By Victor C Kirk
By now the world is aware of the Oprah Winfrey interview with Harry and Megan. What a shocker!!!
The British royal family actually uttered a word about Archie’s skin color?? Wondered out loud how dark would his skin become, and that the optics would be problematic? He would NEVER become a PRINCE and will not be “protected”!!!! A BIG no no BIG time. We all knew it would come to this but not in such a dramatic way, not on the heals of being told that suicide was an option considered by the Black Princess of the world!!! Not quite sure what happens next but surely it will be a measured response. The commonwealth has a sizable percentage of persons of color.
The shameful part is if you have ever traveled to London, England, the aesthetics is so majestic. Big BEN is exactly like you see it in the encyclopedia and on the internet – tall and stern and regal bellowing out a chime announcing the appointed time of day. The palace is overwhelming just in its size and seems even larger as you, with some difficulty travel around it by car. When you travel around in red double decker busses a feeling of wonder pervades your senses. You are where response to calls for democracy festered.
My interest in the success of the Harry and Megan marriage began innocently back during my single man days. As a small time, collector, I possess a Chrystie’s catalogue of dresses auctioned by Princes Dianna for several of her famous non-profit causes. Christies auction house featured a collection of “Dresses from the Collection of Diana, Princess of Wales – a charity sale on behalf of AIDS Crisis Trust and The Royal MARSDEN Hospital Fund”. The 1997 event raised slightly more than $2.3 million by sale of 80 of her gowns that secured bids anywhere from $23,000 to $222,500.
I stumbled across the auction while on the internet. Thought about a special gift for a lady friend of mine at the time who was known for her fashion flair. Bought the catalogue and the gift was an unusual surprise warmly received. Within a week or so the sudden and tragic death of Princess Dianna in a car accident consumed the news outlets from around the world. I quickly went back on to the Christies site to determine if catalogues were still available and secured a second copy for my collection of wonderfully odd and utterly useless items. From that point on, it became a conversation piece strategically unveiled in the presence of company interested in what the heck a $220,000 dress or any apparel would look like. Those who canvassed the exceptional photos of the Princess wearing the gowns at varying events and close ups of the fabric and stitching were impressed. I am sure many who viewed the catalogue wondered how to duplicate a style or color or at what point a weight loss goal could be reached to look like Dianna did in a ball gown.
Her popularity in life and after death and leaving small children troubled many who saw her life as the ideal. Servants, subsidized life at level of riches poor folk could only simulate on a much, much smaller scale. Hope would get us there, one day. Just the thought of a Black Princess, the one many in the world thought was a new level of access for persons of color, a barrier breaker in somewhat the same level as the election of Kamila.
Will it all come crashing down? Will the story end with even more bitterness? Will HOPE become evasive for those of color seeking symbols of an era when truly the content of our character and not our skin will breed equality and equity? WE SHALL SEE!!
