Royal Family considers appointing 'diversity chief' following racism allegations

The Royal Family hopes to improve its approach to race by enlisting a 'diversity chief', according to a Buckingham Palace source

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 07: Queen Elizabeth II records her Christmas message to the Commonwealth, in 3D for the first time, in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace on December 7, 2012 in London England. Broadcast on December 25, 2012, the Queen paid tribute in her Christmas speech to Great Britain's Olympic and Paralympic athletes for inspiring the nation during a "splendid summer of sport". (Photo by John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
(Image credit: John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Royal Family is considering appointing a 'diversity chief', according to a Buckingham Palace insider. 

  • The Royal Family may appoint a 'diversity chief', following the recent criticism of its treatment of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. 
  • Buckingham Palace is working to improve its approach to issues of race by expanding its representation of marginalized groups, according to a royal insider.
  • In other royal news, a royal official has claimed that Meghan and Harry didn’t get married days before their wedding.

The Royal Family is looking to appoint a diversity chief, according to a Buckingham Palace source. 

The news comes following Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey on March 3, which was watched by over 49.1 million people around the world. In the CBS special, Meghan shocked the legendary talkshow host when she revealed the comments made about Archie's skin color by an unnamed member of the royal household. 

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 25: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Meghan shocked Oprah with her claims that conversations were held about Archie's skin color 

(Image credit: Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty)

The Royal Family was hit with major backlash following the interview, with many critics calling out the monarchy for its inherently flawed structure. Prince William even responded to racism claims on March 11, telling a reporter, "We are very much not a racist family."

The Queen also spoke to the media, expressing the Royal Family’s sympathies for Harry and Meghan’s experience in a rare statement. "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” she wrote. 

Her Majesty went on to acknowledge the allegations made in the interview and to confirm that they will be handled away from the public eye. 

"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.” 

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 11: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 2018 in London, England. The armistice ending the First World War between the Allies and Germany was signed at Compiègne, France on eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month - 11am on the 11th November 1918. This day is commemorated as Remembrance Day with special attention being paid for this year’s centenary. (Photo by Paul Grover- WPA Pool/Getty Images)

(L-R) Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton 

(Image credit: Paul Grover- WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Queen signed off the statement on the affectionate note that "Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members."

A palace source has now revealed that the institution is taking practical steps towards resolving these contentious issues. The anonymous insider explained that, while the structural foundation already exists to effect change, there hasn’t been sufficient emphasis on ‘representation.’ 

‘We have the policies, the procedures and programmes in place but we haven't seen the progress we would like in terms of representation - and accept more needs to be done. We can always improve,’ they said. 

Speaking on the possibility of a 'diversity chief', the source said, "It is something that has to be considered but it is too early for any firm plans to be announced."

The importance of this progress, which has been in the works for a while now, has been highlighted since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview. 

"The work to do this has been under way for some time now and comes with the full support of the family,” the source added.

The exact details of this work have yet to be confirmed, but the family is reportedly taking things slowly to ensure they can handle these contentious matters respectfully. 

"We are listening and learning, to get this right,” they said. 

"This is obviously an area where members of the Royal Family have a strong track record in terms of their work, including through their charities.” 

The family is currently building on this background knowledge by seeking out ‘independent views’ to help them ‘assess and improve’ their approach. They will also focus on expanding representation of other marginalised groups, including the LGBTQI+ and disability community. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.