By Pauline Lewis
It did not seem too long ago – so many wedding party pop-ups happening all over the country, with misty eyes, wedding hats, and champagne glasses all clicking to the same celebration – Harry and Meghan were getting married.
For the Black community, in particular, there was an interest in the Royal Family that had not been present before. Meghan was marrying into the Royal Family and she brought her African American heritage with her. Suddenly, Black people had someone in the Royal Family to identify with. This was unprecedented, joyous and exciting. This historic advance in cultural diversity expressed itself perfectly at the Royal wedding in Windsor castle – a congregational mix of royalty and aristocracy with celebrity, and a service that fulfilled their cultural mission – a Black Pentecostal preacher who wonderfully demonstrated the Black Pentecostal tradition. This wedding came with a promise and that was celebrated by many – of every culture.
Fast forward to 2020 and we are seeing a very different picture. The promise of diverse representation in Royal circles is all but gone. No Harry and Meghan at Christmas at Sandringham and finally the announcement that the Royal couple will not be carrying out any new Royal engagements.
No-one really knows what issues Harry and Meghan face, nor how difficult it is for them to deal with those issues. Harry has said that he could not see any other choice when coming to the decision to give up Royal engagements, and there is no doubt that this is how he felt.
The most unfortunate consequence from this is the loss of promise in the leap forward for Black British cultural diversity. Through Meghan and Harry, we had that promise. The Black British community suddenly looked up and saw themselves in a place they had never seen themselves before. With our history of being racially discriminated against and, as a community, often being consigned to the lower economic bands of society, this promise was welcome and well overdue. Indeed, the promise of change was embraced by the wider British community too.
There is, therefore, more at stake than the personal difficulties of Harry and Meghan with which I am completely sympathetic. The hope of wider cultural diversity in the UK has taken a big blow. But a big blow is not a complete defeat. We have now had a taste of what can be, and we can now look forward with full confidence to a Britain with more cultural diversity than ever before.
Pauline Lewis LLB(Hons)
Barrister Atticus Lawyers
Conservative Women Organisation (Diversity) National Chair for Lawyers