Image courtesy of Glamour
I’m sure we’ve all heard about the much-anticipated royal wedding of Prince Harry and American actress, Meghan Markle, that will take place in May. The California-born future duchess has won everyone’s hearts through her feminist efforts, down-to-earth personality and humanitarian work. However, it is no big secret that everyone is cheering about the fact that Meghan is biracial; she was born to a Caucasian father and an African-American mother. Other than her amazing genes, she stays true to her roots to this day and has not forgotten where she has come from, an admirable trait for a future soon-to-be royal. But, why are people constantly talking about Meghan’s racial background?
The British royal family, when you look at them from the outside, is white. Their members have blonde or brown hair and white skin. Their history includes imperialism, a Protestant church and strictly British traditions. With Prince William and Prince Harry ready to takes the reigns of the monarchy, the royal family is looking to modernize and revamp themselves through the younger royals. The Duchess of Cambridge brought a breath of fresh air to the family because she was a British commoner, however she was still of the upper-middle class and somewhat privileged. Meghan Markle is the newest addition that the royal family needs to keep progressing. Her biracial background is important because in this day and age, globalization and diversity are becoming more crucial. Mixed race children are going to be the new norm in a matter of years and with that comes the mixing of many cultures and traditions.
Image courtesy of The Sun
Markle can bring a different perspective to the monarchy. Her mother, Doria Ragland, is of African-American descent and Markle has probably heard stories of family members who have encountered discrimination because of their skin color. The actress remembers when she noticed a difference in how she felt due to her race by stating in the April issue of Allure, “[It] was the first time I could put a name to feeling too light in the black community, too mixed in the white community,” However, Meghan learned to become confident in her unique heritage as she grew older and eventually booked the role of paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits.
Image courtesy of Heavy
Within the royal family, people hope that Meghan will be an advocate for equality among those of various races, religious backgrounds and ethnicities because she herself comes from a mixed background. She is expected to be a “feminist princess” as well because of her voice for women’s rights. Meghan is an example of a celebrity who has used her platform to do good in the world, similar to what her future husband does.
It is refreshing to see that Prince Harry chose the sweet, American, brunette-haired Meghan as “the one”, despite his dating history of leggy British blondes. She is clearly different on the outside because she is biracial, and on the inside because she truly sparkles according to everyone she knows, but perhaps that is what attracted the prince to her. We cannot wait to see what Meghan will do for the royal family and how much of an impact she will make in this world!