Meghan and Harry don't look right together

[bungle99]

I was in small shop earlier with only 4 of us in their. I am a regular customer.
I heard a member of staff who was serving another customer talking about Meghan and Harry and staff member said they don't really look right together and that she's not an English Rose like Kate Middleton. I was really shocked by this because 1) that people of my generation actually think like this (middle age) 2) that she admitted this view out loud knowing i could actually hear it (i'm not white). I was only 3 feet away.

AIBU to think that this was a racist comment and that most white people do not think like this ? Please restore my faith Mumsnet.

It is very sad. That is a racist statement for sure. Daily Fail has gone one over. Now they're suggesting she nearly dated Ashley Cole and apparently her CV includes stripper.
They have not even mentioned she worked for the American embassy in Argentina ( after Uni).
Harry will be more determined than ever to protect her.
The Royals are masters at using the contempt card, and so they should.

“I think Kate Winslet playing Mariette in Sense and Sensibility is a classic English rose”

Yes I agree whiterabbit.

Gingerbread Sandra Bullock does not look like Snow White. Even if she did, Snow White isn’t an english rose!

Sorry I know it’s not the point of the thread but this has blown me away You couldn’t pick a less English Rose type if you tried.

Stupid woman. I for one am really pleased he has chosen a partner who is 'different'. I think it's great and will give the royal family a real shot in the arm. I hope it will make people from all over the world, especially the US, realise that we are a truly inclusive country and that this can happen in the UK today.
I saw a clip the other day of a US TV show where the black presenters parodied the Queen suggesting that she would be appalled at the idea of Meghan marrying into the Royal family.
Many 'right wing' racist types in the UK say they are also royalists so it will be very interesting how they are going to feel when the Royals so obviously don't share their views.

I think they look conspicuously good together - both very attractive and very much a couple. Harry Is the most outward- looking and international of the royals - most of his work is now abroad - so it's not surprising he's marrying an American, rather than an English girl. Despite the remarks overheard by the OP, I think the public's reaction to Meghan Markle on the couple's first public walkabout on Friday is evidence that she's going to be a very popular member of the royal family. Her warmth and ease with the crowd actually reminded me of Princess Diana at the height of her popularity.

I heard something similar in the pub yesterday. .... yes it's racist. I'm not shocked though as lots of people are racist unfortunately.

@ptumbi except Diana was ginge with regular appointments with the peroxide bottle! 😂
Exhibit A...

Sweetpea "It's usually non white who see racism in anything that doesn't suit them"

Just highlighting that in case anyone missed it.

Some people don't even know they're being racist...
"Black babies are beautiful" "oriental women have lovely shiny hair" etc

Now according to google the definition of racist is:
a person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another

How do your examples fit the definition other than maybe the odd word choice, which can be a minefield if you are white. I have friends of different heritage to me who use language which could be deemed by others as offensive but perfectly normal around them

People aren't discriminating or being superior in complements more making observations, when visiting Hong Kong I remember making a comment about the Chinese women all having amazing hair and everyone I saw did, is in racist or just an observation?

On the other hand my (white, middle class, fiercely anti-royal) DM was uncharacteristically enthusiastic and called Her ‘our Meghan’ the other day. She keeps telling me how many dogs she has and what her mum does...

This is the woman that took us to a hippy festival in the middle of nowhere specifically to avoid the Charles and Di wedding

Sweetpea88 What qualification have you to decide what non white people should feel?

Oh and before anyone calls me gingerist I've got a DD with the most beautiful red hair ever.

As for the OP it's disgusting what some people are saying. Some far right social media pages were revolting.

I said people who come out with very racist stuff are usually chavs and people of low intellect.

Can you explain how that makes ‘chav’ any better? I’m a bit lost there.

its usually non white who see racism in anything that doesn't suit them

I'm white and I can see when there is racism, especially covert racism. My DH and DDs experience it often in their everyday lives. Its easy to say what you have said when you've never had to live with it and deal with it.

Well, the royals aren't even British stock, they're German. I think she'a gorgeous.

I was watching the news the other day, and they were comparing Meghan to Wallis Simpson, in that she's divorced and American. There is a negative attitude towards Americans in this country.

Yup racist. I work in a corner shop and a regular customer (when buying her dailyfail) said "my husband always said that one day we will have a black Queen, tut." I was flabbergasted.
I agree with the poster above who says that comments such as "asians have shiny hair" etc are racist. It is insipid racism which implies the norm is 'regular' white western folk and other ethnicities are unusual and exotic. Look up the term Orientalism.
It's really uncomfortable when people say "they will have beautiful babies!" esp when the underlying tone is that it's because of mixed ethnicity. What are they, prize dogs breeding? They're human beings for fucks sake and shouldn't be reduced to their heritage and genetics.

I think she is a beautiful woman, and I’m not bothered about the royals, but she seems likeable as they come. I think they look happy together, but I seem to be alone in thinking that facially they look really like each other! Noses, eyes, smiles...all the same!

So long as they are happy, I don't give a fuck

If the British tax payer wasnt required to pay for yet another useless minor hanger on, I wouldn't give a fuck.

But we are required to pay for her sorry, now unemployed arse so I do give a fuck.

@Just

When I was growing up adults told me that half-caste was the acceptable term. It was also the term used by a family I knew from India. They were totally happy using it so I always assumed it was fine. I never used it past teen age though. So I'm not terribly surprised that someone posh who may live in the kind of area where there are basically no ethnic minorities (as where I live) uses it.

Clafoutis "What are they, prize dogs breeding? They're human beings for fucks sake and shouldn't be reduced to their heritage and genetics."

where's the "like" button?

It wasn't until I got to the second of your paragraphs OP that I had any idea you were talking about race.

Race doesn't cross my mind when I look at MM and Harry.
Race didn't cross my mind when I read your post.
Race doesn't cross my mind when I read the phrase "English rose".

Her behaviour, her choice of bimbo-type roles and her self-described skills/occupation of being a former stripper do cross my mind.
I thought the people in the shop you were in OP were referring to her annoying and unbecoming mannerisms and posing, her lack of integrity in claiming she didn't know much about Prince Harry in terms of them not looking right together.
And when you wrote of English Rose, all I thought of was partly her nationality (not race), and her general appearance which would be no different to any other 'English' or white woman who does not possess the English Rose appearance who traditionally has a fair, rosy-cheeked complexion.

I am English. I am not an English Rose. Just as in other cultures dominated by certain races, some characteristics in their cultures are referred to fondly or even highly prized, e.g. large bottoms, long necks. So what? To them it would not look right if someone without these characteristics came along. I am not offended by it.

But then again, I choose not to be offended.

Nope she’s far too hot for him, I think he’s homely as they cone and she’s drop dead stunning.

But I doubt that’s what the person in question was implying.

I read all that stuff about Markle from her supposed "best friend" and all it boiled down to was that the friend took Markle's ex-husband's side when their marriage broke up. She was also angry that Markle refused to "confide" in her about the problems in the marriage, despite their long-term friendship. Considering this great friend has just sold her story to a newspaper, Markle was very wise to have kept the details to herself. We all have failings - how many of us get to our mid-thirties without leaving one broken friendship or failed relationship behind us? The fact that this "friend" is so happily dishing the dirt (as much as she can muster) says far more about her than it does about Meghan Markle.

OP, It's an appalling thing to say.

As an aside, I never realised until I googled that Meghan was half black. I thought she was white with a tan or possibly of Hispanic extraction. Same for Mariah Carey.