Racism in Britain Monarchy: Meghan Markle
Britain’s monarchy maintained its silence on Tuesday, after Meghan and Prince Harry accused a family member of making a racist remark about their son and said she had been alienated to the point of contemplating suicide.
“The key to the monarchy’s survival over the centuries has been its ability to adapt to the needs of the times. It needs to adapt again,” The Times said.
Elizabeth, who is 94 and has been on the throne for 69 years, wanted to take some time before the palace issued a response, a royal source said.
She and Harry have also had a torrid relationship with the British press, and in particular tabloids who have been critical of the couple.
For the monarchy, which traces its history through 1,000 years of British and English history to William the Conqueror, Meghan’s bombshell has been compared to the crises over the death of Diana and the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson avoided questions about the crisis, though he serves, in theory, as a servant of the crown and Elizabeth II is head of the British state as well as 15 other realms including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Johnson said he had the highest admiration for the queen but that he did not want to comment on the interview. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her nation was unlikely to stop having the queen as head of state soon.
'Dark skin'
Opponents of the monarchy said the allegations made by Meghan and Harry showed how rotten the institution was.
“Now people are getting a much clearer picture of what the monarchy is really like. And it doesn’t look good,” said Graham Smith, head of Republic, a campaign group which seeks to abolish the monarchy.
'Deference over'
Meghan’s estranged father Thomas Markle, who she has not spoken to since her wedding, said on Tuesday he did not think the British royal family was racist, and hoped that an alleged remark from a family member about the darkness of the skin of Meghan’s son was just a “dumb question”.
“The thing about what color will the baby be or how dark will the baby be; I’m guessing and hoping it’s just a dumb question from somebody,” Markle told ITV. “It could be somebody asked a stupid question. Rather than being a total racist.”
Harry said his family had cut them off financially, and his father Prince Charles had let him down and refused to take his calls at one point.
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