Michelle Obama Says It ‘Wasn’t A Complete Surprise’ To Hear Meghan Markle Speak About Racism Within The Royal Family

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, spoke with Jenna Bush Hager on NBC’s Today show about her reaction to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“Public service, it’s a bright, sharp, hot spotlight and most people don’t understand it, nor should they,” Obama said. “The thing that I always keep in mind is none of this is about us. In public service it’s about the people that I serve. I always try to push the light back out and focus on the folks that we’re actually here to serve.”

During her Oprah interview, Markle mentioned that members of the Royal family questioned what color her son Archie’s skin would be. When asked about this, Obama said, “race isn’t a new construct in this world for people of color, so it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear her feelings and to have them articulated.”

Markle also talked about her struggles with mental health and how she was silenced by the Royal family. When Prince Harry joined her, he discussed the fact that his father wouldn’t take his phone calls for a while and the fact that his family cut him off financially.

Obama said in general, she hopes the family is able to heal.

“The thing that I hope for and the thing that I think about is, this first and foremost is a family and I pray for forgiveness and healing for them so that they can use this as a teachable moment for us all,” she said.

Markle and Prince Harry’s interview aired on March 7. Since then, Queen Elizabeth responded with a statement saying she was ‘saddened’ to hear all of the couple’s claims. The statement also said the family would deal with their affairs privately.