Recently an interview aired with American journalist, Oprah Winfrey interviewing the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle and the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry. The two have left England and their positions within the Royal Family to come to America to live and I definitely have a problem with that and let me explain why….Why would these two leave their positions of wealth and privilege in England to move to America and be commoners? Well if we are to believe the interview that Ms. Winfrey had with the couple the cause of their “break” with the Royal Family is due to racism, in part. Well let me give my “truth” which is really just my opinion, because I have one, and I am fascinated with The Royals, just not obsessed.

There were a lot of shocking things that were brought up in the interview where the couple revealed they dealt with issues surrounding the race of the Duchess who is mixed with Black and White heritage. Both of the interviewee’s declined to name people who expressed comments laced with racial undertones. They stated that they felt unprotected by the Royal Family, and the family did not comment on the matter at the time of the interview.

Meghan is a Black woman who grew up in America with the privilege of being light skinned. She does not have the same experiences that a darker skinned woman would have, so going to a place where her blackness is a big issue must feel persecutory to her in a way she never felt in the United States where her skin color gave her advantages. Other than that, what reason does she have to come back to place where racism is so prevalent against Black women?

Some of the English people had a problem with her being a part of the Royal family who has for generations been White. This is despite the image the English people would like to portray of them being more open minded than Americans on issues such dealing with race. The Royal family was quick to tell the couple their offspring would not have royal titles rather than make an exception for the special situation and its importance in history. Why not create a title, I mean they are the royal family, but there is a tradition of making certain people outsiders because of their lineage and therefore their skin color. There is also been accusations of classism such as in some of the discourse about the mother of Prince Harry, who you will remember was Princess Diana.

Who is Prince Harry?

Prince Harry is way down the line in succession for the throne, but is the youngest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Whales. He cause quite a stir when he began dating Meghan in 2016, who is an American born actress. He is no stranger to controversy and has been in the tabloids frequently just like his mother used to when she was alive and unmercifully hounded by the paparazzi.

Harry was and is known for being very good at sports like Polo. Harry is known to be a sort of rebel within the Royals like his mother was thought by some to be as well. He didn’t always seem to fit in to his role as a Prince and probably would have been happy being a commoner making his living playing Polo.

Harry is also known to have a temper and being loyal to people he loves including his friends. He doesn’t seem like the type to let anyone run over Meghan who he appears to be deeply in love with. In the interview their love for each other shines through. Although he did not grow up in a country as racist as The United States, it is a surprise he would choose this country over his own.

Who Is Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex?

As previously stated Meghan Markle is an American born actress who happens to be half Black because her mother is Black and her father is White. It seems her first seemingly warm relationship with the U.K. media has now soured. She has expressed that she felt discrimination from the U.K. media. Another point I would like to bring up is that it is believed that the Royal Family would like to keep a favorable relationship with the press and Meghan presented a problem for them.

The fact that Harry’s children will not have a royal title despite being of royal heritage is surprising. But what is really shocking is that they are not entitled to security despite being exposed to the public and therefore can be put in harm’s way. To me it makes no sense that vulnerable people such as, women and children, are not entitled to protection. Is this proof of racism? I do think a case could be made that it may not be racism but is unfair and unsafe.  

It saddens me that despite the years of progress, things in the world stay the same. A Black woman who has spent her whole life in a racist country that considers her less than, only to run back to the same country when the new country rejects her in an unfamiliar way. Meghan admits to wanting to commit suicide due to all the pressures of trying to assimilate into their culture. The fact that her unborn son’s skin color was in question before his birth was proof that she was entering into a similar world yet unfamiliar. Too bad it was also unbearable.

For the sake of fairness I must also point out that the Royal Family did not publicly protest the marriage of Prince Harry to Meghan. Some could say that this is proof that the Royal Family did not have a prejudice against Meghan due to her heritage. Some could also bring up that there is in African heritage allegedly already in the lineage of the Royal Family so they should be given the benefit of the doubt when they explain that what we are witnessing is not bigotry, in terms of Prince Harry and his family.

There has also been a lot of people who have come out to defend the Royal Family against the accusations that they are racist. Well known Television presenter Piers Morgan has had a fit after the interview aired due to what he felt was an untrue portrayal of the Royal Family for being racist, amongst other problems he had about what was aired.

So did you happen to watch the interview? What stood out to you and were you shocked by any of the “revelations” brought out by the couple? I was not all that surprised…..

But what do I know? I’m just a bootleg sociologist who nobody will listen to so I started a blog……….

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References:

Oprah with Meghan and Harry – Wikipedia

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex – Wikipedia

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex – Wikipedia

Piers Morgan called Meghan Markle ‘perfect princess material.’ Then he changed his mind. (msn.com)

The Troubled Life Of Prince Harry | The Mysterious Prince | Real Royalty With Foxy Games – YouTube