In an interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the couple told the Queen of television Oprah Winfrey that they endured severe racial turmoil that almost drove Markle to take her own life. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

By Wayne Dawkins
Special to the AFRO

It initially seemed silly to spend time caring about the plight or royals Princess Meghan and Prince Harry, yet since they gave an interview Sunday to the “Queen of television” let’s unpack.

“The firm” aka “The institution” as Meghan and Harry referenced the British Royal palace, reminded me of police departments. Traditionally, when accusations of violent police misconduct against citizens occurred, authorities controlled the narratives. But lately, Black Lives Matter, Color of Change, righteously angry families or victims, have provided compelling counter narratives that the public had to consider. 

The banished royal couple offered a plausible counter narrative:

Meghan Markle, as an uppity outsider American and woman of color was a plausible victim, too. 

Despite trying to ignore the stories, I recall the uber-biased British tabloid accounts. 

There was Princess Kate Middleton admiring her baby bump as UK’s Daily Mail tabloids fawned approvingly. 

Same image on Meghan? She was a narcissist, hissed the same publication.

Want another? There’s Kate eating her avocado on toast. She’s nourishing her baby-to-be, reported the Express. Meghan in a similar situation? She’s eating a fruit harvested by exploited workers that also causes environmental degradation! Screamed the same newspaper.

“Wow, that’s some expensive toast,” Meghan told Oprah with an exasperated sigh.

So, the day after Meghan alleged a royal was worried how brown her baby with Harry might be, the palace decided Archie would not be a prince, nor would the child have security. 

The allegations threw the firm into a “crisis,” reported U.S. media outlets the following morning. 

UK anchorman Piers Morgan stormed off of the set on March 9 after a weatherman of color read him: Piers, since Meghan dropped you from her inner circle, you have been viciously attacking her, right? 

Piers and his UK associates need to get a grip. Why are they hypersensitive about charges of racism or racial insensitivity, or hostility toward Americans not knowing their place?

Are Britons still smarting over their loss of empire?

Meghan, offspring of a Black mom and White dad, noted two thirds of the population of nations that affiliate with Britain are inhabited by people of color.

After 1945 and World War II, Britain gave up India , and two dozen West Indian and African colonies that became independent nations. 

The former British Commonwealth of Nations is now the Commonwealth of Nations, the U.K. “and many former dependencies who have chosen to maintain ties of friendship and practical cooperation and who acknowledge the British monarch as the symbolic head of their association,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica. 

Americans were former “dependencies” of the U.K., back in the 18th century, we fought a revolution to free ourselves. Yet, our Declaration of Independence had a curious work, consanguinity, near the end of that indictment and divorce decree signed by the founding fathers. It meant that although we were parting company, because of a common language and culture, some day in the future we would reconcile. America and Britain did.

So, the royals need to pull up and not wage war on Meghan and Harry because the couple had the moxie to give up royal trappings and leave for the Americas with their sanity and self-respect. 

The truly American thing Meghan, the actress from “Suits,” told Queen Oprah was essentially she wasn’t pining for the royals’ trappings. She’s worked since she was 13 at a frozen yogurt shop.

Wayne Dawkins is a writer, and a professor of professional practice at Morgan State University School of Global Journalism and Communication.

And as for Meghan behaving inappropriately, what does the palace have to say about Harry’s dad Prince Charles or Prince Andrew’s behavior? 

Crickets. Utter hypocrisy. 

Not surprised.

The writer is a professor of professional practice at Morgan State University School of Global Journalism and Communication.