Rev. Fr. Thomas Ebong
The gulf of public opinions over the revelations made by Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, on the Royal Family is daily widening. Meghan who walked out of Buckingham Palace with her husband and Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry has set the public space on fire after granting what was seen as a bombshell television interview to Oprah Winfrey. Since couple tore racial nest, the world is on its toes with dissecting views.
As plurality of views keep on swelling up, a Nollywood actor and comedian, Ime Umoh also known as Okon Lagos took to his Instagram to describe Meghan as ‘river’ and Harry as ‘log’. In a manner he seemed to be mimicking the duo on their stand in abdicating the throne, he expressed fears over their relationship.
The view of Okon Lagos sounds more of an abusive language than a passing comic comment from a wonderful actor and a hilarious comedian that I truly cherish, at a time that the world is gripped with the demons of racial intolerance and disharmony.
Without being personal, brother, let’s look at it from a wider perspective. Until one gets exposed to other cultures, one may not fully grasp the full import of RACISM as well as the harm and the toxic disharmony this has injected into the psychic of other peoples and cultures of the world, in the past many years, including the greatly revered Royal Buckingham Palace where Lady Markle, from her CNN testimony (February 8, 2021), was swimming against the current of racial insinuations, to stay afloat.
The same spirit of freedom and love that Princess Diana exhibited are well manifested in Prince Harry her son. Prince Harry and Lady Markle are driven by pure sacrificial love. It is not a question of one pulling the other along on the journey of life.
If Buckingham palace was horrified about the possible outcome of the romantic relations between Princess Diana and the Egyptian Prince Dodi Fayed, why wouldn’t there be an anxiety of greater magnitude of a possible presence of black child as a bona fide household member of Buckingham Palace?
Perhaps, there must have been some great relief at some quarters with the news of the tragic death of the duo in a car crash on August 31, 1997 as well as the sense of deep loss with some others! Did Princess Diana have anyone to confide in at the time, regarding the problems she encountered before reaching out to Dodi? Perhaps, none was worthy of her trust at the time.
Thank God, Lady Meghan has a man to open up to, a loving husband, Prince Harry, a man of soft and calm exterior but with the inner strength and courage of a disciplined military pilot that he is.
He does not only fly a military helicopter but he is courageous enough to pilot the affairs of his little family with the love, freedom and devotion of a true father in his own right, and in the spirit of his cherished Mother, late Princess Diana.
For the highly anticipated ebony beauty baby girl, on the way, is already sending chills down the spine of some, at the Royal Palace, and this, in the 22nd century! A sad commentary on RACE RELATIONS! How could we ever forget that there is only one RACE? THE HUMAN RACE!
Markle and her loving husband, Prince Harry have the courage and vision to open a successful Skin Care Empire with powerful Lush Lift Cream that brings care and happiness to many women as well as providing a source of income for themselves; this is perhaps much more meaningful and humane endeavor than a continuous exploitation of former colonies as the major source of income.
It is clear that the couple are in glove to see off racial stigmatization and insinuations, not to exhibit their ego. People not her psychological mould must understand that her efforts in battling to overcome bottled feelings borne out of racial prejudice in the palace to save her self-esteem, marriage and indeed the future of her lovely children.
Ebong is a Catholic Priest and Mass Communications Scholar
