Queen's reaction to Harry & Meghan Oprah interview had an 'underlying jab'

Buckingham Palace chose not to outright deny the explosive allegations made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their interview with Oprah Winfrey, but they didn't completely accept these claims either. A recent report states that the crisp statement released on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II about the interview had an "underlying jab" as well.

The 61-word statement, released two days after the interview aired in the US, read: "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. 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. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members."

A royal insider tells People magazine that the "some recollections may vary" comment was an underlying jab and indicates dissent among the British royal family at some of the claims the Sussexes have made in the interview. Another source told the outlet that there was "anger" in the palace after the interview aired. "There were genuinely mixed emotions and deep sorrow and shock there too," they said.

As per the report, Prince Charles also "feels enormously let down" by Harry and Meghan's racism claims, which state that there were conversations about Archie's skin colour before his birth. A source close to the royal household said: "The prince believes in diversity and his actions show that. He was the first person to highlight the Windrush generation [the first mass immigration from the Caribbean to the U.K. in the 1950s] and the contributions they made to British society. He has worked hard for the Muslim community. Of all the members of the royal family, he has taken this issue the most seriously."

Harry had also expressed similar sentiments in his interview, noting that he feels "let down" by his father who stopped taking his calls when he was discussing his and Meghan's decision to exit as working royals. A palace source said that Harry as well as his elder brother Prince William always had a "complicated relationship" with their father.

"It's not a straightforward father-son relationship. He is their father and their boss, and they are beholden to him to fund their offices and lives," they said.