Prince Harry is being honest and upfront about his past. The Duke of Sussex opened up about wearing a Nazi uniform, including a swastika armband, to a 2005 birthday party and the scandal that ensued from it. “It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I felt so ashamed afterwards. All I wanted to do was make it right,” Prince Harry says in the third episode of his Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
In the wake of the controversy, Prince Harry’s response was to make amends for what he’d done. He went to speak to the chief rabbi in London, which he says had a “profound impact” on him. He also went to Berlin to speak with a Holocaust survivor.
“I could’ve just ignored it and probably made the same mistakes over and over again in my life. But I learned from that” Prince Harry points out.
Prince Harry is the first to acknowledge some of the problems with the family he was raised in. “In this family, sometimes, you know, you’re part of the problem rather than part of the solution. And there is a huge level of unconscious bias,” the 38-year-old says in the docuseries.
He continues, “The thing with unconscious bias is it’s actually no one’s fault. But once it’s been pointed out or identified within yourself, you then need to make it right. It’s education. It’s awareness. And it’s a constant work in progress for everybody, including me.”
The docuseries brings up Princess Michael of Kent wearing a Blackamoor brooch, which is widely considered racist, to one of Meghan’s first royal events in 2017. The royal family is currently embroiled in another racism scandal after Lady Susan Hussey, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s lady-in-waiting and Prince William’s godmother, asked Black British charity leader Ngozi Fulani where she “really came from.”
Lady Hussey resigned from her post, and Buckingham Palace released a statement: “We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details. In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made. In the meantime, the individual concerned would like to express her profound apologies for the hurt caused and has stepped aside from her honorary role with immediate effect. All members of the Household are being reminded of the diversity and inclusivity policies which they are required to uphold at all times.”
A spokesperson for Prince William also released a statement, “I was really disappointed to hear about the guest’s experience. Racism has no place in our society. These comments were unacceptable and it’s right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”