harry.

Buckingham Palace, however, issued a response in which it expressed concerns over the allegations raised by the couple. The palace added that the issue would be addressed “privately.”

“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately,” the statement, issued on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, read.