Jane Moore: Loose Women presenter accused of ‘defending racism’ in comments about Harry and Meghan interview
Duchess of Sussex said that an unnamed royal had expressed ‘concerns’ over child’s skin tone
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Loose Women presenter Jane Moore is receiving a backlash online over comments she made about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed during the interview, which was broadcast in the US last night (7 March) that an unnamed member of the royal family had expressed “concerns” over Meghan’s baby’s skin tone when she was pregnant with Archie, her first child.
“In those months when I was pregnant,” said the duchess, “we have in tandem the conversation of ‘He won’t be given security. He’s not going to be given a title,’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
Asked who was having these conversations, Meghan replied: “That was relayed to me from Harry from conversations that family had with him.”
READ MORE: How to watch Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview in the UK
Speaking on this morning’s (8 March) episode of Loose Women, Moore referenced the claims, saying: “It’s difficult because I think there was a lot of valid points in there. But I struggle with the lack of context and how vague it was.
“By not being specific, you’ve condemned the entire family. And if you think about it, it could have been an out-and-out racist comment, or it could have been someone very senior in the family.
Moore continued: “I think everybody watching has got someone from the older generation that sometimes says something that’s very inappropriate or maybe casually racist, not necessarily meaning it to be or understanding it is.
“Maybe they said, ‘I wonder what colour the baby’s skin will be?’” she speculated.
At this point, Moore’s co-star Charlene White interjected saying: “But that’s not what Meghan has said, she said there were concerns about the colour of their son’s skin...”
“They have chosen not to mention the person that had that conversation. There’s a very, very different reason between enquiring as to the skin colour of a child who is the product of an interracial relationship to being ‘concerned’.”
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Moore responded by emphasising that she was not saying she was “okay” with racism.
Viewers criticised Moore’s remarks on social media, with many arguing that she had been downplaying the severity of Meghan’s claims and “defending racism”.
“Charlene White articulated clearly the language used,” wrote one person. “Jane Moore really downplayed the nature of racism in the Royal Family.”
“Jane Moore objecting to the overt racism experienced by Meghan Markle by interrupting a black woman who is describing her own experiences! You couldn’t make it up,” wrote another.
“I’m unsure why Jane Moore needs more context about a a blatant racist comment to understand it. Doesn’t matter in what context it was said, the fact it was said is enough,” wrote someone else.
Moore’s representative told The Independent she was unavailable for comment.