Mourning controversial public figures
Reflecting on the death of Prince Philip and the role of the royal family in contemporary society
Hallie Wiltshire / Asst. Opinion Editor / The USD Vista
On April 9, Great Britain mourned the death of Prince Philip. Upon hearing the news, I texted my British grandmother that it was “a sad day for the UK.” The lives of the British royal family are well-known and publicized. Even people who take no interest in the family or outright dislike them are at least aware of the happenings in their lives. My grandmother responded that it was “a very sad day indeed.” But since then, I’ve wondered — why? Why does Britain give such respect and attention to an outdated and problematic institution?
The British monarchy has a long, racist, and bloody history of imperialism. The royal family is incredibly wealthy, the monarchy receiving $97 million in government funding in the 2017-2018 fiscal year, and owns a significant amount of land. Most of this wealth and resources still stem from past participation in the slave trade and theft of resources in the countries that the British Empire colonized. Although Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and the rest of the royal family are not responsible for colonialism, they benefit from an institution that is.
Even if Prince Philip isn’t accountable for colonialism, he was known for being “gaffe-prone” and giving “compliments” that more closely resembled veiled microaggressions. In 1986, he said “if you stay here much longer you’ll all be slitty-eyed,” to British students on a royal trip to China. In 2003, he asked an Australian Aborigine if he was “still throwing spears.” These comments were simply shrugged off, as Philip was simply a “man of his time,” but they shouldn’t be. Members of the royal family shouldn’t get to follow different rules of decency just because they have blue blood.
All eyes were on the royal family when Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, a mixed-race American. The royal family had a chance to begin to redeem their racist history and embrace a new era of the royal family. Instead, they failed spectacularly.
In an interview with Oprah, Markle detailed how when she was pregnant with her son Archie, there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be” from the royal family.
This kind of behavior is not unexpected from a family whose reputation and power was built on the backs of nations conquered during the imperialist period. The royals bask in their privilege and expect their bad behavior to be shrugged off — and unfortunately it always is. Not wanting to play into that narrative is not only understandable, but should be encouraged. Not treating the royal family as heroes who inherently deserve love and affection is completely acceptable.
It’s okay not to mourn controversial public figures and the problematic institutions they represent or of whom they were members.
Prince Philip consistently acted inappropriately and made racist remarks, and acknowledging that and choosing not to mourn him for that reason is perfectly acceptable. He does not earn the respect of every person just because he is married to the queen.
Belonging to an ‘important’ family or holding celebrity status does not mean you are exempt from human decency.
The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.