Photo of Prince Harry dressed in Nazi costume reveals royal double standards

OPINION:

They are probably the most famous sofas in America. No, maybe the world now that Oprah has long since retired her loyal upholstered television companion.

In recent months, the taupe couches belonging to Prince Harry and Meghan in their swanky new $ 20 million California home appear to have made as many public appearances as Joe Biden, appearing in the Zoom interview that made headlines afterward. from Zoom’s interview.

Overnight, one of The Sofas had another very public outing, this time when its owners, Harry and Meghan, did a video interview with the UK Evening Standard newspaper as part of Black History Month in Great Britain. Brittany.

The duo, who embodied West Coast elegance in an asymmetrical camel-colored blouse and leather pants, the Prince dressed in another of his seemingly endless banal blue shirts, talked about ending structural racism and the world “created by the whites for whites “.

Harry said during the interview that previously, “I was not aware of a lot of the problems and so many of the problems within the UK and also globally. I thought so but I didn’t” and that it had gone through an “awakening”.

“It’s not about pointing fingers, it’s not about blaming,” the duke said. “I’ll be the first person to say, again, this is about learning.”

And there was more, much more, most of which everyone who doesn’t have a copy of Mein Kampf on their shelf would totally agree with. Racism still exists and we all have a role to play in addressing it.

And yet … and yet … oh Harry.

This is just not working.

Here we have someone with a tall cutglass accent saying, “If you really go out on the street and really talk to people … it doesn’t feel as diverse as it really is.” It gives rise to the truly mind-blowing image of Harry leaving Kensington Palace in the past to sneakily check out the diversity.

(“You can only be what you can see,” he also enthusiastically told reporters who interviewed the duo. Which makes perfect sense given that for years his regular venues, like the Cowdray Polo Club and the hottest nightclubs in Mayfair, they probably aren’t. T bastions of racial diversity and inclusion.)

To be clear, the fact that he and Meghan are using their global platform to engage with one of the most pressing issues of the moment is a huge credit to them. It appears that they are conducting their entire post-palace career with little to no concern for the waves they might be causing across the Atlantic, guided entirely by their moral compass. Insert a loud and enthusiastic applause here!

And for Harry, watching this video, you can’t help but see his utmost sincerity and conviction.

But the big flashing neon issue here is the two people on that couch talking about why Black History Month is important, one is a biracial woman and the other once found it appropriate to dress up as a Nazi for a party. (Oh, and he happens to be a member of an institution that for many symbolizes centuries of racial oppression.)

This is not to say that the mistakes we make in our youth should define us forever or that we cannot learn and grow. The point of contention here is that over the course of the past six months, as Harry has spoken more regularly about social justice and systemic racism, he has never, ever, explicitly referred to his own past.

Here’s the thing: being white, rich, and titled shouldn’t disqualify anyone from wanting or participating in global conversations about racism and the fight for equality. However, what it does mean is acknowledging your privilege.

No matter how steep the learning curve you’ve had since 2005 when you wore a swastika bracelet to a costume party, you can never really know what it’s like to walk into a room and not be a straight Anglo millionaire. . (Or from 2009, when video footage emerged of him referring to a fellow Army college cadet as “Paki” and telling another he was wearing a head cloth that looked like “a raghead.” In each case he apologized at that. moment).

Complicating this issue further is not just what Harry himself has said and done, but the story behind British royalty. For centuries, the British monarchy profited from slavery. Queen Elizabeth I sponsored slave trips to West Africa. A century later, members of the royal family invested in the slave trade during the reign of King Charles II.

King George III opposed the abolition of the slave trade, and also bought Buckingham Palace. In fact, according to historian William Pettigrew, “The Royal African Company of England sent more enslaved African women, men, and children to the Americas than any other institution during the entire period of the transatlantic slave trade.”

When it comes to slavery, British royalty has a very, very complicated history on the subject. Not talking about this awkward fact again only undermines Harry’s message.

While Queen Victoria may have helped abolish slavery in 1807, it remains as true now as then that a hereditary monarchy is the absolute antithesis of equality.

Imagine how powerful it would be to see Harry and the couch appear on a Zoom screen and talk about their past, acknowledge their mistakes, and speak frankly about their journey, not just offer oblique references to awakenings and learning.

Because, until you do, every time you seriously sit down to offer your newfound wisdom on racial inequality, there will be a huge elephant in the room. Beyond that, whenever he speaks on this subject, he is only giving those who have accused him of hypocrisy or tried to dismiss his bona fide activist, a forest full of firewood.

To overlook this is to the ultimate detriment of the Sussexes.

What Harry and Meghan have is the potential to be world leaders on an issue that affects billions of people. But, until Harry talks about his own past, until he finds a way to reconcile his own actions and the history of the royal family with the job he wants to do, he will continue to lecture and harass an audience and give his opinion. critics the means to dismiss it too easily.

Harry, pet, love: please. You are uniquely positioned to play a critical role in the global conversation about racial equality, but you will only make serious progress when you address the past.

The world is ready. The sofas are waiting.

Daniela Elser is a real expert and writer with over 15 years working with several of Australia’s leading media titles.