Boris Johnson praises Queen Elizabeth II while refusing to probe Meghan's racism claims

British prime minister Boris Johnson refused to take sides when asked to react to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, while noting his admiration for Queen Elizabeth II. At the same time, his office refused to launch a probe into the racism allegations made by Meghan against Buckingham Palace.

Johnson was bombarded with questions about his views on the bombshell interview during a press conference he hosted at No. 10 Downing Street on Monday. The PM insisted that he has not even watched the interview, adding: "I've spent a long time not commenting on Royal Family matters and I don't intend to depart from that today," reports Mail Online.

He also said that he has the "highest admiration" for the Queen and the "unifying role" she played for the UK and Commonwealth. When pressed again for a comment on the interview, the 56-year-old said: "I really think that when it comes to matters to do with the royal family, the right thing for prime ministers to say is nothing and nothing is the thing that I propose to say today about that particular matter."

While the PM is maintaining his no comment stand on the entire matter, other members of the parliament have been expressing mixed opinions about it. Climate minister Lord Goldsmith, a close ally of Johnson's fiancée Carrie Symonds, tweeted that "Harry is blowing up his family," adding: "What Meghan wants, Meghan gets," in an apparent reference to a remark made by Prince Harry.

Two Tory MPs from the ruling Conservative party also spoke against Harry and Meghan's interview, with one who did not want to be named suggesting that the couple appeared to be "telling the Royal Family I've got this nuclear weapon and I'm going to detonate it."

Another Tory MP, Michael Fabricant, defended the royal family saying: "Every family is dysfunctional one way or another. The holder of every high position will have personal little secrets they want hidden. We are all human. Only HM Queen seems to float selflessly above it all."

Meanwhile, the prime opposition Labour Party is demanding a probe into the racism allegations that an unknown member of the royal family was concerned about the skin colour of Meghan and Harry's child and that their son Archie was denied the title of the Prince due to it. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer stressed that Meghan's accusations including that she was denied proper help by the palace when she was struggling with her mental health must be taken seriously.

Labour MP Kate Green also expressed similar sentiments saying: "If there are allegations of racism I would expect them to be treated by the Palace with the utmost seriousness and fully investigated. There is never any excuse in any circumstances for racism. And I think it is important that action is taken to investigate what are really shocking allegations."

When asked if the prime minister agrees with the idea of an investigation, his spokesperson said: "It is a matter for the Palace but the Prime Minister hasn't seen those interviews."