Last week, Duchess Meghan released an unprecedented new video speaking to a graduating class in the United States.
But instead of making her speech a celebration of their graduation, the royal spoke of something much bigger – bigger than even she knew.
Referencing the death of George Floyd in the United States, and the subsequent protests and riots that broke out in the wake of his passing, the Duchess made some poignant remarks about matters of race – and suffice to say it made a big impression.
Speaking to the senior year students at Immaculate Heart High School, which Meghan herself attended in the 1990s, she said she had felt compelled to directly address what was happening in the US following the killing of George Floyd.
“For the past couple of weeks I have been planning on saying a few words to you for your graduation, and as we’ve all seen happening over the past week is absolutely devastating. And I wasn’t sure what to say to you,” Meghan said.
“I wanted to say the right thing, and was really nervous that I wouldn’t and that it would get picked apart, and then I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing. Because George Floyd’s life mattered.”
The Duchess then listed a number of people who had lost their lives due to police brutality.
Visibly emotional, and sharing words that struck such a chord only reiterated how deeply the Duchess was feeling about the current climate.
And a source has since come forward to share exactly how the recording went down.
Meghan shared an emotional video in the wake of the George Floyd protests.
(The Duchess of Sussex)Speaking to Newsweek, a source revealed that Meghan shared the entire five minute monologue with no notes.
“As you can probably tell, it’s pretty raw and she spoke without notes. But she’s been having lots of conversations about the issue before filming,” they explained.
It is also understood Meghan had been holding calls with community leaders about the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the protests.
In addition, another source spoke to the Daily Beast, explaining: “Her heart hurts for the young people that are graduating into a world of uncertainty and injustice.”
Visibly emotional, Meghan spoke words that left watchers stunned.
(The Duchess of Sussex)Meghan’s words came after an old video of her speaking about racism in 2012 surfaced.
In the clip, she speaks of her own experience.
“Quite honestly, your race is part of what defines you. I think what shifts things is that the world really treats you based on how you look,” she said.
“Certain people don’t look at me and see me as a black woman or a biracial woman. They treat me differently, I think, than they would if they knew what I was mixed with, and I think that that is… I don’t know, it can be struggle as much as it can be a good thing depending on the people that you’re dealing with.”
Watch it in the player below:
With this in mind, it’s clear Meghan was deeply moved and emotional as the US, and then the world responded to the killing of George Floyd, especially as subsequent resources and movements come to light in support of quashing systematic racism.
There’s a long way to go, but listening to people’s experiences, researching ourselves and hearing from those who have the influence to spark positive change is a good place to start.
