Idris Elba is quite friendly with the royal family. He’s a long-time ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, having received a scholarship from the foundation to go to acting school, and I believe he is quite friendly with Prince Charles on a personal level. Idris has also spent time with Prince William and Harry, and some of Idris’s films have been screened to raise money for various royal foundations and royal-adjacent charities. He’s down with the Windsors, basically. Idris was invited to the One Million Young Dinner at Buckingham Palace last night, and he brought his girlfriend Sabrina Dhowre as his date. He introduced Sabrina to Prince Charles, which you can see in these photos. Before the dinner, Idris chatted with Sky News about Meghan Markle, the first woman of color to marry into the royal family. Idris is beyond pleased about Meg!
“Meghan Markle, as a person, regardless of her color, is a role model,” he told Sky News. “As a strong woman marrying into our royal family, she’s going to be a role model for any woman. The point is that of course our society is one of mixed heritage and it’s nice to see Meghan within the Royal Family,” he continued. “It’s great. And of course she’s going to be a beacon and of course she’s going to be someone that people look towards.”
The idea that the royal family could be and should be racially representative of Britain’s multiracial, multiethnic society is a somewhat modern idea. I get that there would be no way to force that conversation, nor would there be any way to force a prince or princess to marry a person of color. But look no further than the quiet freakout from the British Establishment over the idea that Princess Diana would end up getting remarried to a Pakistani doctor (Hasnat Khan) or an Egyptian playboy (Dodi al-Fayed) in the 1990s – there was a lot of racist drama that the heir to the throne could have a stepfather who was Egyptian or Pakistani. And now, twenty years later, one of Diana’s sons is marrying a mixed race American woman and the British Establishment still doesn’t know what to say or do about it. Idris is right though – Meghan will be a role model to so many girls around the world.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I might get shit for this but I don’t care. I’m so glad he said strong woman as oppose to strong Black woman. Women are just strong no matter the race or ethnicity.
IMO Meghan will not have that hard of a time assimilating into the royal family as a woman of Color because of her phenotype. I wonder if she would have a much harder transition into the royal family if she was the shade of Lupita, Viola Davis or even Kerry Washington.
I thought Idris was back with his baby mama. This just goes to show I only fangirl over his beauty but don’t follow his love life much.
I often though about that myself. And it’s a great question to asked if the British establishment and people are losing their mind over him marrying her and she’s as fair as she is, imagine what would have happened if she was the shade of a Viola Davis and a Lupita.
And yet voting patterns don’t support that concept.
Amen!!!
I agree – strong women as in her mom – Doria. They don’t just seem to trade on title/wealthy connections – not hanging on to HRH Prince Henry Sparkles connection to get ahead – Doria has earned a Masters degree, is a professional – as is her daughter. And still seem so close in age to Princess Henry I/w. Photos of her at her home with groceries – she seem young.
“Color” is part of people’s identity. I don’t see why her “color” should be “erased”. She is a **successful bi-racial woman**, independent on her own right, and if anything, she should be **celebrated**. And her **color** as well. There is nothing wrong about being a person of color, mixed, anything other than “white”.
ITA. Plus it’s kind of strange to avoid the discussion about her being mixed race. She’s proud of it. Her racial identity is visible. It’s not like certain identities like those related to creed or sexual orientation that can be hidden as one can choose for themselves for their own reasons. It’s 2017 and it’s mind blowing to see racism like that. Especially in countries that pride themselves with being progressive and advanced culturally, technologically and so on. My heart grows sad any time I see such things happening.
On a side note, one can only speculate about Diana’s relationship with Dodi. IIRC she was in love with the doctor but who knows what would have happened in case she had not lost her life that soon. But it’s not easy to say that those relationship would have not provoked some concern for the BRF if not only for WH’s proximity to their mother’s romantic partners. No matter their religious identities.
I understand what he means-Meghan is a woman of some genuine accomplishment; she’s had a real career that she made on her own and has a true commitment to charity that, again, she pursued on her own. She is someone any young person could look to for inspiration. Catherine Middleton seems like a nice enough middle class woman , but let’s face it, she is as basic as they come, PW will never worry about being upstaged by her utter mediocrity. Meghan seems to be an actually interesting person.
What a lovely compliment. When she reads about this, she will be tickled pink. I completely agree with him. All humorous ranting aside, she really is someone to look up to. . She takes her advantages and tries to help others. One doesn’t have to be perfect to be a role model. 🙂
Well done to Idris Elba for sticking up for her, I am sure he is aware of all the racism and hateful comments, I bet he has been a victim of it too. People say they don’t mind her ‘colour’ but I wonder what would happen if she was really dark skinned. I hope over time she lets her hair go natural, now she is no longer on Suits.
What came to mind for me is how the British royal family and the commonwealth countries of say Africa or Asia have had this stronger connection/camraderie than we Americans realize but yeah, the family adjusts as does the country to a new member and they seem to have embraced her with open arms. No matter her background or plans..it has to be daunting as hell to become part of the British royal family. I think she is a very impressive person…and it is amazing how much has changed in 20 years for the better…but alas based on the experiences of our former first lady..there is still a lot of people around Britain who may not yet be ready to accept her. Time will tell. Hope for the best.
+100
British is the United Nations – Centuries of Trading among other, from Continent to Continent.
My kids are mixed and when Obama became president my son got excited because as he said “Look mommy President Obama is half white and half black like me. I can be president.” Now that Prince Harry and Meghan are engaged my daughter believes she has a very real chance to be a real Princess not just mommy and daddy’s princess because Meghan Markle is half black and half white just like her. So yes she is my a role model. She gave my little princess very real princess goals.
I love this.
Awww how sweet