Meghan and Harry knew 'they would be ostracised' for calling out Royal Family racism, says Kerry Kennedy
Meghan and Harry knew "they would be ostracised" after making allegations of racism within the Royal Family in 2021, Kerry Kennedy has said.
Speaking to Vanitatis — a Spanish publication — Kennedy compared Meghan and Harry to her father, Robert F. Kennedy, referencing a speech he made in apartheid South Africa in 1966.
"He spoke of moral courage, saying that few would have the courage to question their colleagues, family and community about the power structure they maintained," she said. "And this is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done.
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"They went to the oldest institution in UK history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn't have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health."
The lawyer and human rights activist added that the Sussexes "knew that if they did this there would be consequences, that they would be ostracised, they would lose their family, their position within this structure, and that people would blame them for it.
"They have done it anyway," Kennedy said, "because they believed that they could not live with themselves if they did not question this authority. I think they have been heroic in taking this step."
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Kennedy's, of course, referring to the 2021 televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which Meghan and Harry alleged that someone in the Royal Family had questioned how dark their son Archie's skin might be, whilst Meghan was pregnant.
Harry refused to name the person who had made the comments, saying it would be "very damaging" to the family member, but it was later clarified that neither Prince Philip nor the Queen made the comments.
After the interview had aired, William told reporters that the Royal Family "are very much not a racist family"
Queen Elizabeth released a statement in response to her grandson's interview in which she said the family was "saddened" to hear how "challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," and that "the issues, particularly that of race, are concerning".
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Kennedy's comments come after it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been named the Ripple of Hope Award laureates by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organisation.
The non-profit said that the Sussexes had received this award because the couple had "demonstrated a lifelong commitment to building strong and equitable communities, advancing the global dialogue around mental health, and advocating for a better world".
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