Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Not Planning Apology to William and Kate Over Oprah Claims, Source Says

LONDON — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have no plans to apologize to Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, despite rumors that a public apology from the couple was imminent, according to a new report.

A source told People magazine that a London tabloid's claim that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were about to apologize was "nonsense," the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

The rumored apology was supposedly tied to one of the most explosive claims the couple ever made against the royal family: their assertion in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that there had been concerns within the palace about the skin color of their first child, Archie, before he was born.

Archie is now 7.

Rumors followed return to Britain

Speculation about a reconciliation, and an apology, has swirled since Harry and Meghan moved back to the United Kingdom in August after six years in California.

The couple said they returned so their children, Archie and Princess Lilibet, could grow up British and attend school in the country.

Their move came weeks after the family met with King Charles III in July so the monarch could see his grandchildren. It was the first visit that included Meghan and the children in four years. The Sussexes did not reveal their plans during the visit but announced their return less than a month later.

Since returning, Harry has been in contact with his father, according to the Daily News. But he and William remain estranged.

The Oprah interview

The interview with Winfrey, broadcast in March 2021, was one of the most damaging public moments for the monarchy in decades.

In it, Meghan said there were concerns and conversations about how dark Archie's skin might be when he was born. Neither Harry nor Meghan named the family member involved.

Meghan also spoke about her mental health struggles while a working royal, saying she had experienced suicidal thoughts and did not receive the help she sought.

The interview also addressed a reported dispute between Meghan and Kate ahead of the Sussexes' 2018 wedding. Meghan said it was Kate who had made her cry, not the other way around, as had been reported in the British press.

Buckingham Palace responded at the time with a short statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, saying the family was saddened to learn how challenging the previous few years had been for Harry and Meghan. The statement added that the issues raised, particularly race, were concerning and would be addressed privately, noting that "some recollections may vary."

Years of public airing

The Oprah interview was followed by other high-profile projects in which Harry and Meghan publicly discussed royal family dynamics.

The couple released a six-part Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan," in late 2022, examining their relationship, their treatment by the British press and their decision to step back from royal duties.

In January 2023, Harry published his memoir, "Spare," which included detailed accounts of his relationship with William, including a claim that his brother physically attacked him during an argument in 2019.

The book became one of the fastest-selling nonfiction titles on record but deepened the rift between the brothers.

Harry and Meghan announced in January 2020 that they would step back from their roles as senior working royals. They later settled in Montecito, California.

William and Kate keep distance

William and Kate have largely avoided commenting publicly on the Sussexes since the couple's return to Britain.

Reports in recent weeks have described the Prince and Princess of Wales as unwilling to engage with what some have called a "sideshow" surrounding the Sussexes' move.

Harry and Meghan made their first public appearance together since returning to Britain earlier this month, when they were photographed at The Falkland Arms, a pub in the Cotswolds village of Great Tew in Oxfordshire. Photos of the couple holding hands drew wide coverage in the British press, with critics questioning whether the appearance had been staged.

Tensions have also been fueled by other recent developments, including the publication last month of a book by Charles Spencer, the brothers' maternal uncle, about their mother, Princess Diana.

Harry's hopes for reconciliation

Harry has said publicly that he wants to repair his relationship with his family.

In a BBC interview in May 2025, after losing a court appeal over his security arrangements in Britain, Harry said he would like reconciliation with his family. He also said he did not know how much longer his father would live, referring to the king's cancer diagnosis.

King Charles, 77, has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since early 2024.

Harry's relationship with his father has appeared to improve over the past year. The two met privately in London last year, their first meeting in more than 19 months.

But there has been little sign of a thaw between Harry and William. The brothers were last seen together in public in August 2024 at the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, where they did not interact.

No apology expected

The latest report suggests that any reconciliation is unlikely to begin with the Sussexes retracting their earlier claims.

Harry has previously said the couple's comments about race were not intended to accuse the royal family of racism but to highlight what he described as unconscious bias.

Royal watchers say the question of who should apologize, and for what, remains one of the main obstacles to peace between the brothers.

William and Kate are said to view the Oprah interview as a breach of trust, while Harry and Meghan have argued they were mistreated by the institution and the press during their time as working royals.

Representatives for the Sussexes and Kensington Palace did not immediately comment on the latest report.