Backlash in Commonwealth after Harry and Meghan’s claims of racism

In the Caribbean, News Americas published an editorial saying it was time for the Commonwealth nations to “emancipate themselves from colonialism”.
PA Archive
Michael Howie10 March 2021

Meghan and Harry’s bombshell claims of racism in the royal family have fuelled calls in some former British colonies to drop the Queen as their head of state.

In the Caribbean, News Americas published an editorial saying it was time for the Commonwealth nations to “emancipate themselves from the mental slavery and the last shackle of colonialism”.

The group runs a number of outlets across the Caribbean, where the Queen is head of state of eight nations.

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the couple’s interview has provided another reason for the country to sever its constitutional ties to the British monarchy.

“After the end of the queen’s reign, that is the time for us to say: OK, we’ve passed that watershed,” he said.

In Canada, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, said the monarchy “is in no way beneficial to Canadians in… their everyday life”.

“And with the systematic racism that we’ve seen, it seems to be in that institution as well,” he said.

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said now was not the time to ditch the monarchy. “The answer is not to suddenly toss out all the institutions and start over,” he said.

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