Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will receive the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation for Human Rights, an honor with which many critics disagree. Commentator Lizzie Cundy called it “laughable” and “disrespectful” to the royal family.
One commentator thinks Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s award honor is ‘laughable’
According to Kerry Kennedy, who heads the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, Prince Harry and Meghan will receive the award based on their interview with Oprah Winfrey. In addition to a series of bombshells, they said an unnamed member of the royal family asked about the color of their son Archie’s skin before he was born.
Cundy weighed in on the award during an appearance at Jeremy is coming shows (via Express). “To me, this is laughable because they have no evidence of these two, of a single act of racism that they actually encountered by the royal family,” Cundy said.
She continued: “There is no evidence. There is no name as to who this royal might be.”
Cundy further noted her belief that the award was “disrespectful to the grieving family” and “to our late Queen”.
She added: “Let’s just think about it, to be honest. Let’s think about kindness. These two have lost more personnel than I’ve had cups of tea.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will receive an award for the “heroic” way they challenged the royal family
Speaking to Spanish news outlet El Confidencial, Kennedy explained why Harry and Meghan are receiving the award. “They went to the oldest institution in British history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they cannot have structural racism within the institution; that they couldn’t maintain a misunderstanding about mental health,” Kennedy said.
“They knew that if they did that, there would be consequences, that they would be ostracized, that they would lose their family, their position within this structure, and that people would blame them for it,” she continued.
Kennedy added: “They did it anyway because they thought they couldn’t live with themselves if they didn’t question that authority. I think they were heroic in taking that step.”
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Commentator says award will ‘legitimize’ Harry and Meghan’s version of ‘their truth’
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams shared his thoughts on the award, telling the Express it was “an amazing thing” as it was apparently based solely on Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah.
“So much of the Oprah interview I think was their truth or their version,” he said. “And I’m afraid this award will legitimize him in the minds of young people.”
Additionally, Fitzwilliams said it was problematic that Oprah “didn’t probe” more during the interview. “So people will see that they’ve won an award and they’ll identify it primarily with the Oprah interview and certain comments on podcasts and programs,” he said.
“But it will be primarily identified in people’s minds with Oprah and what should have been investigated was not, a large number of questions and it will add credibility to their brand in an area where I think they have been destructive.” Fitzwilliams added.