OTTAWA —
Sidestepping commenting on the revelations in Oprah Winfrey’s recent interview with Prince Harry and Meghan against other members of the Royal Family, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the solution is not to dismantle the monarchy.
Asked how he reconciles his support for the monarchy with his pledge to address the legacy of colonialism in Canada, Trudeau said the way forward is to root out the systemic racism that pervades institutions—including Parliament—rather than abolishing them.
“The answer… is not to suddenly toss out all the institutions and start over. The answer is to look very carefully at those systems and listen to Canadians who face discrimination every single day and whenever they interact with those institutions, to understand the barrier, the inequities and inequalities that exist within our institutions that need to be addressed, that many of us don’t see because we don’t live them,” the prime minister said. “That’s what fighting systemic discrimination is all about.”
In the interview that aired in Canada on Sunday, several bombshell claims were made, including that a member of the Royal Family was concerned about how dark the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son’s skin might be.
For many Black and racialized viewers, the two-hour broadcast was a high-profile example of the impacts of systemic racism.
Shortly after Trudeau’s remarks, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of the Queen saying in…
