PRINCESS Diana’s former bodyguard has insisted the Royal Family are not racist – and says he never saw a hint of it in the 16 years he worked with them.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, Ken Wharfe said he was adamant there was no racism with The Firm – despite rumours swirling in recent years.
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In the bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claimed there were members of the Royal Family who commented on baby Archie’s skin colour.
The comments were rehashed last year when Omid Scobie’s early Dutch version of his hatchet-job book Endgame suggested Kate and Charles were the two members who made remarks about the skin colour of the pair’s first child.
But Ken, who worked alongside the royals for more than a decade, said this had to be wrong.
He told The Sun: “I worked with every single member of the royal family over 16 years.
“I never saw one hint of racism, the royal family are not racist.
“They represent the very best in my view. I’m not saying they’re perfect but on this particular subject, no they’re not.”
Meghan had told Oprah in March 2021 that the comments causing concern came up during “several conversations”.
She declined to identify anyone, saying: “I think that would be very damaging to them.”
Harry has denied the couple accused anyone in the royal family of “racism“, while he was promoting his book Spare this year.
He did however suggest there had been “unconscious bias”.
Ken broke down what may have happened with baby Archie.
He said: “What happened in Harry’s case, when Archie was born, one can imagine a variety of discussions within the royal family but I wasn’t there so I’m no in a position to say what was said or what wasn’t said.
“But in those discussions, I’m convinced there was nothing with any real racial intent and I think for that reason this is where we come back to the advisors again.
“From my own experiences, I never came across any of it.”
In November last year the Sun looked at all the times the alleged “racist story” had changed.
Behind palace walls, many were said to be questioning the legitimacy of the claims.
It came after the late Queen released a statement after the couple’s interview saying “recollections may vary“.
Ken also opened up about how close the brothers had been – until Harry married Meghan.
The personal protection officer, who went on to write an explosive tell-all book, says Harry also used to be more popular than William.
Ken told The Sun: “I think this all really began around the time of Harry’s marriage to Meghan.
“Much later in life because up until that point, certainly up until the point of their mother’s death, they were very much at one.
“They entertained each other, they were very much involved with each other’s friends.
“Right through that early part of life, Harry was always the most popular.”
Twist in ‘royal racism’ row
BY DANIEL BATES
THE Duchess of Sussex could be questioned under oath about the identity of the so-called “royal racists”.
Lawyers want to quiz Meghan over “family matters” as part of sister Samantha Markle’s libel action against her in the US.
And Peter Ticktin, for Samantha, said the Royal Family racism accusations “need to be explored”.
In the Dutch translation of his book Endgame, writer Omid Scobie identified King Charles and Princess Kate as those alleged to have asked Meghan and Prince Harry what colour their son Archie’s skin might be.
Samantha claims she has been subjected to “worldwide hatred, contempt, and ridicule” as a result of Meghan and Harry’s comments in their Netflix series and in the 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Her lawsuit alleges Meghan’s claim she grew up an only child and half-sister Samantha only changed her name back to Markle after she began dating Prince Harry made her look like a “liar for profit and fame”.
Samantha’s Florida-based lawyer Mr Ticktin told The Sun on Sunday he will demand the Sussexes submit to a deposition — a formal interview under oath as part of a US lawsuit.
Mr Ticktin said: “The royal racists issue needs to be explored.
“There’s reasons why she abandoned her family and turned on her family.
“This is a person who wants to be able to say horrible things and not really care if she destroyed the lives of people in her family.
“She doesn’t care if she destroys the monarchy.”
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