The Queen will name a “diversity czar” after Meghan Markle accused the royal family of racism during her bombastic interview with Oprah, the Mail On Sunday reported, citing palace sources.
In addition to hiring, the monarchy will engage in an upcoming “listen and learn” exercise, in which royalty will “seek independent opinions” on how it can improve diversity efforts across minorities and the LGBT community, the sources said.
“This is an issue that has been taken very seriously by families,” a palace source told Mail on Sunday. “We have policies, procedures and programs in place, but we have not seen the progress we would like and we accept that more needs are made. We can always improve.
“We are not afraid to look for new ways to approach it. The work to do this has been ongoing for some time and has the full support of the family ”.
The diversity improvement plan follows allegations made by the Duchess of Sussex and her husband, Prince Harry, in their March 12 interview with Oprah Winfrey, that there were conversations among the royal family about how dark their son’s skin would be Archie. Prince Harry also said that racism played an important role in the couple’s decision to flee London to California.
The interview generated widespread reaction, including calls from British Commonwealth countries to remove Queen Elizabeth II from the post of head of state.
In an official statement issued by the 94-year-old monarch after the interview, she said the accusations of racism were “worrying” and “will be handled by the family in particular”.