The recent birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is unprecedented and we all welcome this little blessing to a family and a country in need of more love. Yet someone tried to burst that bubble. As Jen Sincero says in ‘You are a Badass at Making Money’ “Nothing pops our balloon of belief like the pointy pin of a pal” and it was just that intention by DJ Danny Baker, that has not succeeded, it has highlighted the racial issue that so many people have to face EVERY SINGLE DAY!…. it is shameful that it still goes on.
Harry has a beautiful wife, an American woman of African Slavery heritage mixed with white American, Harry is very lucky to have married a divorcee yet those things should not be called out as the matter, love is beyond boundaries.
Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, race has never been an issue with me I was ignorant, but eager to learn. The first time I experienced the daily tormented anguish of a black woman was when Prince Harry’s Mum Princess Diana was outside the West Yorkshire Playhouse, she had been opening the DWP office in Leeds. A woman behind me was trying to get into the crowd to shake Diana’s hand. I moved my handbag to make room for her and gestured her in next to me, (my handbags are always huge by the way!) and she accused me of being racist with her being black, she instinctively thought I thought she was going to steal from me. I just wanted her to get in and have a happy time. That taught me how awful racism is and it’s awful impact on the everyday lives of people who have that struggle. Diana didn’t shake our hands after the altercation. Bless her. Tactful as ever. She was amazing.
One day it was an opportunity for me to aid Princess Diana in Kensington, she was dashing so quickly in her heels she looked so stunning and as she got closer to me she looked behind her and there was a crowd of office ladies outside a building pointing in our direction. It occurred to me she was about to get mobbed if I stopped her to speak to her. So I nodded my head as to say “okay got this” I walked on and she had relief on her face. As I approached the gaggle of ladies, they asked me “was it her?” I said “who?” And they said “Princess Diana!” I covered for her and said, “no it’s not Diana, I thought that but it wasn’t” they looked so disappointed. It was good to help her out, I knew from that first experience that impromptu crowds can be chaos. I will always be grateful to Diana for that lesson in racial tension, yet it seems we are all still learning. How hurtful this Royal-bashing can be, made public and forever in the ether via Danny Baker’s insensitivity and white-privilege perspective. I imagine Diana is looking down on her two lovely sons and her grandchildren with pride and love, unconditionally wishing she could protect them.
The situation offends me too, as my niece is half Bangladeshi and my brother in law is African American the tweet is just so awful, it is incomprehensible how anyone could think to reference the image in this way.
And the only damage for Danny Baker was being sacked by the BBC over the “royal baby chimp tweet” but much more lessons need to be learned, it seems that it is some kind of lesson the whole world needs to learn, and learn again.
Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor will have a challenge but I reckon him popping into our world will brighten, enlighten and challenge the whole world in a wonderful way, and if his father is anything to go by, we have a strong gentleman growing up in our midst unafraid to fight a battle.
