Princess Michael is 'very sorry and distressed that it has caused offense' following racism accusation after she wore a blackamoor brooch at the Queen's pre-Christmas lunch.
- Dec 23, 2017
AceShowbiz - Princess Michael of Kent landed in hot water after she was spotted wearing a racially insensitive accessory during Queen Elizabeth II's pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, December 20. The royal, who is married to the Queen's first cousin, wore a vintage blackamoor brooch to the event that was also attended by Prince Harry and fiancee Meghan Markle, who is of a mixed racial background.
Originating in Venice in the 16th century, Blackamoor is a genre of art or jewelry which nowadays is considered romanticizing slavery. Thus, when the 72-year-old wore a brooch featuring a black figure in regal gold attire and headdress, it took no time for people to criticize the British royal for the offensive brooch. Many people called her out for being "racist."
"I hope the Queen is going to ban this racist, horrible woman from any further gatherings. This woman is an embarrassment to the Royal Family," a social media user wrote. "Has no-one noticed the blackamoor pin that Princess Michael of Kent is wearing? Really? Meghan Markle official meets the family and is greeted by THIS?" another user snarked.
The Princess later released an official statement in response to the backlash. "The brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before," a representative for Princess Michael, who has previously been dubbed as "Princess Pushy," said in a statement. "Princess Michael is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offense."
This isn't the first time Princess Michael of Kent has been embroiled in controversy. Back in 2004, she was accused of racism after allegedly yelling at a group of African America diners at a New York restaurant to "go back to the colonies."
She doubled down the controversy as she told ITV, "I even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African, but because of my light eyes I did not get away with it, but I dyed my hair black." Princess Michael added, "I traveled on African buses. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted experiences from Cape Town to right up in northern Mozambique. I had this adventure with these absolutely adorable, special people and to call me racist: it's a knife through the heart because I really love these people."
