Prince Charles Faces Backlash After Guest Editing Issue Of Britain’s Leading Black Newspaper ‘The Voice’
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Prince Charles has been criticized after guest editing Britain’s leading Black newspaper, The Voice.
The Prince of Wales took over September’s edition of the publication to mark its 40th anniversary, discussing his vision to tackle racial injustice and unfairness.
Charles wrote, “You have welcomed me into your communities with wonderful enthusiasm and I am grateful that you have always been candid with me about the issues you continually face and how I might help.”
Following the backlash receieved after Prince Charles guest edited Britain’s only Black newspaper, a @TheVoiceNews rep tells @nadine_writes the outlet is calling for the royal family to apologise and pay reparations for slavery: “An apology and reparations remains a key demand.” https://t.co/nfZXrUVb68 pic.twitter.com/x832IYh24B
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) September 5, 2022
However, not everybody was impressed by the fact that the paper picked Charles to celebrate such a milestone, with some pointing out that Charles also hadn’t spoken out to defend his daughter-in-law Meghan Markle and some of the treatment she’s received in the press and online.
Prince Charles editing the only national Black British Newspaper, The Voice, smacks of performative White allyship
If he’d led by example on race related issues/supported Meghan Markle he would be credible
No severe backlash/criticism like #MeghanMarkke got for editing Vogue?
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) August 30, 2022
Seeing Prince Charles’s fat fingers on a Newspaper that gave me my start and allowed me to grow as a writer, it’s left me feeling really disappointed. When I wrote for the Voice it stood against personifications of oppression and suppression. I guess a lot has changed since then.
— Michael Morgan (@mikewhoatv) August 28, 2022
I’m actually speechless.https://t.co/h8mMU4uxcR
— Lorna_TVeditor (@Lorna_TVeditor) August 27, 2022
If only Prince Charles found his voice when his Black DIL was/is being racially abused in the British press. Prince Charles didn’t use his voice to condemn Danny Baker for comparing Archie to a chimpanzee. Where was his voice then? The Voice has done a disservice to its readers.
— #WakandaForever (@OritzBlue) September 4, 2022
Meghan received a ridiculous amount of outrage for guest editing Vogue. Prince Charles guest edits black British newspaper The Voice https://t.co/UqiBy0ZxfJ
— Kathleen Hicks (@KathleenHicks) August 28, 2022
The Voice is saying to us people of the Black and Brown Community that they could not find anyone worthy to guest edit from our Community so they had to chose this man who hates his own daughter-in-law The Voice has lost their own voice Prince Charles is not BLACK shame on you https://t.co/e6ZpqwMFBV
— Pauline Smith (@paulinepamella1) September 3, 2022
Prince Charles has edited The Voice for its 40th anniversary edition.
Not a famous Black person, but the white man who is yet to, for starters, publicly condemn the racism directed at his son’s wife and children.
I look forward to UK media calling him “woke” from now on. https://t.co/gOV5wbW6gZ
— Lorna_TVeditor (@Lorna_TVeditor) August 28, 2022
A spokesperson for The Voice told The Independent: “We recognize the strong feelings some of our readers have over this edition and the divergence of views in the community.
“We agreed to collaborate with The Prince of Wales after looking at the work he had done on race equality over 40 years and the parallels with our campaigning over the same period. The edition we published deals with important issues like reparations and Black empowerment, told through the eyes of prominent and respected figures in the community.”
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They added regarding readers’ call for an apology on slavery: “An apology and reparations for enslavement of Africans remains a key demand from all institutions that were involved or gained from it.”
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Prince Charles Was ‘Very Emotional’ While Meeting Lilibet For The First Time
The Independent pointed out that, “The British royal family was involved in the transportation and selling of African people for profit for centuries, with Elizabeth I becoming involved in the lucrative dealings of John Hawkins, one of Britain’s first slave traders in the 16th century, and the link continuing through to its abolition in 1834.”
Reparationist Esther Stanford-Xosei was among those criticizing The Voice for having Charles guest edit: “Having bought and read a copy of the paper, it’s really just a nauseating advert for the Prince’s Trust and what it’s doing.
“The royal family, as an institution, is doing nothing to actually remedy the harm [caused by slavery] and Prince Charles’ editorship sends a dangerous message to the rest of the world and shows the schizophrenic identity that is part of the internalization of colonization.”
One reader, who asked to remain anonymous, told the publication that the latest issue of the paper was “perplexing and maddening.”
They shared, “I think this approach by him is to try and mitigate the issues with racism and the royal family. No matter what he states he will not convince me. At the ripe old age of 56, I have witnessed the massive differences in how the royals treat people of colour… past and present!
“It is way too late for me to see a member of the royal family show interest in a newspaper specifically for my culture and have a say in what is published, thinking I should respect and accept it. I feel betrayed and most likely will not read The Voice again.”
ET Canada has contacted Clarence House for comment.
