To be disgusted about Prince Charles racist comments...

[Saywhatnoway]

... and the fact that what would be headline news for any other public figure has being played down?

Yesterday, Prince Charles told a woman of Guyanese extract that she “didn’t look like she was from Manchester”. The article linked was on the Guardian front page in middle of the night - and now almost impossible to find. I can’t find mention of it anywhere else.

So AIBU to be disgusted that he (or anyone of normal intelligence) would think, much less say such a thing - and disappointed (not sure if that’s actually the right word) that the media doesn’t seem to be reporting in the way they would if anyone else had said similar?

www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2018/apr/19/prince-charles-brown-skin-british-people-head-of-commonwealth?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

you do get white people of full african descent in africa (including albino) and yes I would imagine its pretty fucking offensive to wander up and ask where they are really from, or point out they don;t look like they are really african etc.

I hate being asked "where are you from"

If they don't accept London as an answer, I repeat it.

I should add I am a born and bred Londoner, though half not English.

“Where are you really from” is bog standard racist assumption making and it being common doesn’t make it any less racist.
I am surprised at the “you dont look it” comment from Prince Charles. It would be expected from his father but not from him. And very bad timing too, at a Commonwealth event. Bet Megan and Harry are cringing.

"Luckily for the Guardian, the Royal Family cannot respond or clear their names"

they can and do issue statements. they also take people to Court . harry regularly has lots to say whenever he thinks he's been done wrong. He could quite easily defend his father, as he has done in the past.

"Seems a bit odd that for the first time in nearly 70 years, (and after a jokingly documented attraction to a Three Degrees member in the 80's)"

Just because a man will happily fuck a black woman doesn't mean he isn't Racist.

However, I agree that there would have been more examples. If this did happen, he needs to be told how to phrase this question. All of the Royal family, Politicians etc are taught what to say and what is appropriate, as things change.

By the whole nature of Royalty, they are superior. I doubt he thinks any less of his Black subjects, than his White. We are beneath them, they hold privilege. That's how it is, or we wouldn't line up to meet them.

I watched the Queens speech, handing him the role of Head of the Commonwealth. He had a really strange look on his face, I would love to know what it meant. I'd like to think that it was the emotion of his Mum endorsing him. I've a soft spot for Charles.

highlandcoo Your situation is a bit different to mine, because you are not English and you have a different accent. So, it's more reasonable that people might ask you where you are from. For me, I have dark skin, but I am Scottish, born here with a Scottish accent and Scottish heritage. Why should people ask me where I am from originally? Is it not clear that I am from Scotland? Often they don't accept my answer when I say where I'm from and will keep asking and asking.

Can you see the difference? Even if I tell them where my mum is from, it doesn't mean that I know anything about the country. I've only been once on a 3 week holiday. I don't eat the food from there, know the geography well, speak the languages, etc.

Tbh, even when people have these kind of racist exchanges with me, I'm still kind and pleasant. I'm guessing you will never know what these taxi drivers actually think - unless you ask them. Dark skinned people don't all think the same, so some will be fine with it and some not. It's up to you if you wish to continue engaging with taxi drivers in this way.

People usually ask if I'm of some sort of south east Asian decent. I am not and have no Asian heritage. But, people still ask and often people tell me that I must be or my parents must be (even when I am insisting that I'm not). So, don't always rely on your assumptions about what someone looks like.

So would I SpringNow. 😭

But I do find it hard to believe that anyone, and him in particular, thinks that, and if they did that they'd not think before opening their mouth.

I no rite? Given the great modelling his father has provided for him all of his life, it's pretty much impossible to believe.

The problem of not being thought of as English, because I'm not white, has got worse over my lifetime. I thought it would get better.

This.

And, the moaning about immigrants not integrating well enough. Well how can they, when some people can't even accept that non-white British people are actually British.

"“Where are you really from” is bog standard racist assumption making and it being common doesn’t make it any less racist. "

It isn't always racist, in base. It's badly put. I'm part Native American, not now, but when I was younger and speaking to an old person, in the US, I'd be interested in were their family history hailed from.

Likewise, I was interested in my Adult DDs Friend's Jewish/Polish Surname and their history. If someone doesn't want to talk about it, I totally understand.

I, in no way think anyone is any less than anyone else, as don't many others, they are just interested.

An XBF and I were watching a reality TV show about a club in Jamaica. XBF asked why a white man was talking like a n. I said, "He's not talking like a n, he's talking like a Jamaican, they've already said that he's from Kingston." 😠😠😠😠😠 Racist arsehole.

PerfPower

I don't think it's wrong, but judging by the people who think that asking someone where they're from is 'disgusting' I'm not so sure now. I'm second generation British, happy to talk about my heritage"

The issue is that "Where are you from" can mean three things:

Firstly, it can literally mean "where are you from?" in the sense of where did you grow up and what town/city/region would you identify as being from.

Secondly it can mean "where do you live now" in the sense of where did you come from today.

Thirdly it can mean "what is your original ethnic heritage" - because Britain is a multicultural and diverse society, if you intend to ask the question what is your ethnic heritage by asking "where are you from", it is displaying both racism and ignorance because it belies an assumption that a BAME individual is not "from" the UK.

The problem with Prince Charles interaction with the woman from Manchester as set out in the article isn't the question - because if he'd meant the first or second meaning (what city are you from) there is no issue.

The problem is that his answer "you don't look it" indicates that he actually meant "what is your ethnic heritage" and that he has a prejudice that only white (probably working class) people can really say they are from Manchester.

If you are interested and not asking for racist reasons, personally I don't think there is anything wrong with asking someone what their ethnic background/heritage is but it's important to be clear about what you are asking and not display built in racism in the question or answer.

It doesn't sound like PC to comment on race.
He doesn't insult people.
He's more likely to talk to plants than notice whether someone fits a stereotype.
I smell a rat.

And in actual fact assuming it did happen it wasn't even a question. It was a dismissive comment.

@Birdsgottafly "Likewise, I was interested in my Adult DDs Friend's Jewish/Polish Surname and their history"

Isn't this a conversation you have if you know someone a bit better?

With the whole surname hassle, I always just point out the family could have been here for centuries regardless of the name.

This is why we have Windrush immigrants who've never lived anywhere else having to battle to prove they are English. The stupidity is breathtaking.

I once had a lad at uni tell me my family couldn't have been here for that long because it wasn't historically possible. He conceded when I found him a record of the first black English mayor.

I once had a Mumsnetter say how disappointing and boring it is when someone with a forrin name doesn't have a forrin history to share. When my parents are gone and I leave London, I'm going to change my name. I'm hoping it's one way to be accepted as English but even if it's not, then at least it blocks one route to stupid questions when I meet new people.

FFS!

People just love to find ANYthing to be offended about.

And it's always white people who are the most 'offended,' when anything is said about non-whites.

Get over yourselves, and get a fucking grip.

I'm interested. For those of you who go about asking people what their ethnic background/heritage is, why do you do it? I mostly mean, people who do this to strangers and those that they have met for the first time.

What do you get out of it?

Why does this interest you about people over other things?

Does it not feel like you are going out of your way to say "I notice you are different"? Does this not feel awkward?

Is it just the need to group people and place them in boxes? So, PC had done this mentally and then expressed his surprise. Is it still reasonable that people do this in the UK today? Personally, I don't think so. I get irritated, I'm an introvert just wanting to go about my business without people getting "interested" in my ethnic background.

I once had a Mumsnetter say how disappointing and boring it is when someone with a forrin name doesn't have a forrin history to share. When my parents are gone and I leave London, I'm going to change my name. I'm hoping it's one way to be accepted as English but even if it's not, then at least it blocks one route to stupid questions when I meet new people.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news and it might be different for you. But, I have a very Scottish name and it hasn't helped.

My DF has French and Jewish parents but he was born in the UK. He looks very dark and has had similar comments to this. It’s incredibly racist, the implication being if you are not white you can’t possibly be from the UK. Shame on Charles. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree at all...

*People just love to find ANYthing to be offended about.

And it's always white people who are the most 'offended,' when anything is said about non-whites.

Get over yourselves, and get a fucking grip.*

It's not anything. This issue is something that affects me when I leave the house. When I chat to my neighbours or the dentist. When I travel around the rest of the UK for work purposes. There are many non-white people on this thread who are bothered by this. Have you read it?

Downthestrada.
Oh that's a nuisance. There's another reason for it though - I'd like a name that reflects my heritage so I need an English name really.

SpringNow I understand. Yes, go for it. :)

Downthestrada I love personal accounts. i wouldn't do it on first meeting someone, I would only do it after building a relationship. My interest is history. It started at the Holocaust, because a neighbour was in the Hitler Youth and my GM had a friend who'd been in Auschwitz and other Camps, his German Wife was sterilised and became disabled as a result.

SpringNowPlease2018 I agree that it shouldn't be done on first meeting. but that's were it differs for these occasions and people should be taught how to put questions.My own heritage is mixed. My half Sister's family is caught up in the Windrush scandal, she luckily via my mother had British Citizenship. I've had enough personal experience to know how colour/features etc influences reaction.

Understanding immigration and what part those immigrants played in building Societies, I think, is the key in ending Racism. When I tell people that Jewish Settlers were money lenders because Christians couldn't be and they were requested by the Crown to carry out these services, no-one knows that. The value that these travelling (Jewish) people were to whatever place they settled in and the knowledge that they bought, improved life for everyone, so much.

I like documentaries that look into the personalities of the Great Names. It's the person side of history that fascinates me. That, alone, is the basis of my interest.

Understand each other and we realise that we are not different.

Think it's extremely unlikely that someone so steeped in diplomacy + theright thing to say, for his entire life etc would have made a straightforward racist remark such as that. He would be well aware of the consequences.

Two words- Prince Philip.

of course, the PoW can't defend or deny it because the Royals are above commenting on this sort of old bollox

I can't possibly know whether Charles made this comment or not, but I do get a little weary of the insistence that he can't answer back - especially with someone so keen on doing whining interviews

Let's also not forget the "friends" who've been wheeled out to speak for him ... oily Nicholas Soames, brown nosed Penny Junor, Richard Chartres, the Van Cutsems et al

"Above commenting"? I really don't think so