Judith Collins has expressed her sympathy for the Queen after the Sussexes' explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
During the lengthy interview, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed that someone in the royal family expressed concern about how dark baby Archie's skin would be before he was born. They also accused the palace of not taking Markle's mental health seriously when she was dealing with suicidal urges.
The National Party leader responded to the interview on Wednesday saying the whole situation was "very sad".
"I thought it was really sad, actually. I watched some of it but I didn't have two hours to spend last night and I thought... These things can never be taken back and every family goes through really difficult times," she told the AM Show.
Collins also expressed her sympathy for Queen Elizabeth, who is fielding the accusations.
"I thought the overtly racist comments that they referred to, look a lot of us have heard those over the years and it's terrible."
"The awful thing is [the comments are] now all over the world and I just thought the poor Queen [who is] going through this."
Earlier Buckingham Palace released a statement responding to the allegations.
"The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," the statement reads.
"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst 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."
On Tuesday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand is unlikely to stop having Queen Elizabeth as its head of state anytime soon.
The Prime Minister was asked by a reporter if the allegations had caused her to consider New Zealand's constitutional ties with the royals.
"I've said before that, you know, I've not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our constitutional arrangements, and I don't expect that that's likely to change quickly from New Zealanders," she said.
Ardern wouldn't comment on the allegations directly, saying they were a matter for the Sussexes.
"Ultimately, the matters that have been canvassed here I see as for Meghan and Harry to respond to directly. These are matters about their personal lives and their personal decisions, and I don't think it deserves a commentary from anyone else."
