England fans are left heartbroken as their half-century wait for a major title goes on. Video / NZ Herald
OPINION:
Being a king-in-waiting used to be a much easier gig: You opened plaques, christened a few boats, and lent your dab sword hand to investitures. The biggest threats to a future sovereign's equanimity were boredom and gout.
Pity Prince William then, whose pre-throne years have so far been filled with a rancorous brotherly feud, the fracas that has been Megxit and the bleak march of male pattern baldness.
Now the 38-year-old, and future King William V, has gotten himself involved in the racism row that is dominating the UK.
On Sunday, the English team lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 finals, dashing the dreams of a nation that has not tasted world-stage glory since their 1997 Eurovision win. (Katrina from Katrina and the Waves is still waiting for her MBE I'll have you know.)
After the team's loss, the three players who had missed the penalty goals faced a wave of racist abuse online.
William promptly came out swinging, posting a personal tweet on the Kensington Palace Twitter account, saying he had been "sickened" by the deluge of hate the players were facing. "It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour," he wrote," It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W"
I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match.
It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour.
It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 12, 2021
It was a direct and vociferous condemnation which was fitting given he will one day lead the nation and has a moral imperative here, along with the fact that he is President of the Football Association.
But despite unequivocally being the right thing, his decision to speak up on this occasion is deeply problematic.
This is not the first time the issue of racism has collided with the royal family in recent months, yet the handling of these two situations could not be more starkly different.
In March, as a global audience of 50 million watched on, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex revealed to Oprah Winfrey that during her first pregnancy in 2019 with son Archie an unnamed member of the royal family had raised "concerns" about "how dark his skin might be". Her husband Prince Harry, she said, had been party to "several conversations" with "family" on the subject.
Harry, Meghan, Kate and William attend the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London in 2018. Photo / AP
Both Meghan and Harry refused to name which member of the Windsors they were referring to, but no matter their selective reticence, the damage to the royal family's image had already been done.
The world – aghast, fascinated, and totally gobsmacked – swiftly turned to the palace to see how they would respond to such stunning accusations. The world waited … and waited … and then waited some more.
It was 40 hours after the TV take-down aired that Buckingham Palace put out a frighteningly economic 61-word statement on behalf of Her Majesty saying that "some recollections may vary" and that the matter would be dealt with "privately".
Basically, while the world reeled, the royal house clammed up, refusing to directly engage in any sort of detailed, full-throated rejoinder.
(It later emerged that there had been a generational divide among royal family members about whether the race allegations should be specifically addressed in the Queen's statement and whether they should issue "a stronger, firmer rebuttal" of the Sussexes' interview, The Times has reported.)
Harry and Meghan during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2017. Photo / AP
The only direct pushback against Meghan's claims came when William broke ranks and five days after the interview told journalists during an outing to a London school, "we're very much not a racist family" but it was too little, too late.
As the dust settled, and no matter William's comment, the rot in the royal brand had set in. The monarchy, now tainted with the indelible stain of racism, was suddenly starting to leave a very bad taste in the public's mouth.
The Queen and co looked imperious and out of touch.
The Firm seemed totally blinkered to the fact the Sussexes' Oprah revelations were not being aired in a political or cultural vacuum but all this was coming less than a year after Black Lives Matter protests across the UK, the toppling of colonial-era statues and that the world was in the midst of a global reckoning on race.
Ultimately, the palace's strategy was disastrous and their response proved deeply wanting, something they have done very little since then to try and address.
And yet, despite all of this, William and Prince Charles managed to deliver outspoken, forthright interventions on race this week.
Prince Harry, left, and Prince William stand together during the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Princess Diana, on July 1. Photo / AP
(The Prince of Wales' Clarence House social media accounts also came out against the racist abuse being levelled at the English team, "Recognising the rich diversity of cultures which make this country so special – and in many ways unique – lies at the heart of what we can be as a nation.")
That the royal family failed to meet the challenges of the Meghan race storm but can, when they want, move so swiftly and forcefully leaves the palace exposed to charges of blatant hypocrisy.
If they can so forcibly and vehemently address the subject of racism now, why couldn't they do the same in the aftermath of the Oprah interview? Why did the royal house blatantly refuse to engage in any sort of substantive public conversation about racism back in March but suddenly can today?
It comes down to this: If the royal family and William can take a stand now, why not then?
He could have, for example, pushed back in terms of the specific incident the former Suits star raised while also acknowledging the monarchy's dismal history when it comes to race. (For example, while slavery was once and for all abolished under Queen Victoria's rule, academics still debate how much she personally did on the issue.)
Prince William and his wife Kate watch the Euro 2020 soccer championship final between England and Italy at Wembley stadium in London. Photo / AP
While the palace has taken steps to try and make up ground on the question of race since the Oprah debacle, they still have not once publicly addressed Meghan's devastating claims in detail or with any sort of substance.
In March, it was reported the palace was on the hunt for a diversity tsar. Then in June, this year's Sovereign Grant report disclosed for the very first time the proportion of royal staffers who are from an ethnic minority – 8.5 per cent – with a senior palace source telling the media they were committed to doing better.
But instituting workplace policies and updating their HR manual isn't going to cut it.
This England soccer team situation has proven they can and will speak out when they want.
While months may have passed since the Duchess of Sussex first voiced her allegations and the story might have faded from the headlines, the house of Windsor cannot escape confronting the question of race and the royal family forever.
It's time someone – I'm looking at you here William – stepped up and stopped delaying the inevitable. The world is waiting.
• Daniela Elser is a royal expert and a writer with more than 15 years experience working with a number of Australia's leading media titles.
