I can remember prior to Diana's death, she was dating an Egyptian

[CatWoman]

and there were countless stories about her infecting the royal family with "black blood".

Then her youngest son grows up to marry a black woman.

Life has a way of making people own up to their bullshit.

[DUgosh]

1. Dodi Fayed

He died with her in car crash

[Hortensis]

77. That's him. :) I didn't hang where "countless stories"

gnashing over racial mixing were supposedly nastied about, I'm happy to say. No doubt in those pre- internet days some of those did go on, but it wasn't common.

Those who romanticized her no doubt weren't happy that their ex- Princess was fast-tracking around Europe with Fayed and others instead of strolling English gardens with a parasol and Colin Firth, but you'd have to go looking for overt expressions of bigotry.

[UTUSN]

2. And there were more people of color at the wedding than in SHITLER's gatherings

There are pics around here of Ivanka's and Melania's event for "military moms" and they were all White. And there is a pic of a new crop of WH interns, hundreds, and they were all White.

[CatWoman]

3. I just finished watching Sheku Kanneh Mason, who was part of the entertainment

[UTUSN]

4. His was just about the loveliest, most spriritual Ave Maria ever

[Butterflylady]

5. He was fantastic

Watched him 3 times. Also the harp accompanying him was splendid.

[oasis]

37. Mellow w/cello. Outstanding performance.

[Doreen]

6. I think her youngest is more like her than her oldest.

He seems like he always cares about humanity and animal rights.

[roamer65]

8. Yes, there is much more Diana in Prince Harry.

There is a lot of compassion in that boy.

[BannonsLiver]

41. You mean you're not judging him by a Halloween costume?

I guess that’s probably because you’re a thinking adult.

I agree with you about Diana.

[oberliner]

13. Prince Harry once donned a swastika armband at a party

[JI7]

14. That was years ago and he was very young andf apologized. He has years of doing good

[oberliner]

17. He was 20

[JI7]

21. Yes, he has lived for 15 years after that

[oberliner]

23. He also was reported to have used racist epithets later in life such as "Paki" and "raghead".

Politicians condemn Prince Harry over 'racist' remark

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jan/12/prince-harry-video-pakistani

Also, FYI, he is 33, so it's only been 13 years since he wore the Nazi armband at a "colonial" costume party.

[JI7]

25. Leeann Tweeden supported sexual assaulters for president and senate

And she was in her 40s

[Eliot Rosewater]

28. Is that the liar who framed Al Franken?

[JI7]

33. Yup. All in order to help child molestor Roy moore get to the senate

[JustAnotherGen]

42. Thank you

[CakeGrrl]

47. And life has taught him a lesson in Meghan.

Fate brought him a woman who, in loving her, makes him confront and address racism with a whole new perspective.

Before Meghan, he may not have truly understood what it means to be on the receiving end of racism. With such ugliness directed at the woman he loves, as well as her mother, he sees it more through their eyes.

I can't divine his thoughts, but given what I've heard about his words at their reception and his public statement made while they were dating, I believe he "gets it" now if he never really had before.

[ananda]

16. I remember that, but..

After years of teaching, I realize that kids do grow
up and become very decent adults.

[oberliner]

18. 20 is not exactly a kid

[crazycatlady]

20. Not exactly an adult either

How many people at 20 have compromising pictures of them on social media? (If you were 20 before social media, how think of all the stupid things you did at 20 including drunken behavior). At 20, I flashed a security guard to get backstage at a concert.


ETA in the US, 20 is legally an adult in some sense (marriage, voting, joining the military, entering into a legal contract) but not in other senses (consumption of alcohol and depending on the state weed). We have a very inconsistent age for adulthood in the US where some privileges are extended earlier than one legally comes of age (driving, working) and others (drinking) after. You can die for this country but you can't have a beer.

[oberliner]

26. How many people at 20 wore Nazi armbands at a "colonials and natives" costume party?

I would reckon to guess not many (other than actual neo-nazis).

[JI7]

31. You defended the racist lawyer in his fucking 40s

[crazycatlady]

35. Using a quick Google search for 'college costume party'

(20 is college age). I see things like Catholic 'nuns' dressed very sexy, 'illegal ailens' (people in orange jumpsuits wearing sombreros, space aliens wearing sombreros), and blackface.

[obamanut2012]

83. Yes, it is

[CatWoman]

19. Harry must be the only person in Earth's history to do something completely stupid as a young adult

[JI7]

22. Leeann Tweeden supported a child molestor for senate and she was in her 40s

[Eliot Rosewater]

29. I would care about someone observing this about Harry if they had

a long track record of loudly opposing any and all bigotry by anyone and everyone.

Thank you for fighting the good fight, I refuse to engage with certain folks.


Hmm, Harry insults rump, and then...oh well

[JI7]

32. Agree. And those who are serious about fighting bigotry

Would also recognize the apology and the many years of work they have done after.

[Eliot Rosewater]

34. Harry hurt rump's feelings, so ...uh..well..ok

[JI7]

36. Yup, we know what this is really about

[oberliner]

27. Yeah, young adults are always putting on Nazi armbands at colonialism-themed parties

[oasis]

39. I'm pretty sure they "get it" by now but, please proceed.

[EffieBlack]

45. Harry has to get up pretty early in the morning to fool YOU

Spending years working in Africa, mentoring black children, marrying a black woman (thereby ensuring that his progeny will be part African-American), having a wedding so soulful the only thing missing was a broom for the couple to jump, are all part of an elaborate ruse to fool us into thinking he’s not really a white supremacist.

Heh heh heh. That Harry’s a slick one, but he’s no match for my boo ...

[CatWoman]

46. stop it Effie

stop it!!!

my stomach hurts from laughing so much.

[appalachiablue]

66. Harry has moved far from the foolish choice he made when younger,

wilder and more troubled from the family's misfortunes, mainly the tragic loss of his mother Diana. Her family, the Spencers has much Anglo-Saxon heritage as emphasized by Charles, her younger brother in his eulogy at Diana's funeral in 1997, and compared to the heavy German lineage of the Windsors (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) dating back 300+ years to their Hanover, North German line.

The racism particularly among people of 'Nordic,' white European background is ugly but diminishing thank heaven. Attitudes are changing for the better especially in the last 50 years with so much progress and advancement in civil rights and globalization which helps to diminish prejudices and tribal behavior.

Among the British royals, Princess Michael of Kent, who is of German and Hungarian background, a second cousin of the Queen and the daughter of a Nazi party member has a history of making controversial, offensive remarks regarding race. Most recently, she wore a 'Blackamoor' jewelry brooch at the royals Christmas gathering where many family members first met Meghan Markle. The Duchess apologized, and she and her husband just attended Meghan and Harry's wedding...



https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a20756465/princess-michael-of-kent-royal-wedding/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Michael_of_Kent

Harry's grandfather Prince Philip, is of Greek and Danish background and had three sisters whose aristocrat husbands were Nazi party members serving in the German army. Given Britain's major fight with the Allies against the Nazis in World War II, the ties to those relatives on the other side have tended to not be broadcast for obvious reasons.

"He was also, German. From the House of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksberg. No getting around it. While he had English relatives, his four sisters had all married German princes. Three of those brothers-in-law were members of the Nazi party. Philip’s arrogant attitude won him no friends, but it was exactly his overbearing manner that won the Princess’s heart."
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/the-queen-and-prince-philip-celebrate-70-years-of-marriage-but-it-wasnt-easy/news-story/9f8164a21254c9bee19e40390488d096

[appalachiablue]

79. Diana introduced her boys to many experiences and a wide circle

of people she was in contact with internationally and of diverse backgrounds.

For Will's 12th or 13th Birthday, spicy Diana surprised and embarrassed him by bringing home SUPERMODELS Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell & Christy Turlington who HE SAYS he probably had posters of back then, as recounted in this recent VIDEO interview.



https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/831916/princess-diana-prince-william-supermodels-naomi-campbell-cindy-crawford

[BannonsLiver]

24. On the upside

He’s got a nice smile and has probably never started any tone deaf discussions on race on an Internet message board, so he’s got that going for him.

[oberliner]

30. Tone deaf discussions on race on an Internet message board?

What are you talking about?

[ehrnst]

68. This, for instance.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10639445

[Beartracks]

43. Damn. You're right. It doesn't matter now what he says or does for the rest of his life.

==========

[Doreen]

44. Yes, I remeber that and I also remember he was young and made stupid choices like most

normal kids around that age. For how much good he has done since and that he seems to have followed his mothers footsteps in anyway he can I can find it in my heart to forgive him. I think he got a pretty harsh tongue lashing from not just his parents and family but the whole world and I truly think he is sorry and learned his lesson.

[stevenleser]

49. That is not completely accurate, he had an entire Nazi uniform on.

And yes it makes a difference. Having an entire uniform on at a costume party is just a bad choice of costume.

Having only an armband on indicates you are a Nazi.

[leftynyc]

60. Looks to me like he's grown up a lot since then

I would hate to be judged by any mistake I made back in my early days of almost adulthood. He's apologized. Move fucking on.

[Ilsa]

62. I guess you missed the part about his chronic depression for 2 decades

after his mother's death. Things like that affect young people and their judgment, especially people whose brains have not matured.

[KT2000]

7. it also tells me

that the UK is moving forward while the US moves backward.
I loved their ceremony and what appears to be a partnership between the couple.

And you are so right - life lessons have a way of kicking us all in the butt until they are learned.

[Demovictory9]

9. the son of that guy who owns Herrod stores

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Dodi Fayed.

[Demovictory9]

11. thx

[DesertRat]

12. I don't remember any stories like that

I'm very happy that a person of color has married into the royal family. Harry is sixth in line to the throne. I wonder if the queen would have granted permission for them to marry if he were higher up the line of succession.

[JI7]

15. She would have because of what happened with charles

And charles would have supported him.

Even with Kate marrying william there was talk of how he was marrying outside of royalty.

[Tipperary]

38. I have seen some ridiculous threads here.

Come on now.

[CatWoman]

40. where would you like me to go?

it's just a simple observation on my part.

[CakeGrrl]

48. Ridiculous how?

There's a lot of cultural shift with this union.

As I noted above, the racism directed at Meghan Markle from both the press and social media was so ugly that Harry issued a statement.

After the engagement was announced, Jo Marney, the girlfriend of the former UKIP leader Henry Bolton, had someone publicize her very racist, white supremacist texts about Meghan. She shared exactly the same racist, anti-immigrant sentiments that were expressed about Diana's choices.

There are factions of white supremacists / nationalists everywhere.

Meghan's entry into the British royal family is very similar to Barack Obama's election to the US Presidency. Both are groundbreaking in that a person with black heritage had reached a position never before attained. And both have helped expose racism that had been previously been kept in the background. Both were accused of being 'divisive' simply by being where they were while racists just couldn't hold their tongues in public forums any longer.

Bringing racism out in the open isn't ridiculous. These events are revelatory.

[EffieBlack]

50. The OP and most of the thread are fine

Some of the comments, though, are ridiculous.

(And my boo's comments are the most ridiculous ones ...)

[Kirk Lover]

51. I'm sorry but I remember no such stories....yet you recall "countless"...? nt

[EffieBlack]

52. I remember the stories

There were even all kinds of insane conspiracy theories that the royal family had her murdered because she was going to marry/was pregnant by a Middle Eastern/African/Muslim man and they couldn’t have the young princes raised by a brown stepfather or have a mixed race half sibling.

Catwoman is correct.

[CatWoman]

53. Thanks Hon

I suppose some of us reside in different worlds.

[muriel_volestrangler]

57. Some people, when they see "stories", think of published articles

some think of what they saw on message boards. In 1997, a lot of people wouldn't have been seeing the insane stuff on the internet, so, yes, "reside in different worlds" probably is a good way of putting it.

[Kirk Lover]

58. Yes I suppose we do live in different worlds since I was 25 at the time and my

mother just died, so I'm pretty sure I was preoccupied at the time.

[Voltaire2]

56. Yes after she died. And they were "insane conspiracy theories ".

Quite different than the framing in the op.

[EffieBlack]

61. Actually, the stories started before she died.

I just mentioned the conspiracy stories about her death that occurred - duh - after she died.

But even if it was just conspiracy theories, that is in no way different than what CatWoman said in her OP.

Not sure about the desire to contradict CatWoman over such an innocuous point.

It’s almost like some people can’t or don’t want to wrap their heads around the the fact that racism happens.

Why are you making such a big deal of calling CatWoman a liar because she remembers something that you don’t about something that surely couldn’t possibly matter to you?

[CatWoman]

64. since you're an obvious, unabashed "expert"

perhaps you can enlighten me about what, in your opinion, is the problem with the way I framed this conversation?:

[Voltaire2]

69. The nonsense started after she died.

And the sources were absurd conspiracy theories.

I’m not an expert, I just have a pretty good memory.

[CatWoman]

70. no they did not and no they were not

we can agree to disagree, I'll just leave it at that.

you have a good day.

ps -- my memory isn't too shabby either.

[Kirk Lover]

59. Just gross. Well Diana dragged the Royal family kicking and screaming into the

21st century. They owe her an enormous debt of gratitude.

[CatWoman]

54. Google is your friend

[Cha]

55. Dodi Fayed.. yeah, Royals

weren't happy about him at all.

I followed that whole thing back in the day.. I was really upset when I saw the news on Kauai back in '97... that Diana, Dodi, and the driver, Henri Paul, were killed in the crash.

I had a dream about Diana that night and her boys were there, too, in a castle.. only they were about 5 and 8.. instead of 12 and 15.

[IronLionZion]

63. Harry's also ginger and looks nothing like his Dad

I like Diana's relationship with Dr. Hasnat Khan, before Dodi Al Fayed. There's a great movie about that on Netflix.

[CatWoman]

65. Gingers run in Diana's side of the family

and Harry strongly resembles Prince Phillip

[EffieBlack]

67. Thank you

I'm a little tired of this discredited smear.

[appalachiablue]

71. Yep, Harry's Uncle Charles Spencer, the brother of Diana is a redhead as well.

All 4 of my grandparents had dark brown-black hair, same with our dad, and some auburns mixed in.
Mom was a redhead, like her brother. Their two siblings had very dark hair. So it was 50%

All three of us came out redheads like Mom, 100%

The ginger, red genes can really kick in sometimes!

[CatWoman]

72. don't know if you're a "Game of Thrones" fan

but Tormund is my favorite ginger of all time ( with Harry a strong 2d)

[appalachiablue]

78. He's great, love it! Gingerman fighter for real and his looks remind me

a bit of the famous British rock band drummer Ginger Baker.



I need to watch GoT, heard so much about it.

Last night my sister and I were talking about the wedding, Harry, Meghan and all.
I mentioned how I've seen more attention to GINGERS in the last 10-15 years, than in my entire life..
So many groups and blogs from people in the US, Holland, Scandi, Brits, the ME and more. Ginger Power rocks!

Our generation missed that when young, but I'm so glad to see the recognition and pride more recently.
My sister is one real Viking, Scots- loving strong 'warrior-woman' type, no joke. Beauty queen, brain, a born fighter, heh. She'd like this guy and Games of Thrones too...

[appalachiablue]

73. Harry has that great red hair like his Uncle Chas. Spencer, Diana's brother.

Hasnat Khan was so special to Diana; when he & his family broke it off she was devastated and took up with Dodi.
Very sad story, one of her assistants said Khan was the love of her life. And I want to see that film.

Summer 1995 I was in England during tons of news of Jemima (Goldsmith) Kahn who married Imran Kahn, the Pakistan cricket player and politician. South Asian looks can be quite stunning and the people charming I find. A friend from Pakistan has dark hair and amazing aquamarine colored eyes like you've never seen. People everywhere are awesome.

[B2G]

75. Harry is a dead ringer for Prince Philip

[MicaelS]

80. Damn, you are right!

Down to even the two front teeth.

[IronLionZion]

81. That makes sense because I look more like my Grandfather than my Dad

some genetics skip a generation

[stevenleser]

74. The fact that you are getting pushback to this is, illuminating, to say the least.

I better not say anything else.

[CatWoman]

76. LOL

Boggles the fucking mind.

[WillowTree]

82. Even before Dodi.......

.......there was much royal consternation about her liaison with Hasnat Khan, an Indian physician with whom she was very much in love. If I recall correctly, that wasn't ultimately the primary reason for their break-up, but the 'Firm' was particularly relieved when it happened.