Princes Harry and Meghan say Britain must confront its colonial past and “correct these injustices”
Speaking at a meeting of the Queen Commonwealth Foundation on Wednesday, Harry said people must “acknowledge the past,” even when it’s embarrassing.
“When you look across the Commonwealth, there’s no way we can move forward if we don’t acknowledge the past,” he said. “So many people have done such an amazing job of acknowledging the past and trying to correct those injustices, but I think we all acknowledge that there is still a lot to do.”
“It won’t be easy, and in some cases it won’t be comfortable, but it should be done, because guess what: everyone benefits,” Prince added.
The community is made up of 54 nations, ruled by Britain by almost all governments, as part of their empire. The British colonization of these countries has been reassessed following recent global anti-racist protests.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, also contributed to the session, which focused on how the Community can support young people.
“Now we’re going to have to be a little awkward, because it’s only in breaking through that discomfort that we get to the other side of this and find a place where the high tide lifts all the ships,” she said. “Equality puts no one on its hind legs, it puts us all on the same footing – which is a fundamental human right.”
Prince Harry discussed his unconscious bias, saying, “We cannot deny or ignore the fact that we have all been educated to see the world differently. However, once you begin to realize that there is this prejudice, then you need to admit it, you need to do work to become more aware … so that you can help advocate for something that is so wrong and that should not be acceptable in our society today. “
“It’s not just in the big moments, but in the quiet moments where racism and unconscious bias lie and thrive,” Meghan added. “A lot of people find it confusing when they understand the role they play in it, both passively and actively.”
“We will get there and we have a lot of renewed faith and energy in having this conversation,” she told those present at the session.
Harry and Meghan announced in early 2020 that they were leaving their roles as senior members of the royal family, and have been spending most of their time in North America ever since.
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