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The statement released on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, right, said the claims made in the interview conducted with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, above, will be taken 'very seriously'. /John Stillwell/AFP
The UK's Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement on Tuesday in which she vowed to respond to claims of racism against an unnamed member of the Royal family from grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, during an interview with U.S. television show host Oprah Winfrey.
The statement, which was issued by Buckingham Palace on behalf of the Queen, 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."
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The above statement was released by Buckingham Palace on behalf of the Queen. /Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace has been under pressure to respond to the claims made in the interview, which is said by royal experts to have triggered a crisis unseen since the 1990s.
Speculation has been circulating about the identity of the senior royal who raised questions over the skin colour of Meghan and Harry's child, Archie, before he was born.
Meghan also spoke of how she had suicidal thoughts but failed to receive any support during her time in the Royal Family.
Prince Charles, Harry's father and the heir to the UK throne, ignored questions about what he made of the interview during a public appearance on Tuesday.
The interview has divided opinion in the UK and across the world. A YouGov poll of 4,656 people taken after the interview aired on British television showed that 48 percent of those aged between 18 and 24 feel more sympathy for Harry and Meghan, while 55 percent of those aged over 65 feel more sympathy for the Queen.
More than 17 million viewers watched Winfrey's two-hour interview with Harry and Meghan on U.S. broadcaster CBS on Sunday night.
While more than 11 million people tuned in to watch it in full on Britain's ITV on Monday night, the channel said.
