The Royal Who Came up With the ‘Recollections May Vary’ Response After Prince Harry and Meghan’s Oprah Interview Wasn’t Queen Elizabeth
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s sit-down with Oprah Winfrey is still one of the most-talked-about interviews over the last few years. Most royal watchers agree that there were no winners after the duke and duchess aired out the royal family’s dirty laundry. They made some damning allegations, including one about a senior royal asking about Prince Archie’s skin color before he was even born.
But the Sussexes didn’t succeed in their quest to take down the monarchy. While they did tarnish the family’s reputation a bit, they opened themselves up to ridicule as well. Many comedians and late show hosts began mocking the couple. And who can forget South Park‘s popular “We Want Privacy” episode about them?
Something else that came out of that televised interview that Harry and Meghan never expected was a response from the royal family and the now-famous line “recollections may vary.” Here’s who actually came up with that as it wasn’t Queen Elizabeth.
The royal family’s 61-word response to Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview
The royals were reportedly blindsided when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did that primetime interview with Oprah in March 2021, one year after they stepped down as working royals. There were reports that it left the late queen broken-hearted, Prince William unable to eat, and then-Prince Charles furious.
Several reports claimed that Harry’s father was so upset he wanted to issue a very detailed rebuttal right away, disputing each line that he believed the Sussexes lied about. Queen Elizabeth, however, wanted to take a different approach and wait before she made any final decision.
After conversing with her press staff and senior royals, she finally agreed to release a response to Harry and Meghan’s allegations.
A 61-word statement, which came nearly 48 hours after the interview first aired, read: “The whole family is 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.”
The Princess of Wales is the person who came up with the famous line
Many believed that the “recollections may vary” line came directly from the queen, but it didn’t. According to author and historian Robert Lacey, the royal who came up with and was adamant about the line being included in the response statement was the now-Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton).
Meghan spoke about her sister-in-law in the interview and gave her version of what happened during a bridesmaid fitting saying Kate made her cry, not the other way around. Whether true or not, the princess certainly would have been taken aback that her personal business was being put out there for the world to hear.
Express noted that Lacey said: “The original draft of the statement had been much milder, but both William and Catherine had been keen to toughen it up. It was the then-Duchess of Cambridge herself who came up with the powerful phrase ‘recollections may vary.'”
Royal expert Tessa Dunlop told The Mirror: “It turned out that the bridesmaid squabble was just the tip of the iceberg. And now we discover it was Kate who doggedly insisted Buckingham Palace punch back with that famous phrase ‘some recollections may vary.’ While it is unclear which private secretary inserted the vital line, Kate pressed for its retention, insisting ‘history will judge this statement.’”
