What mindless, pointless nonsense.
The empty platitudes uttered by Harry and Meghan as they accepted an award for “heroically” taking a stand against alleged racism in the royal family counted for nothing, benefited no one but the Sussexes and are becoming the causes for which they engage, do nothing but harm.
After flying in by private jet (such eco-warriors!) from Los Angeles to New York for the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Awards Gala – an event that sold tickets for as much as $1 million (£820,000) – babbling about it would embarrass a GCSE student.
“Our hope,” they smirked, “is to inspire a new generation of leaders in the arts, where diverse emerging talent have a platform to make themselves heard and tell their stories.”
After flying in on a private jet (such eco-warriors!) from Los Angeles to the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Awards Gala in New York, they spouted gibberish that would embarrass a GCSE student
Following the trailer for the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary, in which a contributor tells us, “It’s about hate; it’s about race,” that the Sussexes are repeating their accusations of racism to boost their own moral credentials
They praised “courage instead of fear and love instead of hate” and added. “Together we know that a glimmer of hope can become a wave of change.”
This phrase sounds like it was generated by a computer programmed with shallow clichés and gibberish.
I would happily ignore this spoiled couple and let them get on with their desperate quest for riches and fame. But I can’t because they are doing so much harm to an institution I revere – and one that does so much good for race relations: the royal family.
Having spent my childhood in Ghana, where many of my family members still live, I am a proud Brit with a career in journalism and broadcasting which gives me a priceless opportunity to speak my mind.
I owe everything to these two countries and consider them both my homeland. And I think of the royal family – through the Commonwealth – as the great unifying factor between them.
As Head of the Commonwealth, the late Queen Elizabeth understood this better than anyone. During her reign, the Commonwealth “family” grew from just seven nations to 56 members, encompassing more than 2.5 billion people.
She could not have worked harder to foster unity among all these myriad races. That’s why I loved her and why she was adored all over the world.
Today King Charles has taken over his mother’s mantle. Photos of him this week at a Sikh temple, sitting cross-legged and looking happy to promote religious kinship, demonstrate his devotion to the creed of tolerance.
Photos of King Charles in a Sikh temple demonstrate his commitment to the creed of tolerance
Thirty years ago King Charles became Patron of the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies and delivered a heartfelt speech on the importance of unity
What did Meghan and Harry do on the same day? Basking in an award that not only highlighted her grievances but also glorified her vindictive claims that the royals were racist.
Of all the accusations that can be leveled at the royal family (and they are by no means blameless), racism is certainly the last.
It’s not just their commitment to the Commonwealth. Some 30 years ago, in 1993, Charles became Patron of the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies and delivered a heartfelt speech on the importance of religious and racial unity.
“I believe with all my heart that the links between these two worlds are more important today than ever,” he said, “because the level of misunderstanding between the Islamic and Western worlds remains dangerously high and because there is a need for both live and work together our increasingly interdependent world has never been bigger.”
Are these really the words of someone whose family is racist? And it seems to me after the trailer for the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary, where a contributor tells us, “It’s about hate; it’s about race” that the Sussexes are repeating their accusations of racism to boost their own moral credibility and shamefully increase their earning potential.
Talking about “hate and race” in this way is poisonous. Far from inspiring people, it fuels resentment and threatens to incite a confrontation between people whose only real difference is skin color. For me that is really reprehensible.
It seems to me that Harry and Meghan yearn for the worldwide admiration that Princess Diana enjoyed, and Harry constantly draws comparisons between his and Meghan’s plight and that of his late mother.
But unlike the Sussexes, Diana put her anger and heartache to good use, forcing the world to listen as she spoke passionately about AIDS and landmines.
Harry and Meghan seem to have a passionate belief in nothing but themselves. They preach about poverty and live in their Montecito mansion with their £1,000 Hermes blankets and Meghan’s designer Louis Vuitton outfits.
It’s worse than hypocrisy. It is a betrayal of the oppressed they claim to represent. There are millions of people in Britain and America who are currently struggling to feed their families and heat their homes. Many of them are from ethnic minorities and some face genuine racism in their daily lives, an odious prospect.
This boy from a black British family who needs free school meals and can’t afford his bus fare. This girl, who came to the UK as a refugee from the Middle East, shares a laptop with two siblings for her homework. How inspired do you think they will be to see Harry and Meghan tearfully claiming to be victims of racial hatred?
The point is that the very institution they are making their allegations against – the royal family – is truly a force transforming the lives of many such children.
The work of The Prince’s Trust, for example, is particularly important. Founded by Charles almost 50 years ago, it is the UK’s leading youth charity. She has helped over 950,000 young people of all faiths and races.
This week the Princess of Wales wore a pair of gold hoop earrings designed by London jeweler Lenique Louis, who opened her shop in 2009 with the help of a £2,000 loan from the Trust.
“Kate could have gone to any of the big houses,” Lenique said proudly, “but she wanted to get them from an independent designer — who was endorsed by her father-in-law.”
This is practical, honest support. It has real meaning. And everyone wins: from the young black Londoner, whose business is sure to increase, to the princess who wears an original and enviable design.
This week, the Princess of Wales wore a pair of gold hoop earrings designed by London jeweler Lenique Louis (left).
Compare that to the diamond earrings Meghan wore on a trip to Fiji in 2018 – a gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, whose regime assassinated journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.
And it’s not just in their public duties that the royal family is taking the lead in tolerance and unity. At his home in Highgrove, Gloucestershire, Charles has a spectacular ‘carpet garden’ inspired by Islamic patterns. Wooden doors in the garden are painted with Arabic motifs. The king’s delight in exploring all sorts of spiritual meanings is unfeigned.
What do Harry and Meghan have in their garden? According to the tour they gave Oprah Winfrey and her cameras, it’s a chicken coop and some trees that they say “look like her.” If they don’t reflect, I assume they’re not interested.
It leaves me offended and frustrated. The Sussexes represent an unattractive version of society where accusations of racism can never be challenged, no matter how questionable.
The Queen’s triumphant achievement was bridging racial divides, whether through her unwavering support for Nelson Mandela or her unparalleled diplomacy when she danced with Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah in 1961
Worst of all is their willingness to launch this self-serving attack on our greatest institution just weeks after attending the Queen’s funeral. Obviously they haven’t learned anything from their lives.
The Queen’s triumphant achievement was bridging racial divides, whether through her unwavering support for Nelson Mandela or her unparalleled diplomacy dancing with the President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, in 1961 and ensuring that my two countries were forever in the Commonwealth were united.
She was the embodiment of duty. What a tragedy that the only duty Meghan and Harry seem to know is themselves.
Esther Krakue is a writer and broadcaster.