Coronation Crowd So White?

London’s many people of color seemed to have skipped this morning’s royal do.

Piroschka van de Wouw/AP

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday morning offered up the expected stream of opulent props and view-obstructing hats, along with unpredictable delights, like the meme of Katy Perry struggling to find her Westminster Abbey seat. It was hard to miss disgraced Prince Andrew parading a full robe, Prince Louis yawning, or the dogs dressed in noble garb. But as I watched live coverage and scouted online, I had to wonder: Where were the people of color?

The organizers of the celebration reportedly pushed for touches of diversity in an attempt to modernize the crisis-ridden British royal family and, per the coronation order of service, “reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom and its peoples, in striking contrast to seventy years ago.” But the huge crowds outside Buckingham Palace looked positively non-diverse, despite the fact that more than 40 percent of greater London’s population identifies as non-white. 

Perhaps they were discouraged by the rain, Prince Andrew or, bigger things like, you know, the monarchy’s legacy of sustaining and profiting by colonialism and slavery. As the Associated Press reported in the run up to Saturday, the country’s diverse communities were, if anything, “ambivalent” about the pending coronation. “Personally it’s a little bit hard to connect to the whole occasion,” said a musician descendant of migrants from Jamaica, an ex-colony now trying to leave the Commonwealth. “I think that the coronation could possibly allow people like me to try and connect to (the monarchy). But it can be a bit tough.”

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate