Prince Harry did not know unconscious racist bias existed until he met Duchess Meghan.
The 36-year-old royal admitted it was only when he was “living a day or a week in my wife’s shoes” following his marriage to Meghan, 39, that he began to understand the complexities of racism.
Speaking an interview with Black Lives Matter activist Patrick Hutchinson for GQ magazine, he said: “Once you realise or you feel a little bit uncomfortable, then the onus is on you to go out and educate yourself, because ignorance is no longer an excuse.
“And unconscious bias, from my understanding, having the upbringing and the education that I had, I had no idea what it was. I had no idea it existed. And then, sad as it is to say, it took me many, many years to realise it, especially then living a day or a week in my wife’s shoes.”
Mr Hutchinson spoke about discussions around racism, saying that many white people are worried about saying the wrong thing.
He said: “Everything is up for discussion, because there’s so much to talk about and people need to not be afraid. I think that can be a part of it. For some white people, I think they can be afraid. They’re scared of saying the wrong thing, possibly.”
Harry replied: “Not everyone’s going to get it right. And from what I’ve seen, people are desperately trying to get it right – and even when trying to get it right, get it massively wrong.
“And as long as everyone comes at it with an element of, as you say, compassion, because it is scary for people, and it is the case that you’re probably going to get it wrong, you just jump in both feet first.
“And you may still get it wrong, but I guarantee you there’ll be the right support structure and people around to go, ‘You know what? A word of warning: maybe do this and don’t say that.”
Harry also discussed the backlash to Diversity’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ BLM-themed dance routine and said he had Meghan spoke to performer Ashley Banjo about it.
He said: “We – Meghan and I – spoke to him (Banjo) shortly after that whole process, that whole moment in his life and Diversity’s life. But what was interesting there, from what I was told, was that there were a couple of thousand complaints that came straight after the performance.
“But it was three days later or even a week later that it got up to 20,000. So you start to think, well, how many people actually watch the performance that have complained? Or have they just had their opinion inflamed by what they’ve read?”