How did the British press respond to Meghan Markle's accusations of racism and harassment in 2021?

1. Tabloids and sceptical columns: loud, hostile headlines

Several UK tabloids ran sensational and dismissive coverage after the Oprah interview, with front-page framing that portrayed Meghan’s claims as self-serving or exaggerated; outlets like the Daily Mail gave prominent negative headlines and commentators in right‑leaning venues accused the couple of playing the “race card” ^{[1] [6]}. Newsweek and PBS documented a rapid, often personal, counterattack from conservative commentators and some columnists who called the interview “full of bull” or claimed the couple were weaponising race for attention ^{[2] [6]}.

2. Broadcasters and columnists who defended Meghan or raised structural questions

By contrast, broadcasters and media critics — including journalists of colour and several international outlets — characterised the allegations as consistent with longer patterns of hostile UK press treatment and institutional blind spots on race. CNN and The Washington Post reported that many journalists of colour and commentators saw the coverage as having racist undertones, and noted long-running examples of problematic headlines and narratives about Meghan that predate the interview ^{[3] [7]}. Analysis pieces pointed to the UK media’s lack of diversity as a factor in framing and tone ^[1].

3. Public institutions respond: Buckingham Palace’s careful posture

Buckingham Palace issued a formal statement saying the issues, “particularly that of race,” were “concerning” and would be taken very seriously — signalling institutional acknowledgement without naming individuals or accepting specific allegations in public ^[4]. That response created space for journalists and commentators to interpret the palace line either as a meaningful opening or as a cautious, damage‑limiting move.

4. Voices highlighting the emotional cost of invalidation

Multiple outlets and commentators highlighted how immediate denials and derisive coverage resonated beyond the royal story, especially among Black women who saw familiar patterns of invalidation when reporting racism. AP and PBS coverage emphasised that quick rejections of Meghan’s account carried social and psychological consequences for communities accustomed to similar dismissals ^{[8] [2] [9]}.

5. High‑profile backlash and consequences for broadcasters

Piers Morgan’s on‑air dismissal of Meghan’s mental‑health claims sparked major controversy and culminated in his exit from Good Morning Britain after public and internal backlash — an episode widely reported as evidence of how polarising and combustible media responses were ^{[2] [5]}. That incident was cited by commentators as emblematic of a wider media climate that sometimes privileged outrage over accountability.

6. Analysis that places press reaction in a longer arc

Deeper analysis by outlets such as CNN and Time placed the 2021 coverage within a longer timeline of hostile reporting about Meghan — from racially charged headlines when she began dating Harry to sustained tabloid scrutiny — arguing the Oprah revelations crystallised underlying themes rather than emerging in isolation ^{[1] [10]}. Conversely, conservatives and some columnists argued the couple’s decision to publicise unnamed claims made fair rebuttal difficult and risked smearing the whole institution ^[6].

7. What the coverage left unsaid or unresolved

Available sources do not mention a single definitive, publicly verified identification of the royal family member Meghan described, nor do they show a full public accounting from the palace about who made the remarks — leaving a factual gap that fuelled both scepticism and calls for further inquiry (not found in current reporting; p1_s7). Media critics pointed to that gap as a structural reason the story became a Rorschach test for existing political and cultural divides ^[1].

8. Bottom line for readers: polarisation and institutional caution

The British press response was not monolithic: tabloids and some pundits attacked and dismissed Meghan’s claims, while other journalists, commentators of colour and international outlets framed them as credible signs of entrenched bias ^{[1] [7]}. Buckingham Palace’s careful acknowledgment of the race allegation ^[4] and the unresolved factual specifics meant the debate remained mainly interpretive — reflecting deeper disagreements about race, media accountability and the role of the monarchy in modern Britain ^{[10] [3]}.