Why is this Royal Wedding such a game changer?
19 mai 2018From the get go, it was a delight to hear that Harry was dating a beautiful young lady who happened to be an accomplished actress. We all remember these two fair headed boys left motherless after the loss they suffered when Princess Diana passed away on the 31st August 1997. Any mother could only wish that they would both be comforted one day by finding true love.
However, what then became quite central to the story was the fact that this beautiful lady was of mixed parentage (Caucasian dad and Afro American mother). To those in doubt as Meghan is very fair and has long straight hair, a quick search on the internet would bring up pictures of Meghan’s mother who is undoubtedly black in every possible way. The question then became: Would Meghan ever be able to marry into the British Royal family knowing that she was from African descent?
As Harry and Meghan’s story unfolded and the proposal took place…. It looked that after all, in addition to welcoming a commoner in the Royal family in the person of Catherine Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge and the spouse of Prince William on 29th April 2011, the British Monarchy would once again break convention.
And it was quite understandable, Meghan is a stunningly beautiful and graceful woman. Harry and her seemed madly in love and totally compatible. Somehow, Meghan would fit in….
Now, today was another story… and this Royal Wedding surely was like no other…
What was phenomenal in what we all witnessed is how much Meghan Markle assumed her blackness and became a black symbol; hence, the representation of both English and Afro-American cultures displayed through the preaching and the music repertoire.
In St George's Chapel, at the heart of Windsor Castle and within the sanctuary of the British Monarchy, the oldest establishment of the United Kingdom, Whites and Blacks were both actors and witnesses of the coming together of two worlds. For lack of words, the wedding was described as modern and this was justified in saying that monarchy has a duty to be a link between the past and the present.
Modern!! What an understatement…
This wedding was nothing short of a political statement ……and a radical take on what the world should be like!!
After slavery resurfaced its ugly head in the news last year, The Trump era and his contempt towards Africa and Africans, The Rise of Far Right groups in Europe, The windrush scandal…… how refreshing to witness the respectful and celebrated joining of two worlds…
We take our hat off to Harry but we also acknowledge the endorsement of the Royal family….
Time will tell the impact that this union can have ….. but one thing is absolutely sure…. From today on, any little mixed-raced or black girls, anywhere in Europe and beyond, that will be judged by her looks or insulted because of her ethnicity… to those they will proudly say: Harry married Meghan and she is beautiful…..
Black Representation at the Royal Wedding
Reverend Bishop Michael Curry
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rev-michael-currys-royal-wedding-speech-in-full-the-episcopal-church-reverends-complete-transcript-a3843486.html
Rose Hudson Wilkin - First black female Chaplain to the Queen
Sheku Kanneh Mason
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/royal-wedding-cellist-sheku-nottingham-1586559