Prince Harry and Meghan are getting media criticism even though Harry's words echo a statement made by Nicola Brentnall, the CEO of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust.

Prince Harry and Meghan are taking a lot of media 'heat' for comments Prince Harry made during a Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) meeting. What nobody is reporting is that Harry referenced part of a June 2020 article, that was written and posted by the CEO of the QCT.

Prince Harry's comments (not Meghan's) were along the lines of  "when you look across the Commonwealth, there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past". 

Harry did not specifically say that the Commonwealth is founded on inequality but this is how the comments have been perceived in the UK tabloids. Prince Harry and Meghan are being pillared by the usual suspects i.e. the Daily Express, the Mirror, the Daily Mail, and Piers Morgan.

Compare Harry's statement to the full article posted by Nicola Brentnall, CEO of the QCT. 

Overcoming Racism and Injustice Together 

We posted in response to Black Lives Matter on June 1st 2020 as, for us, staying silent is not an option. QCT exists to champion, fund and connect young people, sharing their knowledge, expertise and insight widely. Together with them, we want to unleash the energy, commitment and drive that young people have to change the world for the better.

Our young community supports others every day. Many have encountered racism, intolerance and injustice in the course of their lives, both in and outside their work. The work they do is hard, but vital in lifting and supporting communities everywhere. They keep coming back every day, in pursuit of fairness and opportunity for all.

Drawing on their experience, we want to learn how our work can best enable and equip all young people to reshape our world for good.

Earlier this year, we began a conversation with a small group of our network as part of our Commonwealth series, which has started looking at the impact of historic injustice on the experiences of young people today. We know we cannot look forward to a future where young people are equal partners in driving change without acknowledging and learning from our past.

We will convene discussions on Fridays throughout June and July, hosting webinars and conversations that continue to consider experiences of racism and injustice in tandem with solutions and practical steps to take to bring about a fair and just world.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact QCT CEO Nicola Brentnall at nicola.brentnall@qct.org.uk.

Article published: June 2020