Leigh-Anne Pinnock has applauded Meghan Markle for speaking about ‘underlying racism lying within the royal establishment.’
The Little Mix singer’s praises come after Meghan, 39, and Prince Harry‘s bombshell Oprah interview was aired in the UK following its debut in the US on Sunday night.
During the chat, Meghan accused the royal family of having ‘concerns’ about ‘how dark’ their son Archie’s skin would be before he was born because she is mixed-race and Harry is white.
Praise: Leigh-Anne Pinnock has applauded Meghan Markle for speaking about ‘underlying racism lying within the royal establishment’ during her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview
Following the ITV special on Monday, Leigh-Anne, 29, took to Instagram to share her own thoughts and praised the duo for their ‘strength’ and ‘bravery’.
Leigh-Anne said: ‘What people may wish to believe and view as a “privileged life” let this be a lesson to all of us. When you become known to the public there is no safety net to protect you from what people can fire out and say about you.
‘We witness this all the time, particularly concerning women and more to the core, women of colour. Meghan has been dragged from the start and we have all witnessed it.
‘I praise her strength and determination for speaking out on her experiences showing the underlying racism lying within the royal establishment.
Bombshell: Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview was aired in the UK on Monday night following its debut in the US on Sunday
‘I praise Harry for standing by his wife and child and being brave enough to say enough is enough, we’re out.’
The Little Mix singer continued: ‘As it’s international women’s day, I wish to send my love and support to Meghan.
‘Too often we disregard a women’s emotions and mental strength. No more. Today, I urge anyone within a position where by they feel silenced, underrated, overlooked or less than to speak up and speak out.
‘It was the best thing I ever did and I know there are women all around the world holding pain within, out of fear of not being heard and taken seriously.
‘We owe it to each other as women to stand together and put a stop to gender inequality and race inequality.’
MailOnline has contacted a representative for the Royal Family for a comment.
Leigh-Anne said: ‘I praise her strength and determination for speaking out on her experiences showing the underlying racism lying within the royal establishment’
Several stars have shared posts praising Meghan and Harry for their interview throughout Monday, including Serena Williams and rugby star Gareth Thomas.
Alexandra Burke also revealed that she felt ‘sick to her core’ after hearing Meghan‘s claims that a member of the Royal family expressed concerns over the colour of son Archie’s skin.
The X Factor winner, 32, was speaking during an appearance on Monday’s Lorraine when talk soon turned to Prince Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview.
Alexandra told how as a black woman she felt ‘sick’ at hearing Meghan’s ‘heartbreaking’ racism claims, stating her shock that ‘we’re in 2021 and still having these conversations’.
One of the many astonishing claims made during the Oprah Winfrey interview was Meghan’s claim that the Royal Family of having ‘concerns’ about ‘how dark’ Archie’s skin would be before he was born because she is mixed-race and Harry is white.
The Duchess of Sussex also described her ‘pain’ that officials had denied Archie the title of prince and accused Buckingham Palace of failing to protect him by denying him 24/7 security.
Meghan refused to say which royal had the conversation with Harry about Archie’s skin colour, claiming it would be ‘damaging’ to the person in her husband’s family who raised it.
But Oprah has since revealed Prince Harry asked her to make clear that neither the Queen nor Prince Philip made the remark.
Holly Willoughby also defended Meghan on This Morning on Monday when she hit back at broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer, who said: ‘I do think multi-millionaires sitting with a billionaire in their multi-million pound mansion complaining about how terrible their life is is tone deaf.
‘In this day and age when so many people are struggling!’
Speaking out: The Duchess of Sussex accused the royal family of having ‘concerns’ about ‘how dark’ her son Archie’s skin would be because she is mixed-race and Harry is white
But Holly insisted that even the wealthy can struggle with their mental health.
Holly said: ‘Mental health doesn’t discriminate on how wealthy you are. Haven’t we got past that thought process by now?’
During the powerful interview, Meghan broke down in tears as she admits to having suicidal feelings over her treatment in the UK.
She revealed she told her husband she ‘didn’t want to be alive anymore’ when feeling at an all-time low.
Meghan tearfully revealed that the stress of royal life made her suicidal when she was five months pregnant and said Kate Middleton made her cry before she married Harry in her interview with Oprah which has already aired in the US.
Reaction: Alexandra Burke told Lorraine she felt ‘sick to her core’ after hearing claims that a member of the Royal family expressed concerns over the colour of son Archie’s skin
The Duchess of Sussex also told Oprah she ‘couldn’t be left alone’ and told her husband she ‘didn’t want to be alive anymore’ before claiming the Buckingham Palace HR department ignored her plea for help because she wasn’t a ‘paid employee’.
Describing how she considered ending her life believing it ‘was better for everyone’, Meghan said: ‘I knew that if I didn’t say it, that I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.
‘And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought. I remember how he just cradled me. I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help.
‘I said that “I’ve never felt this way before, and I need to go somewhere”. And I was told that I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution’.
Elsewhere in the interview Prince Harry claimed that racism drove him and Meghan out of Britain and the Queen was too busy to meet him.
The Duke of Sussex accused the Queen of snubbing him after she was allegedly overruled by royal aides when she tried to invite him and Meghan on a trip to Sandringham after they announced they were stepping down.
Harry said he received a message from the Queen saying she wanted them to visit ‘the moment you land’, but he later got a message from his private secretary at the time saying the trip had been cancelled.
Harry said he then rang the Queen from Frogmore cottage and she said: ‘Yes, there’s something in my diary that I didn’t know that I had.’
The prince claimed the exchange showed that even the Queen could be overruled.
He said: ‘When you’re head of the firm there is people around you that give you advice. And what has also made me really sad is some of that advice has been really bad.’
For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org for details; In the US call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
No names: Meghan refused to say which royal had the conversation with Harry about Archie’s skin colour, claiming it would be ‘damaging’ to the person in her husband’s family who raised it