Kate Middleton Played Key Role in Palace's Response to Meghan Markle's Oprah Interview, New Book Says

A new edition of 'Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown' by Valentine Low claims Kate advocated for the "recollections may vary" phrase in Buckingham Palace's statement

Kate Middleton advocated for the "some recollections may vary” line to be included in Buckingham Palace’s official response to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview claims, according to a new book.

After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex alleged during their March 2021 Oprah interview that there were "concerns and conversations about how dark" their son Archie's "skin might be when he's born," the Palace released a 61-word statement in response.

The statement pointedly noted that "some recollections may vary" regarding what was discussed in the interview — and now, a new edition of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown by Valentine Low claims that the Princess of Wales played a key role in pushing said phrasing, according to an excerpt shared by The Times.

Low quotes a source who claimed that the Palace's response initially had "a much milder version" of the "recollections" sentence.

"The debate was, do you rise entirely above it and offer the olive branch of [Harry and Meghan being] ‘much-loved members of the family'? Or is there some moment when you have to intervene and offer a view?" the source shared with Low, adding that Kate and Prince William wanted it “toughened up.”

“They were both of one mind that we needed something that said that the institution did not accept a lot of what had been said," the source explained.

Related: Oprah Winfrey Shares Her Thoughts on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Attending the Coronation

Another source told the author that Kate insisted the phrase remain in the Palace's response. “It was Kate who clearly made the point, ‘History will judge this statement and unless this phrase or a phrase like it is included, everything that they have said will be taken as true.'"

The source continued, “She does not get as much credit as she should, because she is so subtle about it. She is playing the long game. She has always got her eye on, ‘This is my life and my historic path and I am going to be Queen one day.'"

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The book also claims that multiple sources said Prince William's private secretary Jean-Christophe Gray was responsible for the phrase, although some have attributed it to Sir Clive Alderton. It also adds that Queen Elizabeth reportedly did not immediately respond to the March 7 interview because she waited to watch the interview on ITV the next night.

It's been over two years since Meghan said she was "silenced" by the institution during the bombshell Oprah interview, in which she also claimed that she was denied help when she was experiencing a mental health crisis.

Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Part Ways with Spotify After 1 Season of 'Archetypes' Podcast

In response, the Royal Family said in a statement at the time that it was "saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan."

"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members."

Oprah later confirmed on CBS This Morning that it was not either of Harry's grandparents, Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip, who made the comment about Archie's skin. "He did not tell me who was a part of those conversations," she added at the time. "As you can see, I tried to get that answer on camera and off."

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