Buckingham Palace has released its first statement since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's groundbreaking interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The two-hour-long CBS interview made headlines all over the world, after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke out about their experiences in "the firm".

The interview saw Meghan open up about her struggles with suicidal ideations, Harry express "compassion" for his "trapped" brother and father, and the couple even revealed that "concerns" were raised by a member of the Royal Family regarding their unborn child's skin color.

Now, on behalf of The Queen, Buckingham Palace has released a statement saying that the Royal Family are "saddened" by Harry and Meghan's challenges, but say that the couple and their son will "always be much loved family members."

Per The Independent, the full statement reads:

"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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During the interview with legendary presenter Oprah Winfrey, the couple made several headline-hitting statements regarding their time in the Royal Family, which included an allegation involving the skin color of their unborn child.

The former Suits actress told Winfrey that while she was pregnant with son Archie, concerns were raised with her husband about the skin color of their unborn baby.

Meghan and Harry [[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]

She said: "In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, so we have in tandem the conversation of, 'You won’t be given security, not gonna be given a title' and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born."

Harry revealed that the questions were along the lines of: "What will the kids look like?"

The couple refused to divulge who expressed those concerns. When Oprah pressed Meghan to reveal who it was, she said: "I think that would be very damaging to them."

Additionally, Harry said that his father, Prince Charles, started fielding his calls after he announced his plans to step away from royal duties.

"I had three conversations with my grandmother, and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls. And then he said, can you put this all in writing?"

When Winfrey asked why his father had stopped taking his calls, he replied: "By that point, I took matters into my own hands, it was like, I needed to do this for my family. This is not a surprise to anybody. It’s really sad that it’s got to this point, but I’ve got to do something for my own mental health, my wife’s and for Archie’s as well."

Meghan and Harry [[imagecaption|| Prince Harry And Meghan Markle pictured attending their last event as working royals in 2020 (Credit: PA)]]

Harry and Charles are now in communication, but he said that there "a lot of hurt that's happened" and that they have "lots to work through. I feel really let down. He’s been through something similar, he knows what pain feels like."

In some good news, Meghan and Harry also revealed the gender of their second child – a girl, who is due in the summer.

"To have a boy and then a girl what more can you ask for, we have our family," Harry said, before revealing that this child would be their last: "Two is it".

Buckingham Palace releases first statement since Harry and Meghan interview