Casablanca – Almost five years have passed since the Brexit referendum in the UK, but in recent days another issue has revealed a split in the country’s mindset. For many observers, this confirms both how united and divided the kingdom is.
By now millions around the world have watched Oprah Winfrey interviewing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped back from royal duties earlier this year, citing the intrusive presence of the British media as a major factor.
It was only when the couple spoke candidly in this week’s interview that the full extent of their falling out with the Royal family was truly revealed.
The couple spoke about the impact of the focus from the tabloid press on their mental health and wellbeing, with Meghan revealing how the pressure led her to feeling suicidal. Her husband claimed that his father, the Prince of Wales, had stopped taking his calls and that his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, is “trapped” in his position.
The most potentially damaging accusation is that there were concerns voiced by an unnamed member of the Royal family over the skin color of the couple’s at-the-time unborn child, the presumption being that a royal baby of color would be out of place in the family.
The response in the press and social media has revealed how different societal groups in the UK view the Royal family.
The breakfast TV host (and former tabloid editor) Piers Morgan has declared war on the Sussexes, calling them “shameful” and the interview an “absolutely disgraceful betrayal of the Queen and Royal Family.”
Nigel Farage, the former politician who took an active role in campaigning for the UK to leave the EU, claimed that “Prince Harry’s public betrayal of his family is despicable.”
Naga Munchetty, a prominent BBC journalist of color who had previously received complaints about comments she made about a tweet from Donald Trump regarding US politicians of color, highlighted Meghan’s “bravery” in speaking up about her mental health during the interview.
Much as the Brexit referendum of 2016 revealed a huge difference in the outlook of different age groups in the UK. The vast majority of under 45s voted to remain in the EU with most of the “leave” votes coming from those over 45.
The bombshell interview has highlighted a differing generational view of the House of Windsor, and the United Kingdom’s place in the world.
Think back to May 2018 and the wedding of the happy couple. Britain was on show to the world, and what the world saw was a tolerant, open-minded society that was both at ease with its colonial history and learned how this has shaped its present. A society looking forward to a bright future in which its’ most traditional of establishments was moving with the times.
To many Britons, the young, the “woke”, and those who lament the country’s decision to isolate itself from its European neighbors, the Royal family has been shown to be an outdated institution that is unwilling to accept outside interference in the shape of an outspoken, mixed-race intruder.
Another group sees this week’s revelations as a betrayal of a monarch who has led the country through war, change, crisis, and evolution, remaining as the country’s figurehead as Britain finds its way in an uncertain world, a symbol to show the rest of the world that Britain is still Great.
In the wake of the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that spread across the globe, the UK is waking up to the fact that race is an issue with which it has not dealt – until now.
Those defending the Royal family, and in particular the Queen, seem unwilling to accept this situation as the ideal time to assess their country and its attitude towards race.
Britain is a multicultural country, shaped by its colonial past, and its reputation abroad has always been of a more tolerant society than other countries with a similar demographic. To the younger generation who watched Meghan and Harry’s interview with a more sympathetic eye, this presents an opportunity to examine how their society treats racism in its systems and its people, whether it be overt or subtle.
Citizens of every country are yet to determine our zeitgeist – do we take more pride in our differences or our similarities? Do we embrace union and collaboration or aim to isolate ourselves from outsiders?
For those in the UK who will still be arguing over who is right and wrong in the heart of their most ancient tradition, it is time for them to determine what role race and royalty will play in a United Kingdom re-calibrating itself in the world.
