Jodie Turner Smith: The Windsors should have looked at Meghan ‘as a way to evolve’

Jodie Turner-Smith attends the 2020 EE British Academy Film Awards on Sunday 2 February 2020

Jodie Turner Smith is still promoting the Anne Boleyn miniseries, where Jodie plays Queen Anne, the second wife to Henry VIII. Because Jodie is a Black British woman playing a royal woman, she’s been getting tons of questions about the current state of the Windsor klan, and about Prince Harry and Meghan’s exit from the institution. A few weeks ago, Jodie called the monarchy “limiting and archaic,” and said that Meghan’s entrance into the royal fold was a “terrible missed opportunity, the way in which it was not allowed to be something that really modernises that institution, and to change it to something for the better.” I think Jodie’s assessments have been dead-on, which is why I’m surprised that British outlets keep asking her about the state of modern royalty. You know what I mean? Jodie isn’t following the British party line, which is all about embiggening the white Windsors and ripping the Sussexes to shreds. Jodie was on Good Morning Britain this week and she was asked about Meghan again:

Jodie Turner-Smith criticised the Royal Family for their treatment of Meghan Markle. The actress, 34, hit out at the Royals for not ‘protecting’ the Duchess of Sussex and said they didn’t ’embrace her fully’ during an appearance on Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain.

Speaking to Richard Arnold, Jodie, who is currently starring as Anne Boleyn in a Channel 5 series, said: ‘There’s a lot of resistance to new things that can push that institution forward in a way that more represents the world today.

‘I think they could have looked at this marriage and that relationship as a way to evolve. They could have embraced it and embraced her fully, and protected her. And protected their son in a way that made him feel like he didn’t need to leave.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Yep. Once again, Jodie understands what happened and she’s putting the onus on the Windsors for failing to help Meghan, to protect Meghan and to embrace Meghan. Granted, Jodie spends much of her time in America these days, but I do wonder if there truly has been a more substantial shift among British people in recent years? I’ve said before that I don’t really trust those YouGov polls which are constantly-yet-selectively cited by royal reporters. I would absolutely love to see a serious, substantive poll of UK residents about their current feelings on all of this.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex attend Trooping the Colour for the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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20 Responses to “Jodie Turner Smith: The Windsors should have looked at Meghan ‘as a way to evolve’”

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  1. hmm says:

    Can’t really evolve a toxic institution that is the symbol of white supremacy.
    If anything Diana prolonged the inevitable.
    Time for the monarchy to go, at least in a civilized country.

  2. Noki says:

    I love when the famous British tell what they really feel instead of worrying if they speak they may never get CBE,OBE,Knighthood,Damehood etc. I hate the famous royal a*se lickers like The Beckhams.

  3. Snuffles says:

    I’ve come to the conclusion that The Firm think they can PR/propaganda their way out of this without really changing. I think they will fool enough English people to remain complacent and let them stay in power but I think they will continue to lose the rest of the world.

    Ten years from know they’ll be on the same level as the other European royals. Just figureheads of a bygone era.

    • Alicia says:

      I think you’re right. There’s a national mentality in England of reactionary conservatism. Not every white English person shares it but a large majority do IMO. We’re socialised to revere tradition and hierarchy and not to question it.

      We’re all aware of the British empire without (most of us) being taught anything about it ie the violence, subjugation & racism. We know ‘we’ won two world wars but generally aren’t taught much about the involvement of other nations.

      Our history of empire and victory is central to our national psyche and we celebrate it through our deference to the royal family and our obsession with WW1 & WW2 remembrance.

      Because of this, many white English people feel deeply threatened by any criticism of the royal family (or of the war remembrance wallowing). They do not care that Buckingham palace is exempt from racial discrimination laws. They don’t care that Meghan was mistreated and that there was ‘concern’ about Archie’s skin colour. Even if full receipts are provided, they still won’t care.

      Most are willingly swallowing every word of the pro William & Kate propaganda. There’s no way white English people will turn against the royals en masse. However, our racial demographics are changing. We’re becoming a truly multi racial society and future generations won’t be as deferential and accepting of these inbred parasites and their unearned status. They’ve probably got a good 25 years left though.

  4. MF1 says:

    I don’t think her comments are necessarily representative of a change among British people on their feelings towards the RF. Jodie is a black woman who just had a baby with a white man. I think she understands the fear that Meghan and Harry had for their son. She really gets it.

  5. SusanRagain says:

    Well, it’s kind of a fact that The Firm does not want to evolve or change.
    They know the monarchy is worthless and old fashioned but they like their jobs and power.

  6. Normades says:

    She’s absolutely correct it was a huge opportunity to modernize the institution and they look even worse now. I think it all boils down to Will and Kate’s jealousy.

    • Nan says:

      I think it all boils down to that, too! If Will & Kate had ACTUALLY been supportive and welcoming to Harry’s new wife, I think it would have made a difference with the rest of the Firm. Instead they chose to be *ssy to Meghan almost every step of the way, and then everyone else followed suit because that’s probably the royal default – when feeling threatened, be snobby, cruel and mean. You can see in photos now how happy Katie Keen is to have driven out her competition. *gag*

  7. Maria says:

    In the words of Cletus from the Simpsons: “shoulda but didna”.

  8. Becks1 says:

    Yes, the Firm should have seen everything about Meghan as a huge opportunity, and they didn’t – whether it was because they couldn’t see it, or chose not to see it, or could see it but didn’t like – they missed out big time.

  9. Zen says:

    I’m astonished this quotes a Daily Mail article that doesn’t have a mention of H&M living in a $14m home. Of course this is just a snippet so it was probably somewhere else in the article.

  10. Amy Bee says:

    Jodie is speaking as a black brit. Her feelings are not represented in the wider society. White British people see the Royal Family as part of their identity.

  11. Lulu says:

    The Windsors and aristos in general are too arrogant and snobby to have that type of perspective. They see her as as a ‘lower class’ American actress who is mixed race to boot. Just being from ‘the colonies’ makes her less than to them. Then there’s being an actress, and finally mixed race. Honestly up until now I’m sure they have no regrets about how they viewed her and treated her. They still have the same perspective, only now they feel even more vindicated: she was unsuitable to join their ‘ranks’, she complains too much, expects to be treated equally as the rest, and ‘manipulated’ a blood prince into leaving them all behind. Why can’t she accept ‘HER PLACE DAMNIT!?’

    So yea, sorry but no. This lot would never have enough humbleness to take such an enlightened ‘woke’ perspective. British upper class society is deeply deeply arrogant/racist/snobbish. More so than any other Europeans. Their very recent history of colonizing large swaths of the earth should tell you something about who they are and how they think. That doesn’t just disappear overnight, if ever.

    • Hannah says:

      I completely agree. The (German-)English royals have never been known for their intelligence OR their compassion.

  12. Cg2495 says:

    She is simply beautiful! And yes she is 💯 right.

  13. WTF says:

    Well obviously SHE would say something like that. Didn’t she use the same sorcery as Meagan to trap a sweet, innocent white boy?!? Over here thinking she’s cute and we are all equals. Poppycock!
    (Obvious Sarcasm)