What next for the Sussexes?

[Casuaala]

I thought yesterday couldn't have gone better, all things considered; there was the least amount of drama or negative coverage possible regarding the Sussexes.

I'd like to hope that this marks a fresh start. Harry's got all the recriminations off his chest. The Royal Family have maintained a dignified silence and hopefully the future is rosy. The Sussexes can have the life they want in the US, with a small presence in family events back here when appropriate. (I wouldn't be surprised however if Megan never makes it back on UK soil).

Camilla had hurt her back in the run up to the coronation

Ah - thanks, CosmosQueen; I hadn't heard about that

This is always a major problem for poc and those affected (usually by family links). They always have to be the ones walking on eggshells around racists.

Yes absolutely. Their retelling the story is scrutinised repeatedly but the thing that was said is dismissed as harmless.

I don’t understand how anyone can deny racism in the royal family. Prince Phillip, the grandfather/father/uncle, said some very racist things. It’s possible he saved all his racism for when he was in public, but I find that highly doubtful. This stuff gets handed down - so I find it hard to believe Prince Phillip wasn’t the only one to have racist thoughts and opinions

When Prince William said (when asked the 5 days after the OW interview aired), “We are very much not a racist family’ wasn’t he forgetting his grandfather’s obvious racist statements over the years? (At that point Prince Phillip was still alive). Harry himself has said and done racist things in the past. Although he has made an effort to educate himself about it since.

Harry has said it wasn’t Phillip or the Queen, so my guess is it’s been passed on. As many things are, especially unexamined racism. Why would this be this so unbelievable? Imo, it’s not.

And that’s not including the institutional racism present in the British Monarchy.

My grandfather was a nasty bigoted racist.

So on that basis, my mother, uncles, aunts, myself and my children are racists? Despite the fact we are not.

Someone needs a lesson in logical thinking.

'And that’s not including the institutional racism present in the British Monarchy'

Oh fgs did you see the Coronation, people of all faiths and race. It was as diverse and inclusive as you could wish. Ditto the concert. You need to change the record or at least produce some actual evidence to your claim.

I agree with @ArcaneWireless that it was a pity Meghan couldn't attend KC's big day ( obviously due to acrimony amongst siblings and wider RF because of what's been said/written ) as KC certainly supported Meghan very publicly on her big day.

I did not say everyone in the family was racist. I didn’t say it had been handed down to everyone.

My thinking is just fine thank you very much. Your manners however?

And Meghan lied in the Oprah 'interview' because she stated clearly there were several conversations (untrue) when she was pregnant (untrue) regarding Archie getting security (untrue) or a title (untrue) and alluded strongly, which Oprah repeated as fact, (undenied by Meghan) that it was because Archie might be too brown (untrue).

The fact that one crass comment was made to Harry before they even got married (which Chris Rock says is normal apparently) by one person, and was conflated to paint the whole family racist by Meghan, and then left to stand for 2 years, is what's unforgivable to me.

Personally I would not comment on colour, but to create an industry based on such an outrageous inflation of the truth, is disgusting. It's why I have such contempt for her, and for him coming along two years later to say it was all the press and stating the RF were not racist, having lived within it all his life, and with him being far and away the most racist of the lot of them. Prince Phillip was clearly wrong, but Harry didn't have the excuse of coming from 2 generations away where attitudes were not so enlightened.

Meghan and Harry have made millions based on this appalling distortion of the truth, so just go away, enjoy your blood money and your blood diamonds, and leave the RF and decent people alone.

When Prince William said (when asked the 5 days after the OW interview aired), “We are very much not a racist family’ wasn’t he forgetting his grandfather’s obvious racist statements over the years?

And what exactly do you think he should have said?

If your almost centenarian grandfather had made offensive comments over the years, would you be happy for your entire family to be smeared as a 'racist family'? Especially if said accusation came from a family member with a known history of racism?

I meant to write, ‘that’s not including the institutional racism that was present in the British Monarchy.’

I don’t know what ‘he should have’ said. But I do know that what he did say was not the whole truth.

When asked the question, which he should have expected having had 5 days to think about the accusation and a response to it, he answered on the run. I think he needed to stop and address it properly. Running away from it was the wrong response in my opinion.

I don’t understand how anyone can deny racism in the royal family.

You should take that up with Harry then, he's the one who said it's not racism, it's unconscious bias.

Why should he 'address' it? He wasn't even scheduled to be at that engagement. And if you're going to criticise him for his response, then you really should be able to say what he should have said in response.

Speaking of not answering questions, I see you haven't answered mine.

You should take that up with Harry then, he's the one who said it's not racism, it's unconscious bias.

When Harry said it was ‘unconscious bias’ I was confused. But ultimately I don’t agree. If someone said something that had racist connotations, it’s no longer unconscious bias. It’s racism. Whether the person who said it knows it or not.

I think it would be helpful if someone could delicately explain to PH (& his wife ideally) that the ‘truth’ isn’t something you just make up. That would be a wonderful start and then, you never know, people may be less likely to accuse him of being thick🤷🏼‍♀️.

When Harry said it was ‘unconscious bias’ I was confused. But ultimately I don’t agree. If someone said something that had racist connotations, it’s no longer unconscious bias. It’s racism. Whether the person who said it knows it or not.

I agree, and I think it's problematic when a white person denies or minimises racism that has been alleged by a POC.

@Morestrangerthings

You have no idea what was said but you’re convinced it’s racism.

Meghan and Harry couldn’t agree on TV when asked by Oprah as they gave conflicting accounts - but you’re convinced it’s racism

i think that’s your own bias showing there

And if you're going to criticise him for his response, then you really should be able to say what he should have said in response.

I don’t know what he should have said. I wasn’t there at the original incident. But as I did say, an answer on the run 5 days later was not a good enough response. And the RF have not addressed it since, afaik. There’s a whole discussion happening about racism across societies and this has become part of it, and the response is to say nothing. ‘Don’t complain, don’t explain’ doesn’t hold up any longer.

I'm not sure what your 'not being there' has to do with anything. You went out of your way to criticise William for his response despite 'not being there', yet seem incapable of saying what he should have said.

I'm also not sure what you want the 'RF' to say about alleged conversations which happened in private, at an unspecified time and place. Would you be happy to comment publicly about an alleged racist remark, which you did not witness, made by an unidentified member of your family some time ago?

And you still haven't answered my original question.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also subsequently described the incident as an innocuous comment, made without malice. And, as people keep pointing out, it’s their assessment of the comment that matters most.

Their retelling the story is scrutinised repeatedly but the thing that was said is dismissed as harmless

As said, I honestly do get the dangers here, though I'm not sure it's wise to assume too much when, in an ever changing story, we know so little around what was said, who said it, in what context and when

Happily nobody's suggesting that unreliability on the part of one POC is some sort of carte blanche to sweep the whole issue of hideous racism aside, and a damned good thing too because it's a vital issue which needs addressing.
Fortunately there are plenty of people who help us all by talking cogently about this - people of real integrity whose word can be trusted and deserve the widespread admiration and respect they've earned

I just wouldn't say H&M number among them ...

I do ‘have some idea of what was said’ - that there was concern about how dark Archie’s skin would be. But no, I don’t know who said it or exactly what was said. Obviously.

I can't get over some of the places this thread is going. Posters saying they can see into someone's evil soul just by looking at their smug or sneering faces: I'm sorry but there goes your credibility, in an instant.

I am interested in the topic because I have a few FOC - friends of colour - who don't like Meghan... for her lies and her dissembling primarily, but they also feel she is overly showy and very wrapped up in herself... Like me, they have come to this conclusion after giving her a fair chance - listening to her podcasts, watching her interviews and her Netflix series.

However I can see how for many people Meghan is deeply emblematic and therefore feelings about how she was treated run terribly high.

Like dalmation and pissedoff I think the issue of racism in all its forms needs serious addressing, but I feel it's so unedifying to get bogged down in MM's demonstrably skewed stories. They don't shed light where it's needed.

I am interested in the topic because I have a few FOC - friends of colour

Well, this is a new description for us. FOC? Do they know that’s how you refer to them?

@Morestrangerthings

The Sussex’s themselves have subsequently said it was an innocuous comment without malice and it wasn’t racism

but you know better ?