Prince Harry: 'I was probably bigoted' before relationship with Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala
(Image credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala)

Prince Harry has confessed he was "probably bigoted" before he started dating his wife, Meghan Markle.

Harry spoke with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes in an interview set to air Sunday to promote his new book, Spare. In a preview clip, he reiterated his argument that the "race element" of the British press' coverage of Meghan made it a "very different" situation compared to what other royals have gone through. But he added he was "incredibly naive" about this beforehand.

"I had no idea the British press were so bigoted," he said. "Hell, I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan."

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Harry clarified he doesn't "know" if he was bigoted but "didn't see what I now see."

Harry has said that racism against Meghan was a major factor in their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family and leave the U.K. He previously told Oprah Winfrey that the "U.K. press is bigoted, specifically the tabloids," though he added this is not true of the U.K. as a whole.

In the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, Harry also argued there is a "huge level of unconscious bias" within the royal family.

"The thing with unconscious bias is it's actually no one's fault," he said. "But once it's been pointed out or identified within yourself, you then need to make it right. It's education, it's awareness, and it's a constant work in progress for everybody, including me."

Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.