Back in 2017, Princess Michael of Kent made headlines when she chose to wear a blackamoor brooch to a pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace - which was also Meghan Markle’s very first event with the extended Royal Family.
As brooches are believed to be used by royals such as Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton to express significant meaning, the decision to wear the brooch (a Venetian style which commonly depicts African and non-European people as servants) sparked accusations of racism. According to a new biography about Meghan and Harry, the Duchess of Sussex herself questioned the jewellery choice.
According to the biography Finding Freedom, the Duchess of Sussex - who is biracial - “wondered if there wasn’t a message being sent in the pin of the torso of an African man wearing a gold turban and ornate clothing.”
“At the bare minimum, it showed insensitivity to Meghan’s African American roots and the racism she had encountered since pairing up with Harry,” the biography continued.
Evening Standard Insider has reached out to Princess Michael of Kent for comment.
While Princess Michael would later go on to say she was “very sorry and distressed that it has caused offence” via a spokesperson, the biography penned by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed some palace aides ‘questioned the sincerity of the Princess’s apology.’
Princess Michael of Kent has in the past been accused of racism. In 2004 she was reportedly overheard at a restaurant telling Black customers to “go back to the colonies.” At the time, she called it a "misunderstanding" in an ITV1 interview, saying she did not understand "colonies is a perjorative term in America."
She denied the "wicked" claim that she was racist in the same interview by explaining that she "even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African of course" by dyeing her hair black an travelling "on an African bus." She continued, "To call me a racist is ... it's a knife in my heart, because I really love these people and have done so much, I think probably more than most people I know, for Africans - and, well, you know, what can you do. You grin and bear it."
A former boyfriend of her daughter’s additionally claimed in a Vanity Fair piece that she owned a pair of black sheep she named “Venus and Serena.” Her spokesperson said of the latter claim that there “won’t be any comment” on the Vanity Fair story.
Prior to joining the Royal Family, Meghan lent her voice to racial justice campaigns including one in 2012 for Erase The Hate and has spoken about her personal experiences with racism which include witnessing someone call her mother Doria Ragland, who is African American, a racial slur.
Since marrying into the family and stepping down as a senior royal on March 31, Meghan has also expressed her support for Black Lives Matter as her husband Prince Harry has called for the Commonwealth to "right those wrongs" of its past.
