Racism proposals in the royal family are already stumbling away Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, Buckingham Palace was confronted Wednesday with explosive new allegations of decades of systemic discrimination against People of Color – and documents to back it up.
The Guardian, Britain’s left-wing newspaper and a leader in the long-standing movement to abolish the monarchy, published a report declaring that the chief courtiers of Queen Elizabeth II Immigrants or foreigners ” from service in clerical functions in the royal household until at least the late 1960s, as evidenced by documents found in the National Archives of the United Kingdom.
“(The documents show) how the Queen’s Chief Financial Officer informed officials in 1968 that it was in fact not customary to appoint colored immigrants or foreigners to clerical roles in the royal household when they were allowed to work as domestic servants,” The Guardian reported.
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During the same period, top positions in advising the monarch mostly went to upper-class white men or aristocrats, many of whom were Oxbridge graduates and / or served in senior positions in the military.
The newspaper also reported that the documents show that in the 1970s the Queen and her aides were able to negotiate with government officials to exempt the royal household from laws prohibiting discriminatory hiring practices that to this day discourage royal employees from doing so on grounds of alleged discrimination to complain at work.
USA TODAY asked Buckingham Palace to comment on the Guardian’s history.
The Guardian proposed the news, which was over after the near-nationwide nervous breakdown in March what Harry and Meghan said about racism in the family and the media in their interview with Oprah WinfreyIt would certainly “rekindle the debate about British royalty and race”.
Among other things, the Queen’s 36-year-old grandson and his multiracial American wife, 39, claimed she had been the target of racism on media and social media and that a member of the royal family wondered about the color of their baby’s skin.
At a possibly coincidental time, the Guardian news came on the same day Buckingham Palace announced plans to celebrate the Queen’s platinum anniversary next year she will celebrate 70 years on the throne – an unprecedented milestone for any British monarch.
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The palace initially declined to reply to the Guardian’s report. Later the palace gave a statement to E! News, suggesting that claims based on a “second hand conversation from over 50 years ago” may not be relevant to operations today.
“The royal household and the sovereign adhere in principle and in practice to the provisions of the Equal Opportunities Act,” said the palace’s statement. “This is reflected in the policies, procedures and practices for diversity, inclusion and dignity in the workplace within the royal household. Any complaints that might be made under the law follow a formal process that provides an opportunity to hear complaints and seek remedial action. “
After Harry and Meghan went public with their complaints in conversation with Winfrey, the palace waited two days to make a typically cautious statement The couple’s allegations of racism and lack of support are taken “very seriously” and treated “privately” by the royal family.
“The whole family is sad to learn how challenging the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, especially those of the race, are worrying,” the statement said. “Although some memories can vary, they are taken very seriously and addressed privately by the family. Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be very beloved family members.”
The palace has been silent since then. However, Harry’s brother Prince William responded to a reporter’s question a few days later during an engagement. briefly stated that the royal family was “very much not a racist family”.
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Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have been pilloried in Britain by the media, MPs and millions of Britons, according to multiple polls and a barrage of social media comments. They declined to make a statement in response to the Guardian’s story about the National Archives documents.
The couple now live in California after giving up their royal roles to seek greater financial independence and freedomShe stunned audiences around the world three months ago by claiming a member of the royal family whom she would not identify expressed concern about the possible color of the skin of their multiracial baby.
They also claimed that Meghan was suicidal because of pressures to be in the royal family but was turned away when she sought help from the royal household.
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But the tabloid Daily Mail, a leader in the campaign against Harry and Meghan after their explosive interview (and on the losing side of a data protection lawsuit from Meghan) was among the media who saw the potential impact of The Guardian’s report.
“The discovery (of the documents) is likely embarrassing for the company as it grapples with allegations of systemic racism. made by Harry and Meghan, The Mail closed on Wednesday.
It is also likely to intensify The Guardian’s campaign against the parliamentary mechanism known as “Queen’s Consent” which enables the crown to secretly influence the government to change laws it does not endorse or to exempt the crown.
Republicans, as antimonarchists are called in Britain, consider this practice opaque and unconstitutional and have used it to argue that Britain should abolish the monarchy and elect its head of state.
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