Prime Minister Justin Trudeau comments on Canada's legacy of colonialism after explosive royals interview

Following Oprah Winfrey's explosive interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, when asked to speak about Canada's connection to the monarchy, said he will not comment on the royal family but spoke about his desire to address the legacy of colonialism in Canada.

"There are many institutions that we have in this country, including that big building right across the street from us, Parliament, that has and is built around a system of colonialism, or discrimination or systemic racism," Trudeau said.

"But the answer is not to suddenly toss out all the institutions and start over, the answer is to look very carefully at those systems and listen to Canadians who face discrimination every single day, and when they interact with those institutions, to understand barriers, inequities and inequalities that exist within our institutions that need to be addressed, that many of us don’t see because we don’t live them."

The prime minister went on to say that fighting systemic discrimination is about "listening, learning, improving and transforming" these institutions.

While maintaining that he would not comment on the royals directly he did have one message, "I wish all the members of the royal family the very best."

Following Sunday's interview, some Canadians started raising questions about whether Canada should drop the monarchy. Trudeau said his focus right now will continue to be managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

"People later want to talk about constitutional change and shifting our system of government, that’s fine, they can have those conversations, but right now I’m not having those conversations," the prime minister said. "I'm focused on getting us through this pandemic and bringing our economy roaring back."