CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) – In countries with historical ties to Britain, Prince Harry and Meghan’s allegations that an unnamed member of the royal family had ‘concerns’ about how dark their unborn baby’s skin might raise a thorny question: Do those nations really want to be so closely associated with Britain and its royal family?
The interview was expected to uncover more rifts in the royal familyNow it appears to be risking division within the Commonwealth “family” – a union of 54 countries, most of them former British colonies, held together by historical ties. Queen Elizabeth II has been the driving force behind the Commonwealth for decades.
After the TV interview, which was shown in the US on the eve of Commonwealth Day, former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cited it as another reason for the country to cut constitutional ties with the British monarchy.
“After the end of the Queen’s reign, now is the time for us to say, OK, we’re past that watershed,” Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “Do we really want whoever happens to be the head of state, the king or queen of the UK, automatically our head of state?”
The value of the Commonwealth has been debated before, with critics wondering whether countries and people that were once colonized – and even oppressed – should remain in such an association with a former colonizer. Its stated goal is to improve international relations, but Britain’s relationship with its members has been clouded by diplomatic missteps and the empire’s legacy. In a Commonwealth Day speech on Monday, the Queen spoke of “the spirit of unity.”
Charismatic royals such as Harry and Meghan have been engaged in Commonwealth-related events with youth, businesses and volunteer groups in the past.
But their interview this week “further opens our eyes” to the merits of the Commonwealth, wrote Nicholas Sengoba, a newspaper columnist in the former colony of Uganda.
He mentioned “unresolved issues” in his country regarding the abuse of colonialism and wondered whether the heads of Commonwealth countries should still be “proud to dine” with members of the British Royal Family, given the allegations.
Meghan, who is biracial, had said in the interview that an unknown member of the royal family had expressed “concern” about the color of her baby to Harry when she was pregnant with her son Archie, and that the palace did not help her when she had suicidal thoughts. Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that the allegations of racism by Harry and Meghan were “concerning.” and would be personally addressed by the royal family.
Response to the interview was especially fierce in Africa. It was encapsulated by a Twitter user in South Africa who wrote, “It’s Great Britain and the Royal Family. What did you expect? They have oppressed us for years. “
Meghan and Harry traveled to South Africa in 2019, where their impending break with the royal family became more apparent and they even talked about possibly living in Cape Town.
Mohammed Groenewald, who showed them around a mosque in Cape Town, was still processing the interview, which could only be seen in South Africa on Monday. But he said it mainly evoked memories of “British colonial racism.”
“It comes out very clearly,” he said.
In Kenya, a former colony where a young Princess Elizabeth was visiting in 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and would become queen, news of the interview has also made its way in the country’s newspapers.
“We are very angry when we see our African co-sister being harassed for being black,” said Sylvia Wangari, Nairobi resident, referring to Meghan. She added that in 1952, Kenyans did not show Elizabeth “any racism,” and that she stayed here without us showing her any discrimination.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to comment on the interview. He said many institutions in Canada are built around colonialism and systematic racism, including Parliament, and he said the answer is to listen to Canadians being discriminated against so that institutions can be restored.
“The answer is not to suddenly throw out all the settings and start over,” said Trudeau.
“I wish all the best to all members of the Royal Family, but my focus is on getting through this pandemic. If people later want to talk about constitutional change and shifting our government system, that’s fine, and they can have those conversations, but right now I don’t have those conversations. “
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, said the monarchy “is by no means beneficial to Canadians in terms of their daily lives.”
“And with the systematic racism we’ve seen, it seems to be in that setting too,” he said.
The interview was not shown on TV in India, the most populous Commonwealth member state with 1.3 billion people, but it was still covered by the media and elicited negative public reaction to the royals.
“Behind that very elegant facade are thoughts that are not so elegant.” said fashion writer Meenakshi Singh.
Lawyer Sunaina Phul said the Commonwealth “is of course relevant to the royal family because it shows that they ruled so many places. I don’t know why we are still part of it. “
Meghan and Harry’s complaints about racism show that it is time for her country to end their relationship with the royal family, said a retired professor in Kingston, Jamaica.
“What it should mean to us is we need to jump up and get rid of the Queen as head of state,” said Carolyn Cooper. ‘It’s a notorious institution. It is responsible for the enslavement of millions of us who came here to work on plantations. It’s part of the whole legacy of colonialism and we have to get rid of it. “
Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.
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