A crisis for the British monarchy

The British monarchy has gone through its share of crises — from more personal controversies around Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage to political challenges, including a republican strain which sees the institution as antiquated and out of line with the democratic spirit of modern times. But few episodes will do as much damage to the credibility of the monarchy as an institution as the interview of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Megan Markle, who have walked away from the royal family to begin life anew in the United States (US).

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple made a series of charges against the royal family — the most damaging of which was Ms Markle’s disclosure that when they were about to have a child, members of the royal family had conversations about “how dark the skin might be when he is born”. Harry confirmed the conversation, expressing his shock — but made it clear subsequently that it was neither Queen Elizabeth nor Prince Philip who made the remark. Ms Markle also spoke about how there were times when she did not want to live anymore, and painted a picture of an apathetic and insensitive royal establishment.

While the entire episode may be seen as yet another internal dispute of the elite, it has created a crisis of credibility for the royal family — for charges of racism from within are hard to counter. It has led to a divide between allies on either side of the Atlantic, with the popular mood in the US firmly with the young couple while the mood in the United Kingdom remains more ambivalent. But at the core, the issue is about how the monarchy as an institution is increasingly losing its traditional, political, and now popular legitimacy.