■作為平民、離過婚的梅根與哈里王子的戀愛惹來不少閒言閒語，但有情人終成眷屬。 資料圖片原文
英國哈里王子（Prince Harry）迎娶了美國女星梅根（Meghan Markle），過去英國王室成員全屬白人，梅根卻是名混血兒（mixed race），母親擁有非裔血統，不少人視這場王室大婚為英國的「奧巴馬時刻」，象徵英國種族共融（racial harmony）邁進新篇章。
不過亦有學者認為，王室本身屬英國白人至上主義（white supremacy）的「第一象徵」，即使梅根為王室注入多種族（racial diversity）元素，對英國種族問題的影響也是微乎其微。
黑人、離婚背景踩線
英國王室繁文縟節眾多，例如禁止與曾離婚者（divorcee）或天主教徒（Catholic）結婚，過去也從沒非白人嫁入王室。
然而，梅根的母親是非裔美國人，祖先（ancestor）屬數百年前被擄到美國的黑奴，加上梅根本人曾離婚，種種背景對王室均屬突破。哈里王子前年亦曾向傳媒發公開信，為梅根的種族辯護（defend）。
英國智庫（Think Tank）「英國未來」（British Future）早前進行問卷調查顯示，大部分英國人沒留意梅根的種族，僅12%受訪者指混血兒嫁入王室是壞事。
英國律師沃爾特（Gaile Walters）向來不支持君主制（monarchy），但形容梅根嫁入王室對黑人屬歷史時刻，代表一種未曾出現過的擴張（widening）、多元（diversion）和包容（inclusion）。
曾就英國種族問題撰寫書籍的作家赫希（Afua Hirsch）稱，英國王室過去只有白人成員，製造「英國人就是白人」的印象，哈里與梅根的婚事有助改變這觀念（perception），而由於梅根是美國人，由她打破王室種族單一（single-race）的局面，也較易為人接受。
大婚紓緩排外情緒
劍橋大學（University of Cambridge）歷史課程講師鮑威爾（Ted Powell）指出，英國近期排外情緒（anti-foreigner sentiment）加劇，移民政策引來不少爭議（controversy），梅根的婚事具重大正面意義。
不過，伯明翰城市大學（Birmingham City University）社會學副教授安德魯斯（Kehinde Andrews）指出，英國社會種族歧視（racial discrimination）問題有如家常便飯，王室更是白人至上主義的第一象徵，加入一張非裔面孔不會改變王室，更會令梅根變成問題的一部分。
安德魯斯稱，王室並非由民主（democracy）產生，梅根嫁入王室根本無法與奧巴馬當選美國總統相比，傳媒鋪天蓋地報道（media coverage）婚事，反使黑人就業等真正需要被忽視。
他指出社會種族問題嚴重，故只要有較正面的事件，人們便會大肆慶祝，但跨種族婚姻（interracial marriage）其實無法解決種族問題，促請公眾細想當中實質意義。
譯文
On May 19, 2018, the Prince Harry married the American actress Meghan Markle, who is mixed race with her mother being African-American-far different from the royal family whose members are all white. The wedding was perceived as Britain's "Obama moment", symbolizing a significant step forward in racial harmony.
But some scholars believed that the royal family itself as the primary symbol of white supremacy, even though Meghan might help enhance racial diversity, it contributed little impact on British racial issues.
The British royal family has been criticized by its unnecessary formalities, such as prohibiting marriage with divorced or Catholic-raised persons, and there is never a non-white marrying and bringing the non-white blood into the family before.
Big Moment for Britain's Black Community
Yet, Meghan's mother is African-American with ancestors having painful history of slavery in the United States hundreds of years ago; added that she is a divorcee, altogether add up to a break from the centuries-old royal tradition. Prince Harry had also issued a statement to news media defending Meghan and her race previously.
In a poll conducted by the think tank "British Future" last month, it was discovered that the majority of respondents barely noticed Meghan's ethnicity and only 12% of those surveyed thought someone of mixed race marrying into the royal family was bad.
The lawyer Gaile Walters, even though holding an unfavorable view towards the British monarchy, believed that the marriage of Meghan to Harry would make a significant moment for Britain's black community, which represented a kind of widening, diversion and inclusion that it had never had before.
The writer Afua Hirsch, who wrote books on British racial issues, said that the royal family used to have only white members, giving the impression that "British people were all white". But the marriage of Harry and Meghan might hopefully help change this perception, and it would be more acceptable for Meghan to break the single-race tradition of the monarchy for her identity as an American.
Break the Single-Race Tradition
Ted Powell, a historian of the Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge, believed that the marriage would be hugely positive for Britain, particularly amidst the increasing anti-foreigner sentiments and controversies of immigration policy.
However, Kehinde Andrews, the associate professor of sociology at the Birmingham City University, described racial discrimination "as British as a cup of tea", saying that the monarchy as the premier symbol of whiteness would not be changed easily simply by adding a black face, and Meghan would only be part of the problem of racism but not the solution.
Andrews further elaborated that the royal family was not created by democracy such that being chosen by a prince was nothing to compare with Obama's election to the President of the United States, and too much media coverage could possibly mislead and divert public attention from the issues of black unemployment etc.
Given the entrenched racism, people tended to over-celebrate anything that seemed to be positive, but actually interracial marriage meant nothing at all and the public should give more serious thought to the issues.
■龐嘉儀
延伸問題
1. 哈里王子受封為哪個爵位？
2. 哈里王子現時是英國王位第幾順位繼承人（Succession to the British throne）？
3. 哪部電視劇被視為梅根的成名之作？
4. 相對於「白人優越主義」，激進宗教組織「伊斯蘭國度」宣揚哪種帶有仇恨性質的主義？
5.「國際消除種族歧視日」（International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination）被定為每年幾月幾日？
1.薩塞克斯公爵（Duke of Sussex）
2.第六位
3.金裝律師（Suits）
4.黑人優越主義（Black supremacy）
5.每年3月21日