tonight at ten — the queen responds to harry and meghan�*s damaging allegations about life in the royalfamily. buckingham palace issued a statement, saying the queen was saddened to learn how challenging the past few years had been for the couple. they were also told that their recollection of events might not tally with those of the royal family. reporter: sir, can i ask, what did you think of the interview? - but the royal family has promised to tackle, in private, the serious issues raised, including the question of race. the debate about the duke and duchess has also had some unexpected consequences... on itv�*s good morning britain, presenter piers morgan was criticised for his attacks on meghan.

he walked out of the studio, hours before resigning. do you know what? that's pathetic. see you later. sorry, can't do this. this is absolutely diabolical behaviour. as schools welcome millions of children back to the classroom, experts warn there could be another covid surge in late summer. yeah, she's fine. yeah? the bafta film nominations have made up for the startling lack of diversity seen last year. and coming up in sport, on bbc news... good news for liverpool fans asjurgen klopp commits to anfield saying he won't be taking over as germany manager. good evening. the queen has authorised a formal response by buckingham palace

to the damaging allegations made by the duke and duchess of sussex in their television interview yesterday. her majesty said she was saddened to learn just how challenging the past few years had been for the couple and declared that they would always be much—loved members of the family. the palace said pointedly that some recollections of events might vary but that the issues raised, particularly the question of race, were being taken �*very seriously�*. those issues would be addressed by the royal family in private. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell has more details. the revelations in their interview have been heard. there has been hurt on both sides. tonight, buckingham palace issued a statement from her majesty the queen. it read...

it amounted to just 61 words. the palace made it clear it would not be commenting further. earlier, while the palace was pondering its response the daily business of the british royalfamily continued. the prince of wales was at a vaccination centre in northwest london. a normal visit, apart from the inevitable question... sir, can i ask, what did - you think of the interview? millions around the world have now heard meghan�*s claim to have been suicidal but ignored, and her assertion of a racial slur by a member of the royal family about her then unborn baby. 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's born. what? meghan�*s estranged father thomas markle watched the interview on us television. what did he make of his daughter's claims? i don't think the british royal family are racist. _ the thing about what colour will the baby be or how- dark will the baby be, - i'm guessing and hoping it's just a dumb question. closely linked to the question of racial prejudice in the couple's view, is the role of the british tabloid media. this is what meghan said in the interview... there's a reason that these tabloids have holiday parties at the palace. they're hosted by the palace. the tabloids are.

you know, there is a construct that is at play there, and because from the beginning of our relationship they were so attacking and inciting so much racism, really, it changed the risk level, because it wasn'tjust catty gossip. it was bringing out a part of people that was racist in how it was charged. and here, amid the blanket coverage, some voices are saying, yes, there was a double standard in the way that meghan was reported. you have to draw conclusions from the way meghan was systematically criticised and attacked for things which other, white, members of the royal family could get away with. and so a sharply divided debate continues. was meghan the naive american who never understood the nature of being a british royal, or a huge potential asset who was wasted and wronged by an inflexible institution?

our royal correspondent nicholas witchell is here. it seems to be a conciliatory message and yet the precise wording is very interesting. this message and yet the precise wording is very interesting.— is very interesting. this is very much a statement _ is very interesting. this is very much a statement by - is very interesting. this is very much a statement by and - is very interesting. this is very j much a statement by and from is very interesting. this is very - much a statement by and from the queen. she uses language very precisely, this isjust 61 queen. she uses language very precisely, this is just 61 words but within that you can sense a fusion of her roles as head of state and as a grandmother or indeed is a great grandmother, and the palace could have been more combative and they could have pushed back more firmly against the sussex version of events but clearly they don't want a ball of words, so it is a conservatory and reaching out, it is empathetic —— they don't want a war of words. it is gently challenging, the phrase, some recollections may vary, well, you bet they do. within the palace that is an understatement, i think to put it mildly, but there is an acknowledgement of the seriousness and the significance of the issues. the issues raised

especially those of race are concerning. they hope people will give them credit for their decades of work they have done, the prince of work they have done, the prince of wales in particular, on diversity and equality but beyond that they want to work this out within the family. it's been very traumatic for all of them, a big public row, father and son, brother and brother, and they had this will subside and they will be given the time to talk this through and work this out amongst themselves. nicholas witchell, thank you very much. more than 11 million people in the uk watched the interview last night on itv and public opinion on the differences between the two camps and the issues raised is deeply divided. our home editor mark easton assesses how damaging the couple's allegations could be in the longer term. exactly one year ago today the queen attended the commonwealth day service at westminster abbey, harry and meghan�*s last royal engagement.

"it's always inspiring to be reminded of the diversity of the people and countries that make up our worldwide family", the queen said, speaking as head of the commonwealth that day. "such a blend of traditions serves to make us stronger individually and collectively." but as the royals gathered in the abbey, there were hints of tensions and troubles to come. over the course of 70 years, the queen has guided the monarchy from empire to black lives matter. in the 21st century she represents a uniting figurehead for people of all cultures. accusations of racism at the heart of the royal family could represent an existential threat for this ancient institution. now, if you look at social media you see very young people, young influencers, young thinkers saying, "what is this institution, why does it exist?" they're questioning things i've not seen them question before. "this is an anachronism in this day and age", and notjust

on the basis of race, we are certainly seeing young black people having that conversation but also young white people. the throne passes to king edward viii's younger brother. _ today's crisis management at the palace contains echoes of the abdication crisis in 1936 when king edward viii gave up the throne to marry wallis simpson — like meghan, she was an american divorcee, an outsider who felt shunned by the royalfamily. the death of princess diana in 1997 also saw the royals accused of failing to support a young woman they had invited into their gilded cage, seemingly unable to comprehend public anger at her treatment and grief at her loss. now the royal pr department is again firefighting accusations of a brand out of touch with contemporary attitudes and values. it represents notjust a symbol of historic oppression but as we see with harry and meghan, the continued residue of the discrimination and the racism

that made british empire. a new yougov poll suggests a generational divide — four times as many 18 to 2a—year—olds thought harry and meghan had been treated unfairly by the royal family compared to the over—65s. it suggests a looming challenge for the monarchy. while harry and meghan praised the queen in their interview, prince charles was portrayed as unsupportive and distant. repairing the reputational damage will require a response that reaches across notjust ethnicities but generations. mark easton, bbc news. the intense debate about harry and meghan has had some unexpected consequences. the broadcaster piers morgan has left itv�*s good morning britain today following comments he made about the duchess of sussex. itv announced the decision after ofcom said it was investigating his comments after receiving 41,000 complaints. mr morgan had said he �*didn�*t believe a word' the duchess had

said in the interview. the mental health charity mind, which is a partner with itv, also criticised the presenter�*s comments, as our correspondent david sillito reports. live from tv centre in london, this is good _ live from tv centre in london, this is good morning _ live from tv centre in london, this is good morning britain _ live from tv centre in london, this is good morning britain with - live from tv centre in london, this is good morning britain with piersl is good morning britain with piers morgan — is good morning britain with piers moraan... �* , is good morning britain with piers moraan... �*, �* ., morgan... itv's good morning britain and there was — morgan... itv's good morning britain and there was only _ morgan... itv's good morning britain and there was only topic— morgan... itv's good morning britain and there was only topic of— and there was only topic of conversation. 0n and there was only topic of conversation. on one side, piers morgan, who has been more than scathing about the duchess of sussex, and on the other, alex beresford, defending her comments on race and mental heath but things got heated. i race and mental heath but things got heated. , ., , ., ., �* race and mental heath but things got heated. , . ., �* ~' heated. i understand you don't like mechan heated. i understand you don't like meghan markle _ heated. i understand you don't like meghan markle and _ heated. i understand you don't like meghan markle and you _ heated. i understand you don't like meghan markle and you have - heated. i understand you don't like| meghan markle and you have made heated. i understand you don't like i meghan markle and you have made it so clear on this programme a number of times but you continue to trash her. �* ., , do you know what? that's pathetic. see you later. piers morgan return to the studio but by the end of the day off, had received more than 31,000

complaints, and itv then announced he had decided to go. —— 41,000 complaints. it he had decided to go. -- 41,000 complaints-_ he had decided to go. -- 41,000 complaints-— he had decided to go. -- 41,000 complaints. it is certainly going to be quieter- _ complaints. it is certainly going to be quieter- i _ complaints. it is certainly going to be quieter. i can _ complaints. it is certainly going to be quieter. i can imagine. - complaints. it is certainly going to be quieter. i can imagine. but- complaints. it is certainly going to be quieter. i can imagine. but we| all be quieter. i can imagine. but we all wish him _ be quieter. i can imagine. but we all wish him well. _ be quieter. i can imagine. but we all wish him well. we _ be quieter. i can imagine. but we all wish him well. we wish - be quieter. i can imagine. but we all wish him well. we wish him i be quieter. i can imagine. but we| all wish him well. we wish him all the best, of course we do. piers moraan the best, of course we do. piers morgan has _ the best, of course we do. piers morgan has had _ the best, of course we do. piers morgan has had a _ the best, of course we do. piers morgan has had a mum - the best, of course we do. piers morgan has had a mum and - the best, of course we do. piers morgan has had a mum and often controversial career, he was sacked as editor at the daily mirror and in recent years has become an outspoken voice about controversies on language, race and gender, so—called work culture. a former colleague was glad he had spoken his mind. i worked with him for years, he's my friend, and i will stand by his right to say what he said and if you want to leave the show, that is his right, so i stand by what he wants to say, it is freedom of speech. thousands of complaints but piers morgan does have millions of

followers. today's work—out was good for attention and with two new opinion led new services preparing to launch, the morgan started broadcasting is not about to go out of fashion. —— style of broadcasting. david sillito, bbc news. two of the government's top scientists have warned of the dangers of lifting coronavirus restrictions too quickly, saying that the situation could turn very bad very quickly if lockdown is eased too fast. professor chris whitty told mps that all the modelling suggests there is going to be a further surge in coronavirus infections, in the late summer or autumn, and many vulnerable people still aren't protected. here's our health editor hugh pym. the vaccination programme rolls on. people in derby queueing, and happy to get theirjabs. 55—59—year—olds in england now getting their invitations. it's a relief cos i thought i'd have to wait quite a while, but i got the letter yesterday and i'm booked in today,

which is quite good. been waiting quite a long time, but the sooner the better for me. government advisers say the vaccination plan is going very well, but they warn that while people will get some protection against serious illness, the virus won't go away. in fact, it will probably spread faster as lockdown is eased. all the modelling suggests there will be a further surge and that will find the people who either have not been vaccinated or where the vaccine has not worked, and some of them will end up in hospital and some of them, sadly, will go on to die, and that's just the reality. schools in england have opened up this week. at this primary in norwich there was even a mini circus to welcome children back and reassure them. officials say they need up to five weeks to see how the reopening affects the spread of the virus. parents meet, people who perhaps weren't going into work, some of them may go into work

as a result, so it changes a number of things, all of which may have pressure on transmission. lockdown easing in england continues provisionally from march 29th with some outdoor meetings and sports allowed. from april 12th, nonessential retail, outdoor hospitality and some leisure facilities are set to reopen. from may 17th, some indoor meetings and hospitality will be allowed, and june 21st will be the earliest possible date for a full reopening. the government advisers say it can't go any quicker. what the government has been told over and again is take this steady, and what we don't want to do is accelerate into trouble and then have to reverse straight back out again — open things up and immediately close them down. from friday in scotland, up to four people will be able to meet outdoors and some adult sports will resume. the first minister said they were heading in the right direction but it was too soon to take a foot off the brake. if we continue to prioritise children's education, as i believe we should and indeed must, our scope to make further changes will be limited

while we are still rolling out the vaccine. case numbers may be falling, but are still relatively high. the message from ministers and officials around the uk is that the grounds for hope must be balanced by caution. hugh pym, bbc news. the latest figures on coronavirus shows 5,766 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period, which means that on average the number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 5,800. across the uk, latest data shows the number of patients in hospital with coronavirus is 9,418. 231 deaths were reported — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. on average, 190 people have died every day in the last week from coronavirus. the total number of deaths so far across the uk is 124,797.

and now to the vaccination programme. around 215,000 people have had their first dose of a covid vaccine in the latest 24 hour period. that takes the overall number of people who've had their firstjab to more than 22.5 million people. and over one million people have now had both doses of the vaccine. at the end of january, more than 4,000 people were on ventilators in hospitals across the uk. that number has fallen dramatically in the past few weeks. tojust over 1,300. 0ur medical editor fergus walsh has returned to the intensive care unit at university college hospital in london, where he met staff and patients. some viewers may find some of the images in his report distressing. this is the reality of covid intensive care for patients like louis christou. he's been on a ventilator since christmas.

it may not look it but he is improving. louis, who's 70, is gradually being weaned off a machine. he has a tube into his windpipe, his body learning to breathe again. a retired mechanic, his wife and family are waiting anxiously at home. no longer fully sedated, louis is sometimes aware of his surroundings. louis, it's elaine here, one of the nurses. as patients emerge from unconsciousness, they need reassurance. you're getting there. don't worry. louis' family agreed to us filming in order to highlight the continuing dangers of covid. they hope he will be home with them soon. compared to the peak injanuary, covid icu numbers here are down 80%. it means wards can be converted back

to their normal function. until two days ago, this was where the last of our covid patients were. after a year of battling covid, staff at university college hospital are apprehensive about the future. you won't see nurses and doctors booking holidays and booking pub gardens in april because they believe that, they're scared that this would happen again and they don't want to have to do this again. the average age of covid patients in intensive care is 60 but many are much younger — another reason why medical teams are so cautious and keen for all of us to stick to the rules. the patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s that are coming to icu have still not been able to have their vaccine and i think until we can make sure that all the population is vaccinated,

we still need to be careful. little by little the pressure here is easing, but for many covid patients, surviving intensive care is just the start of a long journey of recovery. one, two, three. and holding on to the frame. perfect. rodney woods, who's 58, spent over a month on a ventilator. he lost so much muscle, he's having to learn to stand and walk again. how are you feeling? yeah, it's going well. a minister at a central london church, he hopes to be home in time for easter and looks forward to tasting food again. i've had the feeding tube now for over two months because i couldn't swallow. i'd just forgotten how. so i've had to relearn how to swallow. i'm now relearning how to stand and how to walk and it's really, it's literally, you're kind

of rebuilding your life. milen, who's in his 40s, is another icu survivor who's just starting to rebuild his life. even as patient numbers gradually fall, covid will continue to cast a long shadow. fergus walsh, bbc news. there have been further protests in towns and cities across myanmar in defiance of the armed forces. campaigners are calling for an end to military rule and the release of the country's elected leaders following last month's military coup. it's thought more than 40 people were arrested overnight, with government forces sealing off neighbourhoods to round up demonstrators. endometriosis is a condition that affects more than a million women in the uk — it causes severe pain and sometimes infertility. scientists from edinburgh university are now carrying out human trials

to discover whether a drug normally used for metabolic disorders could help and significantly improve the lives of those who suffer. this report by our correspondent sarah campbell starts with the voices of some of the women affected. dealing with the constant pain is exhausting and frustrating and i'm awaiting surgery for a full hysterectomy. endometriosis has affected my quality of life, fertility and mental health. most of the medications i try simply help make you get out of bed, - they don't actually improve my quality of life _ like so many others, jessica rafferty�*s life has been dominated by endometriosis. i've been hospitalised more than 220 times now. the condition involves cells similar to those in the womb building up elsewhere in the body. jessica is now helping in the search for new treatments. she's just completed a trial of a drug called dichloroacetate. i was able to do things

on this medication that i would struggle to do normally, like i would be able to take the dog on a six—mile walk and usually even going three orfour miles, that would cripple me with the pain. the trial, which is in its early stages, is being run from edinburgh university. currently, contraceptive drugs such as the pill are used to control symptoms. dichloroacetate is non—hormonal, which is why it's generating such excitement. for women with endometriosis, explain why this could be a potential game—changer. clearly, endometriosis affects a young female population, many of whom are wanting to try to get pregnant, so they don't want to take hormones. they don't want to take a contraceptive, so this would be a very different approach to treatment. 400 miles south, at the university of oxford, the focus is on the genetic make—up of endometriosis. the team here has analysed tissue samples donated by 60,000 patients in the largest study of its kind.

the full results will be published soon and according to the lead scientist, new detail is revealed about genetic links to other inflammatory conditions like asthma and osteoarthritis. with that information, i we can look to drugs that are currently being used for those conditions and repurpose them, l reuse them for endometriosis and that will really speed up i the process of drug - discovery for endometriosis. the hope forjessica and all those living with the condition is that medical breakthroughs are on the way. an effective treatment is needed soon for those suffering, to be able to live a normal life and have some sort of hope for the future. i hope it will take less time for people to be diagnosed and that pain management will be more accessible. if there were a medication that treats the disease rather- thanjust masks the symptoms, this would be life—changing - for many, many women. some of the women affected

by endrometriosis ending that report by sarah campbell. officers searching for a missing woman in south london have put up a cordon outside a block of flats near to where she was last seen. sarah everard was last spotted in clapham on wednesday night at around 9.30 after leaving a friend's house. detectives say the search is continuing at pace. in 2011, a series of anti—government protests known as the arab spring reached syria, with tens of thousands taking to the streets and calling for change. when the government used deadly force to crush the dissent, protests spread, opposition supporters took up arms and the country descended into civil war. the united nations believes more than 250,000 people have died, although human rights groups suggest the number could be much higher. at least 6.2 million syrians have been internally displaced, while another 5.7 million have fled abroad.

and today, the same leader — bashar al—assad — is still in power, with the dream of democracy as far away as ever. our correspondent lina sinjab, herself a syrian living in exile, has been speaking to some of the women she met in the early days of the uprising, as they reflect on ten years of conflict. i want to draw a woman and a man coming back to syria. it's like a gift from me to the syrian revolution. a decade of devastating conflict in syria. women are at the heart of the story. like millions of syrians who fled the war, azza got to lebanon four years ago, determined to carry on with her art. she felt a responsibility to document what she had witnessed. azza was a peaceful activist. she drew graffiti on the walls

of the city homs as a message of resistance. the government besieged the city, starving people into surrender. so i saw people, women and children, going out from homs from their homes and i decide to draw on the wall, it's like "we will be back". she was arrested and put in prison. after i was released from the prison, i stayed at my home for ten months, without going out. i received the call that, "you have to leave the country." you know, they don't want people like us to stay in syria. ayat was only 19 when she first went to prison for her views — before the uprising began.

she's now in toulouse in the south of france with her family. the syrian war forced more than 6 million people outside the country. some made it to europe, others only as far as neighbouring countries. a million refugees live here in camps in lebanon but many syrians still live in fear inside syria. like sima, who is in damascus and too frightened to appear on camera, so we've used an actor

to voice her words. i keep myself working day and night so i don't think, and run from the daily pain that we are living. in today's syria, nearly 90% of the population live in poverty. the economy has collapsed and many cannot afford basic needs. there is nothing more humiliating than having to wait six or seven hours a day to get some bread. this is a form of enslavement. back in lebanon, azza feels responsible for keeping the stories alive, while still dreaming of going back home. while assad is still ruling in damascus over a destroyed country, it may be generations before the likes of azza, ayat and sima see the syria they dream of. lina sinjab, bbc news, beirut. a year ago, bafta was criticised for a lack of diversity when it

unveiled the nominations for its film awards, with an all—white cast of acting nominees and no female film directors. this year, 16 of the 24 acting nominees are from a black, asian or minority ethnic background. four women who directed films have also been nominated. the american drama nomadland, and rocks, a film about an abandoned teenager, are hotly tipped, as our arts editor will gompertz tells us. nomadland jointly leads bafta's 2021 shortlist, its most multicultural ever, with seven nominations, including one for its director, chloe zhao, and a leading actress nod for frances mcdormand. hello, coffee? she is a big star. bukky bakray, another nominee for leading actress, is not — yet. hers was an eye—catching performance in rocks, a beautifully observed film about growing up in east london, which also sees kosar ali shortlisted for best supporting actress and nominations for both its director and screenwriters.