Thread by @bookedbusy

The Royal Family and UK media were hoping Harry and Meghan would never claim the Prince and Princess titles for their children, which would have allowed them to spin all kinds of narratives from they were punished to the magnanimous #KingCharles bestowed them (PR points).

The most dangerous of narratives was the one of excluding the mixed race children and then blaming the parents.

Of course the media and Royal family surrogates are trying to muddy the waters by claiming they do not understand this move considering Harry and Meghan

Have spoken openly about why they had to leave the UK and step back from Royal duties. Besides misrepresenting the reasons behind why Harry and Meghan chose to leave- which had a lot to do with media abuse and harassment, their choices on how they live their lives has no bearing

On whether their children get titles or not.

It is a hereditary Monarchy and your position of birth is the determinant and as enshrined in the laws and customs of the UK, Harry and Meghan’s children became Prince and Princess of the UK and the realms the day the Queen died.

However, the Royal Family, courtiers and the media have used the access to titles as a tool to control members of the Royal Family.

Whether or not you have a title conferred or taken away is used to either stop you from doing something or to get you to do something.

We know from media reports that this tactic has been used over and over again with Harry and Meghan.

When Archie was born it was deployed to try and get the couple to kowtow to the media’s access demands and to get them to drop the lawsuit against ANL.

Then it was used to threaten Harry not to release his memoir #Spare. And once again we saw it being used to get him to come to the ‘C’-word. It was being weaponised in whatever discussions are happening behind the scenes.

By claiming these titles, Harry has removed this issue off the discussion table and the only way it can be brought back is if #KingCharlesTheCruel is considering removing those titles.

Right now columnists, TV and radio commentators are looking to moralize this issue,

With the aim of labeling Harry and Meghan inconsistent at best and hypocrites (their favorite word) at worst (tired old narratives)

This is not an issue of morals or values but an issue of rights as enshrined in the UK’s ‘unwritten constitution’ that they are so proud about.

This is also not a discussion of the merits or demerits of the Monarchy. This is about the highest institution in the UK and who gets to be a part of it. And my observation is they continue to do everything in their power to exclude POC and in particular black people.

So much so that, when Meghan was pregnant with her son and concerns were being raised about the darkness of her child’s skin (and what that would mean), there were discussions to change the rules of the land so as to exclude her children. That is why that comment was racist.

When that didn’t work and in part because the Oprah interview made it a part of the public discourse, the palace’s next move was to force the parents of the children to forgive their children’s birthright by either creating a media shit storm or making it conditional.

And that is where the media talk that now #PrinceArchie and #PrincessLilibet would have to earn their titles. Unlike their white cousins. It is a form of ‘othering’ that is a core part of how racism is manifested.

What Harry and Meghan have done is what @RoyalFamily didn’t want to do, stepped up and claimed the birthright of their children and have stopped the @RoyalFamily and their media friends from using this as a weapon against them.

For as long as the world accepts the existence of the @RoyalFamily they must accept the existence of these mixed race children. Their parents will not allow their existence to be erased and their erasure used as a weapon in the future.

Now whether this is a good or a bad thing or the whether or not the Royal Family is a deplorable institution (I of course see it as that) is a conversation for another thread.

Queen Charlotte anyone….

Was she or was she not?

Depends on which historical account you go by.

But please meet Afro Annie #IYKYK.