OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – The prime minister is not directly answering questions about the bombshell interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in which they described their troubling treatment in the Royal Family, including conversations about the skin colour of their baby.
In his first public comments on the interview, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to tread carefully by saying he stands against systemic racism in all our institutions.
“I won’t comment on what’s going on over in the U.K., but I will continue to endeavor to fight against racism and intolerance every single day in Canada,” he said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Sunday TV interview was their first since they announced in early 2020 that they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America.
In it, the couple said they encountered racist attitudes and a lack of support that drove Meghan to thoughts of suicide.
Meghan, who identifies as biracial, described that when she was pregnant with son Archie, there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
Prince Harry later confirmed the conversation, saying: “I was a bit shocked.” He said he would not reveal who made the comment.
Related article: Queen says challenges, race issues raised by Harry, Meghan in interview ‘concerning’
Trudeau also says he is not interested in having a debate on the role of the monarchy in Canada.
“My focus, as we’ve said, is getting through this pandemic. If people want to later talk about constitutional change and shifting our system of government, that’s fine … They can have those conversations. But right now, I’m not having those conversations. I’m focused on getting us through this pandemic and bringing our economy roaring back,” he said.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh argues the monarchy is of no benefit to Canadians. The Conservatives say they believe in our constitutional monarchy.
Recent polls taken before the interview have shown up to 45 per cent of Canadians think we should cut ties with the royals, however that is no easy task. All provinces and the feds would have to unanimously agree to remove the monarchy from our constitution.