Queen Elizabeth II, royal family back 'Black Lives Matter' movement: Senior representative

On Thursday, September 9, a senior representative of the monarch stated that Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family back the Black Lives Matter movement. In an interview with Channel 4 News, Philanthropist Kenneth Olisa, the first Black Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, said that the matter was discussed by the royal family after George Floyd lost his life in Police custody in the United States last year, according to The Associated Press.

The death of George Floyd sparked global protests over racial injustice. Olisa, who is also the monarch’s personal representative in Greater London, said that the royal family thinks very deep about it and they are in total support of the movement. "It was one of the most talked topics in the last 12 months. We need to think what can be done to bind society to remove these barriers," he said during the interview. 

The comment holds much importance as it came amid reports claiming that Buckingham Palace is struggling to combat suggestions of racism raised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Prince Harry and Meghan had reportedly raised the issue during a March interview with Oprah Winfrey. The couple had also alleged that Meghan was also meted with insensitive treatment during her time as a working royal. Meghan had said that a member of the royal family had raised "concerns" about the colour of her baby's skin even before the child was born.

However, she had refrained from revealing the identity of the member of the royal family, reported AP. Following this, Prince William, Harry’s older brother, was forced to respond stating, "We are very much not a racist family." It should be mentioned here that earlier this year, Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal duties and settled in California.

Queen Elizabeth II will attend the COP26 summit

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II will attend the COP26 summit scheduled to be held in Glasgow later this year, the conference organisers confirmed last month. The announcement has been confirmed by President of the summit Alok Sharma who said that he was "absolutely delighted" that the 95-year-old monarch had agreed to attend the climate change conference. The summit scheduled to take from October 31 to  November 12 is expected to witness 120 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis and teen activist Greta Thunberg.

(With AP inputs)

Image: AP