Racism controversy rages in the UK
Accusations of racism in the British Royal Family made during Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with CBS have opened the debate on racism in the UK. The former Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose the presenter Oprah Winfrey as the master of ceremonies to express opinions of great moral significance towards the British Crown and society as a whole.
The day of the broadcast of this heartbreaking interview was as symbolic as Meghan and Harry's own words. Sunday was Commonwealth Day, commonly known as Commonwealth Day, and the BBC broadcast a special ceremony from Westminster Abbey on the day. The Queen also delivered a pre-recorded speech in which she referred to the "courage, commitment and selfless dedication" shown during the pandemic across all the territories that were once part of the British Empire.
These words are in direct contrast to the statements that both Meghan and Harry made about the royal family, and the humiliating treatment that the American suffered because of her skin colour. One of the accusations that has caused the biggest stir is the claim by the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex that a member of the royal family was "concerned" about the skin tone of Meghan Markle's first baby
These accusations have divided British society between those who support the couple and those who accuse them of "sensationalism and victimhood". This interview has been such a reality check that it has even opened a debate within the British Parliament itself about the Monarchy, something perhaps unthinkable in a country like the United Kingdom, where the Crown is one of the most highly valued institutions.
The leader of the Labour opposition, Keir Starmer, said that "the issues raised by Meghan around racism and mental health are very serious. They are a reminder that many people suffer racist attacks in 21st century Britain, and we have to take this very, very seriously." "It's something that goes beyond the Royal Family," the left-wing politician said.
Even the Queen herself, who rarely enters into such debates, has written a statement referring to the accusations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and expressed her "concern" about the statements, in particular "the one about race". "While the version of events may vary from time to time, the allegations have been taken very seriously and will be resolved by the family in private," the statement, intended to defuse tensions, read. "Harry, Meghan and Archie will remain much loved members of our family".
But, although the Crown, through this statement, has tried to downplay the issue and reduce it to mere "disagreements", the debate has already been served. The very letter apologising for the statements in the interview indicates the damage that has been inflicted on the image of the British Crown worldwide.
The United Kingdom has usually wanted to portray an image of openness and a globalised country, modern and attractive to all races, religions, ethnicities... where the debate on racism was far away. The "Black lives Matter" movement was something they could not conceive of within their society, but far from the reality, this country is not exempt from the scourge of racism. Brexit itself is a clear example of this feeling of national superiority, where the main slogan was 'Let's take back control', a clear nationalist reference. The pro-Brexit discourse was mainly based on immigration and how it affected British identity and the benefits of its citizens, on issues such as employment, equal opportunities...
The debate is being served up, both inside and outside the UK, both inside and outside the Crown. British society suffers from a mixture of racism and classism that has always characterised it. Within the European Union itself, it has always been the discordant country that wanted to be different from the rest.
The next few hours will be decisive in determining what the real scope of this controversy will be, and whether Parliament will make this debate a political priority. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has avoided entering into the discussion and has expressed his "admiration for the Queen and her unifying role for the country". "As far as other Royal Family matters are concerned, I have not commented on them for a long time and I do not intend to deviate from that position," he said.
As in Lady Di's time, the stakes for the Windsors are high, the couple's accusations shine a spotlight on a royal family that seems closed in on itself, and show a Monarchy that is not only outdated but also hints at the division that separates it further from modern British society. According to a poll published the following day in The Telegraph, 48% of those surveyed agreed with the couple's assessment of the Royal Family's allegedly racist attitude towards the skin colour of Queen Elizabeth II's great-grandson.
Hence, this case, which at first sight may seem distant because it is set in British royal circles, shows the consequences of a series of deep and common problems related to racial status and the consequences of Britain's colonial past.
As a product of its time and its social class, the Royal Household was not without Victorian conservatism and an education in imperialist values. The world, for the British, was divided into competing races. The Protestant British were at the head of all other peoples. They embodied the values of civilisation as opposed to the supposed backwardness of other cultures. The advanced countries, according to this view, had to protect themselves against the threat of barbarian nations.
Britain among them created a hierarchy with white Europeans at the top and Africans and Asians at the bottom. Racism was built into the power structures, culture, education and identity of the nation. These are very politically incorrect ideas, seen by today's standards. Racism can be aggravated or attenuated by class, but it does not eliminate it, we find how class and race are factors that do not exclude but add up and how the media is one of the most powerful tools in constructing our worldview
The history of the United Kingdom and its Empire, headed by the Royal Family, is inextricably linked to colonialism. A man of deep Darwinist convictions, Winston Churchill saw the world as the scene of an ongoing struggle in which the fittest eventually prevailed. As a good imperialist, he was persuaded of the right of the British to rule their vast dominions. In 1937, for example, he declared that there was nothing unjust about whites taking the place of Indians in North America and Australia. They had simply been replaced by "a race of a higher degree, a race with more wisdom about the world".
Meanwhile, India, independent for only a few years, was exporting thousands of emigrants to its former metropolis. Churchill viewed this process with great concern. In 1955 he told his ministers that "Keep England White" would be a good slogan for the Conservatives.
In 2004 Princess Mary Christina of Kent, while in a restaurant, told black diners to 'go back to the colonies'. Years later she attended one of her first meetings with Meghan Markle wearing a colonial-era brooch and was branded a racist. Philip of Edinburgh is a regular suspect: at an event with British Indians he told one of them that a lot of his family had come, asked a black British politician what exotic part of the world he was from when he was born in Birmingham, and congratulated someone who arrived from Papua New Guinea for not having been swallowed up by its inhabitants.
One of many examples of racism, based simply on skin colour or religion, can be found in Sadiq Khan, who almost five years after his election victory is still accused of not belonging to British society because of his descent, despite being born in London.
It is absolutely clear that significant ethnic and racial inequalities persist in employment, housing and the justice system. Black and Muslim minorities have twice the unemployment rate of white Britons and are twice as likely to live in overcrowded housing. They are also much more likely to be stopped and searched by the police. We could also add to the list the alarming ethnic differences in COVID-19 deaths