Prince William Denounces Racism Targeting Youth Soccer Club, But Meghan Markle Supporters Are Taking Issue

By Stephanie Downs

Prince William has taken a stand against the racism that has plagued a youth soccer team in Bedford, England. While William's words are important and necessary, some Meghan Markle supporters are surprised to see the heir to the throne take such a public stance against racism. After all, as Prince Harry previously related, he was disappointed that the royal family did not make a public statement regarding the racist abuse that Meghan has faced.

Sky News reported that William sent a letter to Alpha United Juniors, which consists of players as young as seven years old, to share how "deeply concerned" he was about the racism that the team has faced on the field. He added in his letter, "Racism and abuse has no place in our society. Abhorrent behaviour of this nature must stop now and all those responsible be held to account." The publication noted that the Prince of Wales has contacted the Football Association (FA), the governing body of soccer in England of which he is the president, about the team's claims. 

According to PEOPLE, Mohammed Waheed, chair of Alpha United, wrote to the palace in January about issues facing the team. William then wrote a letter in response, which was sent over in February. Considering how serious this issue is, it's important to see the Prince of Wales denounce racism in such a strong way. Although, that doesn't mean that Meghan's supporters haven't taken note of William's lack of public response about the racism that she has faced as a member of the royal family. 

Not Having It

Many Meghan fans are surprised to see that William would take such a public stance on a topic that he was quiet about when it came to his sister-in-law. They believe that he's a "hypocrite."

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Questioning William

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(Photo: Jon Super-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, the author of This Is Why I Resist, explained to Newsweek why she and others have taken issue with William's stance. The author said, "The problem with William is that he lacks real credibility on race, racism and race relations because he did not tackle the racism under his own roof, in his own family." She went on to say that "when Prince William does not do what's needed in protecting his own sister-in-law from racism, which he says has no place in our society, then why in heavens should anyone believe him when he's responding to young people or the rest of the public about his feelings about racism."

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Interesting

While William denounced racism publicly recently, his younger brother, Harry, has previously voiced his concerns that he didn't speak up to defend his wife, Meghan. In 2021, he told Oprah Winfrey that he was disappointed by his family's silence on the matter, saying, "One of the most telling parts—and the saddest parts, I guess—was over 70 Members of Parliament, female Members of Parliament, both Conservative and Labour—came out and called out the  colonial undertones of articles and headlines written about Meghan. Yet no one from my family ever said anything over those three years. And  that hurts."

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Really?

Some are surprised by William's public statements against racism. But, as Newsweek noted, the prince's letter only became public after the club released it to the media.

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Performative?

One of the biggest criticisms about William's recent action is that it seems "performative." Fans believe he should have kept the same energy for a member of his own family.

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We're Waiting

Given that William defended Alpha United Juniors, fans are waiting on his defense of Meghan. Will it ever happen?

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Disingenuous

Fans are really taking William to task for not sticking up for Meghan and her two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. They even feel like his recent stance isn't genuine given that silence.

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