Prince William Carried on Throne Photo Resurfaces After Royal Says Family 'Not Racist'

Photos of Prince William and his wife Kate sitting on carried thrones in a former British colony have gone viral after the heir to the British throne said the Royal Family was "very much not a racist family."

On Thursday, the Duke of Cambridge made the statement during a visit to a school in Stratford, London, after a journalist asked whether the Royal Family was a "racist family." The exchange was in reference to his brother Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired on CBS last week.

During the discussion, Harry and Meghan alleged an unnamed royal family member expressed concern over the potential colour of their son Archie's skin during Markle's pregnancy. After the interview, Harry conveyed through Winfrey that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip did not make those remarks.

The former Suits actor also revealed she felt the Royal establishment was reluctant to support her as she faced abuse rooted in racism from British tabloids.

William's much-awaited response came after the queen released a statement saying the "issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," while also specifying "some recollections may vary."

Social media users were not convinced, and resurfaced photos juxtaposed with William's statement.

The photos—taken during William and Kate's 2012 Diamond Jubilee tour of Commonwealth nations—show the smiling couple sitting on ornate throne-like chairs carried by people in the Solomon Islands' capital Honeira.

The couple were carried on elevated seating several times during the South Pacific leg of their trip. During their visit to the nearby island of Tuvalu, William and Kate sat on shaded benches atop runway-like stages carried by locals.

One viral tweet compared William's denial of racism versus a photo of the people-powered thrones, with his uncle Prince Andrew denying sexually abusing minors during his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein versus his photo with alleged Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre and alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

The Oprah interview has sparked a debate over racism in Buckingham Palace and attitudes towards race in Britain.

At this week's school visit, William was also asked about his relationship with his brother. During his interview, Harry confirmed a much-speculated sibling rift.

"The relationship is space at the moment," Harry said. "Time heals all things, hopefully."

When asked whether he has spoken to his brother since the sit-down with Winfrey, William answered: "No, I haven't spoken to him yet, but I will do."