When was the last time The US and The UK gathered around their TVs and devices to share in a collective experience? Well this week, Oprah, Meghan and Harry were able to pull off the huge feat of rounding up TV audiences on both sides of the Atlantic to watch their explosive sit down interview.
I have lots to say about the interview but before I do that, here is a bit of background for you (in case you have been living under a rock).
Harry Windsor, the grandson of Britain’s current reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II, and Meghan Markle an American actor, who is also a biracial woman of black origin (famous for her role in TV drama, Suits) met in 2016 and got married in 2018. Their union secured Meghan’s status as a royal. As a married couple, Harry and Meghan became known as The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. As senior royals, their roles were to support The Queen by attending official engagements throughout the world.
The initial months following their televised wedding saw Meghan attract very favourable headlines from the British press. But, we all know how the media works, especially when they decide to make you an enemy. Sometime in late 2018, specifically after the couple’s official tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, the media switched on her. The dogpiling of Meghan Markle led by the tabloids and amplified by public figures such as Pierce Morgan became so fiercely hot that one could only describe it as bullying.
Liberated from royal duty.. but continues to exploit her royal titles to make millions of $$$$. The Duchess of Disingenuousness. 👇 https://t.co/ByslsiXg4b
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 5, 2021
The harassment didn’t relent even when Meghan fell pregnant with the couple’s first child, Archie. (In fact, she was even accused of being “vain” for holding her bump).
The torrent of media abuse became so much that in 2020, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex finally came to the decision to leave The UK, and in doing so also step away from the positions as senior royals.
Whew! Now, back to Oprah’s interview.
Here, we love the stories and writing of black women, which is why Meghan’s story matters to us. Unfortunately this time around, the plot is a little complicated.
It seems the tell-all interview was filmed back in February, and we got to see it last Sunday and Monday. With a picturesque leafy garden as a backdrop, The Duchess and Oprah sat for two hours whilst the latter grilled Meghan (with Harry joining his wife on set halfway through) on all things pertaining to her life as a senior royal and their motivations for leaving The UK.
In the course of the interview, the couple dropped shocking revelation after shocking revelation.
Ten explosive revelations by Harry and Meghan
- Kate made Meghan cry (and not the reverse as we were erroneously made to believe)
- A member of the family had concerns over the colour of Archie’s (their son) skin
- Meghan suffered from suicidal thoughts. She went to The Palace’s HR for help with her mental health but they couldn’t assist
- The Palace cut off Harry financially whilst the couple were in Canada
- The money left by The Late Lady Diana (Harry’s mother) is a lifeline for thee couple
- Tyler Perry (Black American actor and producer) initially loaned the couple one of his homes whilst they looked for their own place
- Meghan and Harry were secretly married three days before the royal wedding
- Charles wasn’t taking Harry’s calls
- Harry felt trapped in “The Firm” (in fact, he reveals other members of the family do too)
- The couple is having a girl in the summer!
As far as family fall outs go, this one will reverberate throughout history for a good number of decades!
Meghan Markle, Racism and The Monarchy
As a black woman, whilst I am hurt at the treatment Meghan received by the press (who harassed her) and The Royal Family (who failed to protect her), I can’t say I am surprised. My feelings of hurt stem from the fact that I have personally been on the receiving end of The UK’s special brand of racism, from once being told my hair did not meet my company’s uniform standards (honestly, how do you scrape thick afro hair into a bun for eight hours a day without dragging your brain clean out of your scalp?) to a colleague expressing surprise at “how well I wrote English”.
What bothers me the most is the fact that even after Meghan described her experiences so eloquently, and many Black notable figures (Trisha Goddard, Alex Beresford, Afua the Scot, Charlene White, Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, Kelechi Okafor, Gina Yashere to name a few) have all patiently explained why there’s a racial element to her experiences and how institutional racism works in The UK, many others in the media continued to absolve this country from any racial discrimination. “Race card”, “chip on the shoulder” and “we’re a tolerant society” have all been used to shut down sensible discussions about Great Britain, Empire, racism and the monarchy. As I write this, former GMB presenter Piers Morgan, who sensationally quit his role on the morning show off that back of the scandal has doubled down in his efforts to deny Meghan’s experiences, and many of his peers have come out in support of him!
Also, after months upon months of silence, the couple finally got to have their say. Lastly, finally The UK is finally having much-needed conversations about racism (in some arena’s at least) – not the crude and violent racism often affiliated with America, but the insidious kind that slowly chips away at Black people and people of colour; the kind the majority of white Brits shrug off as paranoia or “playing the race card” every time it is called out.
You may also want to read: What has Madeline Been Reading?
Many may disagree with me and those who call out the UK’s racism and that is fair enough. But it highlights the fact that in The UK there is a general misunderstanding about what racism actually is. Racism is much bigger, and more dangerous and diabolical than simply not liking someone because of the colour of the skin. Racism operates on an institutional level; it’s a sickness that is laced in our judiciary, healthcare, education systems and the media and any other structure you can think of. It’s why black women are five times more likely to die than their white counterparts whilst giving birth, or why there’s yet to be a single conviction following the scores of Black people who have died in police custody, or why applicants with non-white sounding names are less likely to get a call back from an employer. I could go on but you get my point.
The current scene looks abysmal, but my hope is that the UK becomes honest with itself. Meghan and Harry’s Interview with Oprah may have peeled back the facade some what, but it’s now time for us to roll up our sleeves and deal with what’s inside.
P.S. I am wishing Harry, Meghan, Archie and Baby 2 much success in the USA
P.P.S. I am sending lots of love to many black women like myself who show up daily to a world so committed to showing them disrespect.
