Prince William Is Finding Himself In Hot Water Over These Comments
The royal family has been accused of racism not just once or twice, but several times.
This year alone, the family suffered a huge blow when Meghan Markle accused unnamed members of The Firm of showing concern over how dark the skin of her and Prince Harry's son, Archie, might be. Prince William defended the royal family in an encounter with British reporters, a clip of which was shared on Twitter by the Daily Express' royal correspondent Richard Palmer. "We're very much not a racist family," William said, adding that he planned on talking to his younger brother about the bombshell interview.
Before William's response, Buckingham Palace had issued a short statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, acknowledging the allegations (via USA Today). "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately," the statement read while emphasizing the Harry, Meghan and Archie would "always be much loved family members."
Harry himself drew intense criticism back in 2005 when he decided to attend a costume party dressed as a Nazi, The New York Times reported at the time. Now, the family is back in the news after William made some comments in which he reportedly implied that Africans are responsible for pressures faced by wildlife.
Prince William reportedly blamed African population growth
On November 23, Prince William attended the Tusk Conservation Awards, an organization of which he is a patron, and delivered a speech meant to inspire Africans to care for their wildlife. However, the Duke of Cambridge's words had a different effect on people, Newsweek reported. "The increasing pressure on Africa's wildlife and wild spaces as a result of human population presents a huge challenge for conservationists, as it does the world over," William told the crowd. While he didn't include the specific phrase, many critics interpreted that William was accusing "African population growth" for endangering the continent's wildlife, the report detailed.
Kenya ecologist M. Ogada questioned William's reasoning in a clip shared on Twitter by nonprofit Survival International. "The fact is, if we look at absolute figures, Africa is more sparsely populated than Europe or Asia," he said. Other Twitter users pointed out the royal family's past. "The UK is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Prince William needs to mind his own ... business and take his neo-colonial mindset elsewhere," one wrote.
This isn't the first time William drew ire over comments about the African population. In 2017, also at a Tusk event, William was less careful about his choice of words. "Africa's rapidly growing human population is predicted to more than double by 2050 ... There is no question that this increase puts wildlife and habitat under enormous pressure," he said, according to Business Insider.