Prince Harry is acknowledging the "uncomfortable" history of the British Empire and encouraging others to do the same, to "right those wrongs" and move forward. The Duke of Sussex was speaking to members of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust Wednesday and said that there's still so much work to do to end systemic racism.
Queen Elizabeth's grandson said in the session that to acknowledge the past of the Commonwealth is not going to be easy but it must be done to benefit a larger cause. Prince Harry is the president of the Commonwealth Trust, a charity for its member nations.
The Commonwealth is made up of 54 countries that have been colonized by Britain. This colonization has recently been assessed amid the global protests against racism.
Prince Harry also acknowledged that he grew up with an unconscious bias "to see the world differently." He said that now that he is more aware of what's happening, he's standing up and not accepting what is deemed wrong in today's society, such as systemic racism. The Duke of Sussex said that this social injustice problem stays "because [someone] is benefiting from it."
A Tory MP from the U.K., however, criticized Prince Harry for his statements. Andrew Rosindell said that Queen Elizabeth will likely be disappointed, yet again, with Prince Harry for seemingly taking a swipe at the British Empire, where his grandmother is the monarch.
Rosindell advised Prince Harry to just focus on getting his life in order after he gave up his royal roles in January. The politician said that the Duke of Sussex must not get involved in politics because it is "not the appropriate" gesture from someone who is still a member of the royal family.
But in recent days, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, have been making their political voices be heard amid the outcry. Last week, Prince Harry said sorry for not doing enough to tackle systemic racism.
Speaking with a young audience at The Diana Awards, Prince Harry said that he wants to be part of the solution and lead the change. A month before that, Meghan also spoke with the younger generation on her experiences about social injustice and encouraged the students to be driven with kindness in trying to change the world.
According to reports, Prince Harry and Meghan have also been discussing with leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement to learn more about this pressing social issue on inequality. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are apparently making this their advocacy on top of their other causes.
