primetime bombshell — the duchess of sussex tells american tv that her treatment by the royalfamily led her to contemplate suicide. she tells oprah winfrey that one unnamed family member raised questions about the skin colour of her son archie so, we have in tandem the conversation of, "he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title." and also, concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he is born. prince harry tells of a troubled relationship with his father, saying at one point prince charles wouldn't even take his calls. the interview aired several hours ago in the us. reaction is sharply

divided between those expressing sympathy for the couple and those calling for them to be stripped of their titles. we'll be looking at the latest royal rift — and asking if anyone comes out of it well. also this lunchtime... millions of children in england go back to school — borisjohnson describes it as an important first step towards a "sense of normality". we all need to get back to some sort of routine. i have every confidence in the school and the way this has all been set up, and how it is going to get tested regularly. holding hands at last — care home residents in england are now allowed one person who can visit them indoors, but no hugs yet. on international women's day — we look at new technology being introduced to help female athletes perform better. and coming up — more on the bbc sport study which finds the majority of sports now offer equal winning prize money to men and women — but the biggest gaps remain in football, golf and basketball.

good afternoon, and welcome to the bbc news. all families have their disagreements — but nothing quite like this. once again, the royalfamily is at the eye of a global storm — over its treatment of the duchess of sussex, over the fall—out between prince harry and his father, and over the issue of race. and all in an interview on american television. the duchess told oprah winfrey she had felt suicidal and considered harming herself before withdrawing from royal duties. she also said that an unnamed figure in the family had raised concerns to prince harry about how dark skinned their children would be. the duke of sussex also told the talk show host that he still had a good relationship with the queen — but prince harry spoke about his troubled relationship with his father. this report from our royal correspondent daniela relph. the duchess of sussex

didn't hold back. she described a royal life of loneliness and isolation that left her in the darkest of places. so, were you thinking of harming yourself, were you having suicidal thoughts? yes, this was very, very clear. wow. very clear and very scary. and, you know, i didn't know who to even turn to in that. these are the thoughts that i'm having the middle of the night that are very clear, and i'm scared, because this is very real. this isn't some abstract idea, this is methodical, and this is not who i am. meghan described feeling unsupported by what she called the institution. the duke and duchess of sussex! she talked about this charity event in january 2019. she said just before leaving, she told her husband that she'd thought about taking her own life. she describes how the glamour on the outside hid the pain on the inside.

wait, listen — did you hear that? the interview was personal, revealing and, at times, shocking. she told oprah winfrey that her son archie's mixed race heritage was an issue. that when pregnant, someone within the palace questioned how her child would look. in those months when i was pregnant, all around this same time, so we have in tandem the conversation of, he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title. and also, concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he is born. what? and you're not going to tell me who had the conversation? i think that would be very damaging to them. the interview highlighted strained relations within the royal family.

meghan said media reports claiming she'd made her sister—in—law, the duchess of cambridge, cry were false. in fact, it was the other way round, she said, and kate had apologised. when harryjoined the conversation with oprah, he described how he felt both his brother and father were trapped within the royal family. of william, he said their relationship now needed space and he hoped it would heal. and he revealed a rift with his father. there's a lot to work through there. you know, i... i feel really let down. because he's been through something similar. he knows what pain feels like. and this is... and archie's his grandson. but at the same time, of course, i will always love him. but there is a lot of hurt that's happened.

there were lighter moments, too. the new baby is a girl, due in the summer. and life in california has brought the couple peace. this is, of course, one side of the story. but the interview is deeply critical of the royal family and its staff. it was a portrait of an institution unable or unwilling to help those struggling within it. daniela relph, bbc news. and our royal correspondent nicholas witchell is with me now. some serious allegations. will the palace respond? some serious allegations. will the palace remand?— some serious allegations. will the palace reapond?— palace respond? nothing so far. i mean, palace respond? nothing so far. i mean. this _ palace respond? nothing so far. i mean. this is _ palace respond? nothing so far. i mean, this is deeply _ palace respond? nothing so far. i mean, this is deeply shocking, i palace respond? nothing so far. i l mean, this is deeply shocking, and damaging to the royal family. mean, this is deeply shocking, and damaging to the royalfamily. i think there is no doubt about that. you could not watch all two hours of that interview this morning and not come away with a much deeper understanding of why it is that they felt they had to escape. they felt unprotected and unsupported. first of all, by the officials, albeit that many of those officials were

hand—picked for this job and tried and tried to command tried, to make it work. but clearly it wasn't enough, to the extent that meghan said at one point, they, the officials in general, were ready to lie to protect other members of the family, but they were not ready to tell the truth to protect me and my husband. now, a lot of this seems to revolve around tension or rivalry with the cambridges. they felt unsupported by the royalfamily itself, with the notable exception, itself, with the notable exception, it must be said of the queen, which meghan said had always been wonderful to her. and then this most corrosive claim of all, that a member of the royal family made this frankly witless remark about how dark would be the colour of their child. and all of this led this woman, who we perceive to be intelligent and articulate, and assertive, a strong, independent woman, to feel broken by all of this. as she said, i don't want to be alive any more. this raises an

awful lot of questions, and i would imagine that there is a lot of heart searching going on at the moment. let's go to david willis, and this played out in front of a huge television audience? it played out in front of a huge television audience?- played out in front of a huge television audience? it did indeed. and the audience _ television audience? it did indeed. and the audience figures _ television audience? it did indeed. and the audience figures are - television audience? it did indeed. and the audience figures are not i television audience? it did indeed. i and the audience figures are not out yet, but there is talk of an audience in the region of 100 million. now, that would be on a par with last month's super bowl, and would make this the most watched television interview in american history. i have to say, certainly watching in real time on twitter, it seems like virtually the whole world was watching this interview, with opinion is sharply divided between those who expressed sympathy for the couple, and those who called for them to be stripped of their royal titles for being disloyal to the queen. meghan�*s friend, the tennis star serena williams, said the interview illustrated, she put it,

the pain and cruelty that she, meghan, has experienced. bernice king, the youngest child of the late civil rights leader dr martin luther king, said royalty is not a shield from the devastation and despair of racism. now, polls here have consistently shown that americans hold the royal family in consistently shown that americans hold the royalfamily in high regard. but, regardless of your view of this interview, it is difficult not to see it as a rather damning indictment of life within the house of windsor. already, some people here are saying that the damage caused to the royal family's reputation on the side of the pond may prove impossible to repair. so what has the response been to the interview? adina campbell has been gauging reaction. it was one of the biggest tv events of the year. as millions of us worldwide watched the fairy tale wedding of prince harry and meghan markle, three years later it is a very different story.

this time millions of people tuned in overnight to watch the couple open up to oprah winfrey about their lives in the royal family. it was uncomfortable viewing, with allegations of racism aimed at their son, archie. the duchess of sussex revealed when she was five months pregnant, there were conversations and concerns within the royal family about how dark their son's skin would be. while we talk about this issue, particularly the issue of members of the royal family having conversations about the colour of archie's skin, that is racist. for those who would like to see that as, oh, it'sjust family having a conversation, no, it's not. and that kind of thinking normalises racism. this is without doubt one of the most staggering interviews given by any members of the royal family, with front—page headlines in many of today's papers.

and it is all over social media, dividing opinion with an outpouring of heated discussions about race. tennis star serena williams, one of meghan�*s closest friends, and also a guest at their wedding, has shown her support on twitter. she said, meghan markle, my selfless friend, lives her life and leads by example with empathy and compassion. i know first hand the sexism and racism institutions the media use to vilify women and people of colour to minimise us, to break us down and demonise us. but some royal biographers are not convinced by what the couple had to say. it was a very soft serving, soapy interview in meghan�*s favour. nobody asked her about her relationship with her father. nobody asked her the astonishing fact that she only had one member of her family at her wedding. this is a woman who seems to make a habit of falling out with people. but none of meghan�*s real

behaviour was questioned. it was an absolute exercise in torching the house of windsor and i came away with a very distasteful taste in my mouth. while friends of prince harry say it is important to be clear about what was said in the interview. there is a distinction between the royal family and the institution. the royal family, meghan only had praise for them. however, the institution, the officials, i think they are the ones that have come out quite bad in this interview. and in the states, the couple's interview is the most talked about story of the day so far. back here, labour is calling for buckingham palace to investigate an allegation of racism. adina campbell, bbc news. and we'll have more on this story later in the programme. an important first step towards normality — that's how the prime minister described today's return to school for millions of children in england. some primary age children have already returned to school in wales and scotland, and some younger children return today in northern ireland. sean dilley reports.

and then we are going to go up one of your nostrils... for and then we are going to go up one of your nostrils. . ._ of your nostrils... for pupils at the bexleyheath _ of your nostrils... for pupils at the bexleyheath academy - of your nostrils... for pupils at the bexleyheath academy in i the bexleyheath academy in south—east london, it is an experience that may feel more medical in nature than educational, but it is the new normal, at least for now. . , but it is the new normal, at least for now. ., , ., , but it is the new normal, at least for now._ there - but it is the new normal, at least for now._ there is l but it is the new normal, at least l for now._ there is no for now. that is awful. there is no doubt that — for now. that is awful. there is no doubt that the _ for now. that is awful. there is no doubt that the lateral _ for now. that is awful. there is no doubt that the lateral flow - for now. that is awful. there is no doubt that the lateral flow tests . doubt that the lateral flow tests cause slight discomfort, but there is a sense that students are prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect others. we prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect others.— to protect others. we would rather be safe than _ to protect others. we would rather be safe than not _ to protect others. we would rather be safe than not so, _ to protect others. we would rather be safe than not so, we _ to protect others. we would rather be safe than not so, we have - to protect others. we would rather be safe than not so, we have got l to protect others. we would rather| be safe than not so, we have got to do what _ be safe than not so, we have got to do what we — be safe than not so, we have got to do what we have to do, and if we have _ do what we have to do, and if we have to _ do what we have to do, and if we have to wear masks, we have to wear masks _ have to wear masks, we have to wear masks. �* ., ., , masks. i'm willing to do it, but the whole process _ masks. i'm willing to do it, but the whole process is _ masks. i'm willing to do it, but the whole process is a _ masks. i'm willing to do it, but the whole process is a bit _ whole process is a bit nerve—racking. - whole process is a bit. nerve—racking. hopefully whole process is a bit- nerve—racking. hopefully within whole process is a bit— nerve—racking. hopefully within a few weeks— nerve—racking. hopefully within a few weeks i— nerve—racking. hopefully within a few weeks i will— nerve—racking. hopefully within a few weeks i will be _ nerve—racking. hopefully within a few weeks i will be used - nerve—racking. hopefully within a few weeks i will be used to - nerve—racking. hopefully within a few weeks i will be used to the l few weeks i will be used to the feeling — few weeks i will be used to the feeling and _ few weeks i will be used to the feeling and will— few weeks i will be used to the feeling and will be _ few weeks i will be used to the feeling and will be able - few weeks i will be used to the feeling and will be able to - few weeks i will be used to the i feeling and will be able to prepare myself— feeling and will be able to prepare myself for— feeling and will be able to prepare myself for it _ feeling and will be able to prepare myself for it. like _ feeling and will be able to prepare myself for it— myself for it. like all secondary schools in _ myself for it. like all secondary schools in england, _ myself for it. like all secondary schools in england, pupils- myself for it. like all secondary schools in england, pupils will. myself for it. like all secondary i schools in england, pupils will be offered three tests in the first weeks, and then twice weekly home test after that. secondary school students are asked to wear facemasks where social distancing is not

possible. some teachers say government guidance could be stronger, but it is not a concern here. ., stronger, but it is not a concern here. . , ., here. facemasks in classrooms, that has moved — here. facemasks in classrooms, that has moved through _ here. facemasks in classrooms, that has moved through today _ here. facemasks in classrooms, that has moved through today and - here. facemasks in classrooms, that has moved through today and we - here. facemasks in classrooms, that has moved through today and we are encouraging all of our students to wear a face covering. we have been overwhelmingly positive in the response from our students, they are cooperating with that request. primary school pupils in england are not being asked to wear masks or take tests. for parents, there is palpable relief after more than two months of remote learning from those children. i months of remote learning from those children. .. , months of remote learning from those children. ~ , , , ., children. i think it is essential now that we _ children. i think it is essential now that we try _ children. i think it is essential now that we try to _ children. i think it is essential now that we try to get - children. i think it is essential now that we try to get back i children. i think it is essential - now that we try to get back some sort of normality. i think obviously the children need it. we all need to get back to some sort of routine. i'm very reassured, the transition from _ i'm very reassured, the transition from being — i'm very reassured, the transition from being on lockdown at home, studying — from being on lockdown at home, studying online, to being back in school _ studying online, to being back in school will — studying online, to being back in school will be a really smooth transition, hopefully. he doesn't seem _ transition, hopefully. he doesn't seem worried. he has been seeing his teachers _ seem worried. he has been seeing his teachers every day online, the students _ teachers every day online, the students. ~ ., ., ,.

teachers every day online, the students-— teachers every day online, the students. ~ ., ., ,. , students. won a school visit in essex, labour _ students. won a school visit in essex, labour has _ students. won a school visit in essex, labour has launched i students. won a school visit in essex, labour has launched a| essex, labour has launched a campaign for universal breakfast clubs to help children in england catch up on lost learning. thea;t clubs to help children in england catch up on lost learning. they make a hue catch up on lost learning. they make a huge difference, _ catch up on lost learning. they make a huge difference, not _ catch up on lost learning. they make a huge difference, notjust_ catch up on lost learning. they make a huge difference, notjust in - a huge difference, notjust in learning but also in social contact. we want to see that are available for all children to help in particular with the catchup that is needed. , ., particular with the catchup that is needed. , needed. the government says reopening _ needed. the government says reopening of _ needed. the government says reopening of english - needed. the government says reopening of english schools l needed. the government says| reopening of english schools to needed. the government says - reopening of english schools to all pupils is an important first step in lifting lockdown restrictions. this is the first step _ lifting lockdown restrictions. try 3 is the first step on that road map to recovery. we have always prioritised to children. we have said that schools will be the last to close, and the first to open. it is so important for young people's mental health and well—being. in northern ireland, younger primary schoolchildren are also returning today. in scotland and wales, younger primary pupils returned last month, with phased returns for more pupils from the 15th of march. the government says it will monitor the reopening of schools in england closely, but it is clear it does not want to restrict attendance in

future. let's speak to our health correspondent dominic hughes. i think it is fair to say there is confusion around the testing regime especially concerns around the lateral flow tests being used that give results in 30 minutes. especially around the issue of false positive results when the tests is that you have the infection when in fact you do not. public health england say the latest data shows the lateral flow tests only give false positive results in one out of 1000 cases but there are 3.5 million secondary school pupils in england alone and that would mean three —— 3500 of them being told bluntly that they had the infection and having to isolate along with their parents and siblings. and then added confusion than in other settings for example community testing positive lateral flow test would normally be

confirmed by a more accurate pcr test that is sent off to a lab and regarded as the gold standard for testing. that does not apply in schools. a positive lateral flow test in a school, you have to isolate even if a subsequent pcr test comes back as negative. so quite a lot of confusion around this regime. today is a special day for many families in england — as restrictions are eased in care homes. each resident will be allowed one person who can visit them indoors — and they'll be able to hold hands, although hugging and kissing remain forbidden. luxmy gopal reports. we've waited a long time, haven't we? to come and do this. a simple act, a year ago taken for granted, now a huge step in reuniting people with their loved ones. from today, people in care homes in england can, for the first time since the pandemic started, meet family or friends indoors, face—to—face and hold hands, separated only by gloves,

whereas, previously, visits had to be from behind screens or a window, which was the only way ann could see her mother kathleen until now. lovely. it's just lovely. in fact, we all got rather emotional. but yeah, i got more response than i would get from her normally through the window. it still isn't much, but it is something. families face difficult decisions as, barring exceptional circumstances, only one person can be the visitor. my sister, ann, has been my mum's primary carer before she was accepted into the home. she lived on site on the farm, so she saw her day—to—day, so itjust came naturally that she was the first one to be allowed in. i do believe it will not be long before other family members are allowed. so, i'm prepared to wait that little bit longer because my turn will come. this is the first cautious step in opening up care homes, and not without risk. and the extra safety measures demand extra resources.

this chain of care homes has had to recruit two new staff just to oversee the visits in the lateral flow testing. it's so pleasing to see those families reunited, so i think it is worth it. ijust hope that others will move forward, but we ask the government for a bit more support in helping us make sure that we can keep the visiting going because fitting everyone in has its challenges. everyone wants a visit. it's mother's day soon, so there has been tremendous demand. the visits are at the discretion of individual care homes, and the government says further physical contact such as hugging is too much of a covid risk to be allowed. but the hundreds of thousands of families today, while they cannot hold their loved ones close, just being able to hold their hands after months of separation is close enough. luxmy gopal, bbc news, scarborough. the prime minister will lead this afternoon's downing street briefing. we'll have full coverage from 3:45 on bbc one and the bbc news channel. our top story this lunchtime.

the duchess of sussex tells american tv that her treatment by the royal family led her to contemplate suicide. coming up — we'll hear more from the woman behind that interview with harry and meghan — oprah winfrey. and coming up in sport on bbc news... novak djokovic targets roger federer and rafa nadal�*s 20 grand slam wins as he spends a record 311th week as the world number one. the trial of a former police officer accused of the murder of george floyd in the united states will begin with jury selection today. derek chauvin faces charges of second—degree murder and manslaughter after being filmed with his knee on mr floyd's neck in minneapolis last may. the incident sparked black lives matter protests around the world. barbara plett usher reports from minneapolis, and a warning, her report does contain distressing images. # we live all the time...

# keep it straight, keep it raw. that's what they say in krump. in a time of raw emotions, this fantastically physical street dance is a cathartic release. krumping has helped them work through their anger and pain over george floyd's death, and it will help them deal with the trial of the man charged in the killing, derek chauvin. however this trial is going to end, will be really big, either on the bad side or the good side. and i believe that it shows us how much our government cares about us, or not. the graphic video of the white police officer pinning down the black man has made this perhaps the most famous prosecution of police brutality in us history. i can't breathe! nojustice! no peace! protests demanding racialjustice and police reform rolled across the country —

peaceful by day, but sometimes violent by night. in minneapolis, there was extraordinary damage. elias has managed to restock the drugs on his pharmacy, but his business is still recovering. last year he watched helplessly by security camera as it was ransacked. wow, what a mess. completely trashed ? yes. elias and his wife mawerdi had invested their lives and savings in the pharmacyjust eight months before the unrest. the trial, it kind of brings a nervousness and brings back some of the flashbacks of what happened in the past during the civil unrest. but, at the same time, we feel like it's probably part of a little bit of the price that we pay for justice. justice for george, the rallying cry that shaped a movement and is now facing a moment of reckoning. trials in police killings are rare, in a nation that seldom punishes cops for allegations

of abusive behaviour. once again, minneapolis is in the national spotlight. this time, as a test case for the country on whether anything's changed about holding police officers to account for the way they use force. and about attitudes towards racism and policing in america. barbara plett usher, bbc news, minneapolis. and we can speak to barbara plett usher now. this is such a tense moment now. that's right, a moment that has significance notjust for the that's right, a moment that has significance not just for the fate of one man but for the fate of a movement and it could be difficult to convict derek chauvin despite that video. the prosecution must prove that he is guilty but the defence does not have to prove that he is not guilty. itjust has to poke holes in the prosecution case. and in minnesota no white police officer has ever been convicted for killing a black person of a black police officer has been convicted for killing a white woman. some

activists are planning is to demonstrate throughout and the officials here are worried there could be violence if derek chauvin is acquitted for killing a white woman. some activists are planning is to demonstrate throughout and the officials here are worried there could be violence if derek chauvin is acquitted. they have intensified security already around barbara, thank you. the main financial backer of one of the uk's largest industrial groups is on the brink of administration, putting 5,000 jobs at risk. our business editor simonjack is with me now. so sanjeev so sa njeev gupta so sanjeev gupta was once described as the saviour of steel, he was a businessman who went buying up steel and aluminium plants no one thought could be profitably run and everyone was wondering how we did it for that party did it using short—term specialist funding from a company called greensill capital which counts former prime minister david cameron is one of its paid advisers. today the company is on the brink of administration and without the money coming from greensill capital to sanjeev gupta's and irons steel interest there is a way that no one

else could make this work. the company itself, the steel company says it has enough funding for its current needs and the government have an emergency meeting with the boss of the steel group yesterday and further meetings are planned and the government today says it is monitoring the situation carefully. but unions are very concerned. simon, thank you. more than 90% of adults said they would have a vaccine when offered it according to the office for national statistics but there is a reluctance among some in ethnic minority groups. around 1 in 6 younger people aged 16 to 29 also reported vaccine hesitancy. with the tokyo olympics and paralympics taking place this summer, athletes and the english institute of sport have been working together to look at every detail of sports health that could give them the edge.

as laura scott reports, on international women's day a simple tweak to their clothing could make all the difference to their performance. they've all conquered the world in their respective sports. but have required different skills and different equipment to get there. what's one thing they all have in common? beneath their gb kit, they all rely on the humble bra. though it has traditionally been given little attention. i have always been told that it's important and to really think about it for later life! but i can say i've thought about it much. i think a lot more about what i'm going to wear, like, the stick i'm going to hold or the shoes i'm going to wear rather than the actual sports bra and fit of it. lizzie is not alone. surprisingly, 75% of elite british athletes who took part in breast health workshops had never been fitted for a sports bra. and a quarter said breast pain had affected their performance. research by the university of portsmouth found that women running in a bra with poor support shorten their stride by four centimetres.

so if you imagine two clones of the same woman ran a marathon, with the only difference being the fit of the bra, the one wearing a sports bra that fits well could cross the finish line a mile ahead of the other. the distraction of an ill fitting bra is an issue for every woman. the english institute of sport are giving 100 olympians and paralympians bespoke sports bras to ensure they can perform at their best in tokyo. obviously when you're in a pressured situation and a scenario of high performance environment, you don't want to be thinking about anything else. it's definitely something that will ensure that we leave no stone unturned. everyone being comfortable out there on the pitch and feeling comfortable in themselves. and i think that's incredibly important. there are hopes that raising awareness of the importance of sports bras could benefit more than just the top athletes. i think if we look at it into the general population, recognising that the right bra could be the difference between a middle—aged woman or a young girl who has developed breasts for the first time being able to take part in sport,

and not being comfortable enough to take part in sport, i think it could be a game changer. this summer, women could outnumber men for team gb. and with innovation now applying to every item in the kit bag, they are getting more support than ever. laura scott, bbc news. let's return to the interview prince harry and meghan markle gave to oprah winfrey and broadcast on us networks last night. our royal correspondent sarah campbell is with me now: oprah winfrey of course is the queen of chat show hosts and she has been speaking on cbs the american network which broadcast interview. speaking about her experiences and how it came about and of course everyone is fascinated as you would imagine in every detail of this interview. one of the things she talked about which i think people will find interesting is one of the main clips from the interview this question of somebody interview this question of somebody in the royal family talking about archie and what colour his skin

would be. and oprah winfrey said in the interview that prince harry wanted to make clear to her that everyone knew it was not his grandmother or grandfather. those people were not part of those conversations. so that is one point to bring out. she was questioned about why prince harry and meghan markle who often talk about privacy or lack of privacy, why would they go on to be interviewed by one of the biggest names in the world in terms of interviews and this was a response. yes, they want privacy. but they understand that they are public figures, and the privacy is to not be intruded upon. the same thing everybody else in the world wants. and there is a difference between privacy and intrusion, and being able to have boundaries. yes, you want privacy. you don't want helicopters and people hiding in the bushes, filming your baby outside playing. i think when people say, oh, they're talking now

and they wanted privacy? they don't understand that there is a difference between being a public figure who wants to have some boundaries, and not to be consistently intruded upon, versus being private. one of the points oprah winfrey said, one of the difficulties was shortening the interview which actually went on for three hours and 20 minutes so you can only imagine what might have ended up being on the cutting room floor. she was asked whether she had spoken to either prince harry or meghan markle since the interview had aired and she said no but she was hoping to speak to them later today but she had a text for meghan simply asking them how is it going? what had a text for meghan simply asking them how is it going?— them how is it going? what a question! _ them how is it going? what a question! no _ them how is it going? what a question! no answer! - them how is it going? what a question! no answer! thank. them how is it going? what a i question! no answer! thank you them how is it going? what a - question! no answer! thank you very much. time for a look at the weather...here's ben rich. a relatively quiet start to the new week but this is the calm before the