Who besides Meghan Markle was mixed race in the British royal family?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

When Prince Harry announced his engagement to actress Meghan Markle, the world froze. Many immediately began to analyze what it would mean for a mixed-race woman to be prominent in the British royal family. Markle, whose mother is African American and whose father is white, has been hailed by some as Britain's first "black princess". This marked a very important milestone in the history of the English royal house, which for centuries encouraged slavery and colonialism. But according to some historians, such a case in the royal family is far from the first.

Charlotte Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Buckingham Palace residents may not be as white as people think. Of course, some researchers say this is impossible. Mixed marriages among royals were often not recognized due to racism, both within the royal family and in European society at large. But experts say there may be one exception. Therefore, Markle may not actually be the first person of mixed race in the history of the British monarchy.

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitzka, a German princess, married the British King George III in 1761. Historian Mario Valdez claims that she was also black. He says that Charlotte was closely related to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a member of the Portuguese royal family who was of African blood.

Evidence or speculation

Much of the alleged evidence for Charlotte's race is based solely on the description of her face. Many believed that she had too southern features. It was said because of her large nose and wide nostrils. During her reign, Charlotte was constantly ridiculed for her appearance. Contemporaries described her as "a true mulatto." Sir Walter Scott wrote that the history of the Charlotte family was full of dark pages. He argued that the consequences of the life of the ancient Germanic tribe in North Africa were preserved in its features.

It is possible, however, that those who thought Charlotte was ugly were simply influenced by racial stereotypes. They just wanted to insult and humiliate her in this way. Valdez claims that Charlotte was actually very dark skinned, and her facial features were clearly of African descent. However, even a shadow of this is not present either in modern portraits, or even in caricatures of the queen. For Valdez, this only serves as proof of the literal whitewashing of history.

Other historians argue that the generation gap between Charlotte and her alleged African ancestors is so great that it makes this assumption just ridiculous. In addition, the researchers say the evidence that her closest Portuguese ancestor was black is not at all convincing.

Just racism

Mixed-blood royal families have always existed. It's just a common thing, for example, for the African continent. Old Europe has always been a bit racist. As a rule, the monarchs there were from elite white families. In the time of George III, who signed the law abolishing the British slave trade, having a wife of a different race would have complicated discussions about this issue. Paul Youngquist, a scholar who studies the image of Africa in the era of British Romanticism, writes about it this way: "The race of Charlotte, real or imagined, brings black to the very heart of British femininity, beauty and identity."

What can the members of the royal family themselves tell about the origin of Queen Charlotte? In 1999, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said, “This has been rumored for a very long time. It's a matter of history, and frankly, we have much more important things to take care of."

Duchess Megan

In a modern historical film, Queen Charlotte is played by a black actress. Many have expressed their dissatisfaction with this. The same Meghan Markle, according to her, has repeatedly faced discrimination because of her race. In any case, Markle is not the only one in this field. Modern representatives of the Habsburg dynasty and members of royal families from Liechtenstein and Monaco also married women with a different skin color.

The Duchess of Sussex openly declares her race. She also reports on the discrimination faced by herself and her family. Despite this, it is not worth expecting that she will be an advocate for the rights of black and mixed-race British. “She will not be allowed to be a black princess,” said sociologist Kehinde Andrews. "The only way they can accept her is to pass for white."

Many journalists and human rights activists agree with this. In addition, representatives of other races themselves agree that Markle's too light skin is unlikely to be a shining example of British racial tolerance. The Duchess can be as open about her race as she pleases, but it will take more to break through the heavy legacy of slavery, colonialism and racism in the United Kingdom.

If you liked this article, read about who traded slaves and other facts that debunk the most common myths about slavery in America.