There are conflicting accounts as to Prince William's reaction to the Oprah interview. Photo / AP
There are conflicting accounts as to Prince William's reaction to the Oprah interview. Photo / AP
It's a well-cemented rule that the royal family avoid giving interviews with the media, but that could change in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's groundbreaking tell-all with Oprah.
According to the Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare columnist, Prince William, 38, has "privately made clear" he will go against the Queen's well-established policy once he becomes King.
The comment was overheard at a private dinner attended by Alastair Campbell – the press secretary and director of communications and strategy for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
William and Kate visit Newham ambulance station in East London. Photo / AP
Campbell has previously shared comments from the Prince which suggest a potential tell-all interview with Prince William and Kate Middleton could be in the works.
"I was at a dinner once where Prince William was the guest and there was a Q&A. I asked the question whether, when he became King, and possibly when his dad became King, they would continue the tradition of the monarch never giving interviews," he said, speaking on the royal podcast, Palace Confidential.
"He said he thought that ship had sailed, which I thought was quite interesting."
Since the infamous Oprah interview, the senior royal has attempted to refute some of the claims made by Harry and Meghan.
When asked by asked by a reporter whether the royal family is "a racist family," Prince William replied: "We're very much not a racist family". This was in response to the bombshell claims that a senior royal, since believed to be Princess Anne, expressed concerns over the skin colour Meghan and Harry's then unborn baby.
Recent reports from US Weekly also claimed the Duke of Cambridge is "struggling" to stay quiet.
"William is struggling to hold back," said a source. "He wants to get his side out there."
Harry and Meghan seen during their interview with Oprah Winfrey. Photo / Getty Images
"The queen is insisting that the royals handle the matter privately," they continued, adding that she that Queen Elizabeth II "thinks that retaliating will only add fuel to the fire and make the situation worse".
If he were to release his own statement, it's believed he would rebuke Meghan's claims that Kate made her cry ahead of the 2018 royal wedding, as well as "clear the racial allegations".
Although interviews given by royal family members are uncommon, especially those that go against The Firm, there have been a few high-profile incidents.
Speaking to BBC journalist Emily Maitlis in 2019, Prince Andrew's trainwreck interview was heavily panned after he refused to admit he regretted his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also claimed it was "impossible" for him to sweat, a statement which was later debunked by photographs.
"The people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn, either by him or because of him, were actually very useful," he said.
Princess Diana's infamous 1995 interview with Panorama journalist Martin Bashir, also made several shocking claims against the royal family. Airing three years after her separation with Prince Charles, she spoke about her bulimia, mental health and the lack of support she received from the royal family.
Her most controversial claims, however, were against Prince Charles' infidelity with Camilla Parker Bowles.
"Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," she said.
